Exercise Equivalents of Halloween Candy...And it's Scary!

It can certainly be a challenge to keep candy consumption to a minimum this time of year. It usually ends up that we start snacking on fun size Snickers and mini packets of M&M’s here and there, not realizing that we’ve turned candy-eating into a regular habit. Not to mention, because we’re mostly noshing on “fun-sized” treats, we tend to brush them off as inconsequential, although “fun-sized,” many have quite a few more calories than we probably realize.

One of the best ways to keep your health and fitness goals on track is to simply gain a better understanding of exactly how much you’re eating, especially when you grab “just a few” fun-size Snickers or a “small scoop” of M&M’s to snack on; when we’re not paying close attention, sugar-filled calories, can add up quickly.

To help, we’ve compiled a list of all your Halloween cheat treats and indicated approximately how much time you’d have to spend running, cycling, lifting, and sparring those calories away. It’s as scary as a Haunted House on Halloween!

REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS (5 miniatures)

CALORIES: 220. FAT: 13 G
RUN: 17 Minutes
CYCLE: 39 Minutes
LIFT: 26 Minutes
SPAR: 17 Minutes

KIT KAT (2 fun-size bars)

CALORIES: 210. FAT: 11 G
RUN: 16 Minutes
CYCLE: 37 Minutes
LIFT: 24 Minutes
SPAR: 16 Minutes

HERSHEY’S MILK CHOCOLATE KISSES (9 pieces)

CALORIES: 200. FAT: 12 G
RUN: 16 Minutes
CYCLE: 35 Minutes
LIFT: 23 Minutes
SPAR: 16 Minutes

BUTTERFINGER (2 fun-size bars)

CALORIES: 170. FAT: 7 G
RUN: 13 Minutes
CYCLE: 30 Minutes
LIFT: 20 Minutes
SPAR: 13 Minutes

SNICKERS (2 fun-size bars)

CALORIES: 160. FAT: 8 G
RUN: 12 Minutes
CYCLE: 28 Minutes
LIFT: 19 Minutes
SPAR: 13 Minutes

Twix (2 fun-size bars)

CALORIES: 160. FAT: 8 G
RUN: 12 Minutes
CYCLE: 28 Minutes
LIFT: 19 Minutes
SPAR: 13 Minutes

STARBURSTS (8 pieces)

CALORIES: 160. FAT: 3 G
RUN: 12 Minutes
CYCLE: 28 Minutes
LIFT: 19 Minutes
SPAR: 13 Minutes

YORK PEPPERMINT PATTIES (2 snack-size patties)

CALORIES: 120. FAT: 2 G
RUN: 9 Minutes
CYCLE: 21 Minutes
LIFT: 14 Minutes
SPAR: 9 Minutes

PEANUT M&M’S (1 fun-size pack)

CALORIES: 90. FAT: 5 G
RUN: 6 Minutes
CYCLE: 16 Minutes
LIFT: 11 Minutes
SPAR: 7 Minutes

SKITTLES (1 fun-size pack)

CALORIES: 60. FAT: .5 G
RUN: 5 Minutes
CYCLE: 11 Minutes
LIFT: 7 Minutes
SPAR: 5 Minutes

With Halloween upon us, there are lots of frightening things lurking about. But what may be scarier than the witches and werewolves are the sugary calories we could be consuming. It should come as no surprise that with the vast amounts candy around our calorie, fat, and sugar intake can quickly escalate. In fact, by handing out candy and sneaking a few pieces here and there, you could easily gobble up between 640 and 1,280 extra calories. That doesn’t even include the continuous raid of the candy bowl after the holiday is over. So, the total damage could be a real horror!

Please know that we’re not here to rain on anyone’s candy parade; enjoy some of the scary good sweet stuff…just keep moderation in mind. And if you do overindulge in the sugary sweet, try adding a few extra minutes to your workout for a week or two; it’s not a good idea to try and burn off all the candy calories from Halloween in one workout or even in one day.

Want to learn more about sustainable nutrition? Learn more about our nutrition offerings at Success Studio.