Burn It Off: How Many Jumping Jacks to Undo a Halloween Candy Binge?

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By: Nicole Nichols : 11/4/2008 12:04:23 PM : 63 comments

Halloween may be over, but its sweet treats aren't going anywhere for a while. From your child's bucket of loot to the overflowing bowl of goodies on your desk at work, the temptation doesn't end just because October is behind us. Ninety percent of you say that Halloween candy is tempting, according to one SparkPeople.com poll, and about one-quarter of health-minded adults admit to eating at least 10 pieces of fun-size candy, according to a recent poll on FitSugar.com. It's easy to get carried away with these fun-size, which can trick you into thinking they're low in calories just because they're small. One turns into two, then four, and before you know it, you've eaten 10 or more bite-size candies in a single day! How much damage could 10 tiny treats really do? Find out how many minutes of jumping rope you'd have log to undo a Halloween candy binge.

Of course, it will depend on the specific candy you eat, but let's go with a variety of choices for this experiment. Our 10 total pieces will include one fun size version of each of the following: Reese's Cups (40 calories, 2.5g fat), Snickers (45 calories, 2g fat), Kit Kat (50 calories, 2.5g fat), Whoppers (60 calories, 2.5g fat), Skittles (80 calories, 1g fat), Peanut M&M's (110 calories, 5g fat), candy corn (140 calories, 0g fat), Butterfinger (100 calories, 4g fat), Pay Day (90 calories, 5g fat), and one Tootsie Roll Pop (60 calories, 0g fat) for a grand total of 775 calories and 24.5g fat.

According to SparkPeople.com's Fitness Tracker, a 150-pound woman who performs jumping jacks (at a rate of about one per second) will burn 10 calories per minute. To burn off these 10 pieces of Halloween candy, you'd have to perform vigorous jumping jacks for 1 hour and 18 minutes, which is equal to 4,650 jumping jacks!

Those little candies add up fast. You may not have eaten 10 in a single day, but over the course of a few days, it's possible that many of us have. So next time you are facing temptation, just think about doing jumping jacks until you can barely move and you may be more inspired to do something else with that Halloween candy.

How much candy do you think you've eaten over the last few weeks? Knowing what it takes to burn off a few pieces of candy, will you think twice before you bite next time?


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Comments (Scroll to end to leave a comment)

TONICHILSON
12/12/2009
6:05:02 PM

 Wow! That really disgusts me. I indulg in candy alot. I have quite the sweet tooth. But to actually see the calorie count. MAN. I'm cutting back! That's horrible
63
KWRIGHT26
11/30/2009
11:08:30 PM

 I had a chocolate craving a few weeks ago and bought myself a Dove dark chocolate bar and savored 4 of the 5 "sections" of it for under 110 calories. No Halloween candy here.
62
CDKRAPF
9/16/2009
10:49:30 AM

 WOW. that sure puts things into perspective. as Halloween approaches this year, i'm going to be thinking of all those jumping jacks.

swedish fish are my kryptonite...i'm not buying those for our trick-or-treat bowl! ;)
61
SASANDRA
9/16/2009
12:46:35 AM

 Wow, I did not know Candy Corn was 140 calories! I better stick to Snickers this year and start on my jumping jacks now!
60
SOURDOUGHGIRL
2/15/2009
6:31:35 PM

 The only Halloween candy that tempts me is KitKat, my downfall. Fortunately, I don't have a very sweet tooth. Eat a mini bar and I am good for weeks.
59
EATYOURVEGGIES
2/14/2009
5:35:12 PM

 Not a huge candy fan, but the other treats I'm crazy about are just as calorie-laden. Puts things into perspective, thanks for the tips!
58
BARB827
12/25/2008
12:35:12 PM

 not crazy about candy.
57
MRG0908
11/9/2008
1:41:18 PM

 Articles like this certainly help me put things in perspective. I didn't eat any Halloween candy, but candy isn't my thing. I have other vices. I need to continue reading articles such as these to get me asking the question, is it really worth it?
56
TAYMATE
11/8/2008
8:16:21 AM

 Wow.....what an eye opener!!! I'm glad I brought the leftover Halloween candy to work and didn't eat ANY of it! I occasionally enjoy a York Peppermint Patty but that's it. My weakness is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups because I can't eat just one and 10 wouldn't be enough!! I can never ever ever in a million years buy them!
55
TIGGERJAKE
11/6/2008
10:00:21 PM

 i only bought 2 bags of candy, and I bought them after the holiday when they were cheap, BUT most importantly I bought the kind I think is Icky! I hate black licorish but the hubby loves it, so he can have his icky candy and I am not tempted at all! lol
54
CRAZEPUPPIES
11/6/2008
2:41:38 PM

 I really enjoy these types of articles, especially the one about donuts I really don't think it is worth it for one anymore. I am sure that I have eaten my fair share of candy lately and I try to get the fun size ones in hopes that if I have one or two it will satisfy my craving, but well.... I finally am getting to the point where I will calculate the calories for the candies I am about to eat and think about whether or I would like to eat anything else the rest of the day and re-evaluate the number of fun size candy bars I'm going to eat. I don't know that I would eat 10 at a time, but 5 still adds up to way too many jumpjacks for me.
53
JMAUERMEYER
11/6/2008
12:45:14 PM

 can't believehow quickly a few little bars add up..good idea to post it first..keeps you honest ..and i have had 2 little bars a day and now..i have donated them to our round receptacle..i didn't buy them and wish i had more support so no one else in this house would buy them..arrghh
52
GETINSHAPE110
11/6/2008
8:33:46 AM

 I've better get started, I'm going to be doing jumping jacks for a long time. I
51
LIVINHEALTHY9
11/6/2008
5:56:01 AM

 This article is a good dose of reality. I have indulged in the Halloween candy way more than I should have. I hope after reading this, I will have more willpower. Give me Strength!
50
JIBBIE49
11/6/2008
1:44:32 AM

 I didn't buy ANY Halloween candy.
49
EKOORB907
11/5/2008
4:41:54 PM

 A friend of mine gave me a great idea (because our family loves candy and we need it out of our house)...we "bought" our kids candy - they were allowed to keep three pieces and exchange the rest of their bags of candy for a new toy. We boxed up the candy and took it to work...
no jumping jacks needed here!
48
HOLLYTYSON64
11/5/2008
4:04:08 PM

 Unfortunately we buy the full size chocolate bars at my house for trick or treaters...sigh....we have 20 left ! My guy was supposed to take them to work for a United Way fundraiser. I WANT them gone from my sight. BUT, I haven't touched one ! Soooo proud of my self.
47
UGOTTALOVEMONIE
11/5/2008
12:26:46 PM

 I work at a Dr's office and we got soooo much candy from reps. The Dr I work for has lost 135 pounds on this site and doesn't even want to see anything that comes through the door, so it all sits in a drawer in my desk. Today I decided I'm done. I threw it all out, and from now on I'm telling reps with junk food to give it to someone else!
46
ODEEMV
11/5/2008
10:45:48 AM

 I also eat a fun-size candy every day b/c I just cannot give up my sweets. When I know I'm going to eat a piece around 2:00, I can say no to other temptations earlier in the day.
45
MISTYRONSONET
11/5/2008
10:26:00 AM

 I actually eat 1 piece of snack size candy a day. Looking forward to that 1 piece helps me stay on my diet and not cheat.
44
SUSANALCALA
11/5/2008
9:35:31 AM

 I can't give up candy, i add it to my menus so i dont feel like i have to have it all the time.
43
KAIZEN2BTHIN
11/5/2008
9:34:25 AM

 Oh gross. I can't believe how much candy I ate. Now seeing just how much those "bite sized" bars add up - I'll be doing jumping jacks from now till 2010!
42
PINK_NEVAEH22
11/5/2008
9:14:58 AM

 Somehow I managed to stay away from the candy and thats surprising since it is that time of the month! I only ate one fun size oh henry candy bar yesterday and only ate half in one sitting and the other half of the fun size candy at night. I am very proud of myself and I think its my mindset change that has helped me conqour the candy this year. I ask myself which is more irresistable my craving for candy or my craving for a hot body and better health? My craving for weightloss and getting healthy is much stronger than any food. Nothing can stop me now!!!!!
41
PANDORA130
11/5/2008
9:06:52 AM

 Only one Hershey Bar with Almonds in the last 2 months, but no Halloween candy. I'm not worried or guilty about it and don't feel bad. I refuse to think about myself as being bad for having a treat or good for passing something up. If I'm really craving something, I'll have it (in moderation) and work out the calories.
40
DEUCE119
11/5/2008
8:55:05 AM

 HALLOWEEN IS NOT THE ONLY TIME I THINK ABOUT IT. EVERYTIME I GO TO EAT SOMETHING I SHOULDN'T I REMEMBER ALL THE TIME I SPENT ON THE STATIONARY BIKE, AND IT DOES MAKE ME PAUSE JUST LONG ENOUGH THAT MOST OF THE TIME I DON'T EAT WHAT I HAD. I ASK MYSELF , "DO YOU REALLY WANT TO UNDO ALL THAT YOU JUST DID FOR A TASTE OF THATY?" IT DOES WORK FOR ME.
39
ANG41368
11/5/2008
8:49:06 AM

 Well I'll admit to a binge but I refuse to feel guilty about it.......I'm done with the guilt because it is self destructive and leads (me at least) into a downward spiral. I hadn't had any type of candy since March, a huge accomplishment in and of itself so a one time binge isn't going to tear me down. I woke up the next day, no urge or desire for candy, which there was a ziploc bag still in the house that was leftover that I saved for my son and his roommate, and was right back on track.
38
*DEVA*
11/5/2008
8:17:59 AM

 honestly, i try to only eat the serving size on the package. i have them memorized for my favorites. lol. and thankfully, my son didn't go out soliciting candy nor did i buy any, so the halloween binging wasn't a problem.
37
RAVENETTE1
11/5/2008
7:49:37 AM

 Luckily my Kids no longer trick or treat....I have no candy and was not tempted at work. I did however go to a party and had a few glasses of wine. DOH!
36
OLDTOWNGYM
11/5/2008
7:31:40 AM

 Don't forget the more muscle you have the more calories you're burning through out the day. A few candies won't set you back. Just keep moving.
35
MPS1234
11/5/2008
6:03:38 AM

 Wow - talk about a wake up call! Unfortunately, I CAN eat 10 of pretty much any candy named in an hour never mind a day! Once I start I find it hard to stop! Anyway, those numbers are pretty eye opening and I will definitely stop to think about what kind of damage control will be required after my 'little' binges. Thanks for another tool for my weight loss tool box!
34
CURVYGIRL1973
11/5/2008
3:22:18 AM

 If it's there, I will want to pick at it. So I just make sure it's out of the house. Into someone else's mouth or in the trash, either way it has no danger of sitting on my hips.

For Halloween this year I bought treats I wouldn't feel like snacking on. I gave out small change and chocolate covered raisins. I had a rough idea of how many kids would visit, and made sure I gave everything away!
33
RD03875
11/5/2008
3:01:22 AM

 They don't celebrate Halloween in the country I live in and I don't have kids so there is NO candy here except for sugar free cinnamon discs
32
DRTAMM
11/5/2008
1:46:15 AM

 I am a dentist and I love candy!!! Talk about struggles.
31
DOGLESS
11/5/2008
1:24:31 AM

 Okay, I'll admit it -- I ate some of my daughter's hallowe'en candy. I'm now shocked at the caloric intake and am regretful that I did so. I need to get it out of my face -- I don't have the willpower to refuse it.
30
JNAUMAN
11/4/2008
11:17:44 PM

 Wow ... that's a lot of jumping jacks. I knew I was avoiding that Halloween candy dish for a reason! More reason for it to be out of the house. We packed up most of the leftovers and some of the kids collection and sent it off to school to the treat jar. Felt a little guilty about everyone else's kids but ...
29
BILLALEX70
11/4/2008
10:50:16 PM

 I work in a little candy each day. It's better to stick with the hard candies; smarties are my favorite right now. At 25 calories I can work in a package or 2 each day. I also made a pledge to myself on Halloween that I wouldn't eat any candy that day. It's amazing what you can accomplish if you set your mind right first. Since halloween I had one fun-size snickers and one kit kat. Not too bad if I say so myself.
28
CRYSTALPISTOL2
11/4/2008
10:01:37 PM

 I don't get trick or treaters so I did not buy candy.
27
COPPERPENNI
11/4/2008
9:20:18 PM

 We had no trick or treaters...so no candy bought and none in the house...saved
26
A5KLADY
11/4/2008
8:57:13 PM

 I was bad, I had some today, but I did walk 4.5 miles!
25
IWILLRUN
11/4/2008
8:40:24 PM

 We have lots of candy here from my son's night out trick-or-treating. I allowed myself 3 fun-sized snickers that night and haven't touched it since. I even fit the treat into my calorie count for the day. We have the candy basket on the counter with a lid so I don't have to look at it. My son is allowed two pieces a day, and he doesn't even try to go for more.
24
DSPRNCESS
11/4/2008
8:23:46 PM

 That is very scary! Take the candy away!
23
OFEDEOZ
11/4/2008
7:54:33 PM

 Oh Dear!
22
CAROLJ35
11/4/2008
6:34:39 PM

 Didn't purchase any Halloween candy except for grandkids and it was given to them still in the sealed package. But I did make some candy and barely tasted it working it into my daily nutrition. I was so near that 30 lb. mark, I didn't want to blow it.
21
JEWITCH
11/4/2008
6:11:48 PM

 Great information thanks for sharig.
20
MCDOELI
11/4/2008
5:58:11 PM

 I definitely suffered a setback this Halloween; reading this blog really drove the point home though!
19
LEFTY84
11/4/2008
5:31:49 PM

 Oh my gosh...... I feel really frightened by these numbers! Granted, I've never eaten 10 in a day, but I've probably put away five in one day.... and that's JUST as scary!! EEK!
18
YOYOLADY4
11/4/2008
4:59:51 PM

 I had a little binge for the last couple of days, and as of now have removed all candy from the home. Sent most of the leftovers home with my university son who can share it all with his roomies... the rest I gave to a neighbour who babysits tons of kiddies... they can run it off a lot faster than I can :)
17
FABDELKA
11/4/2008
4:56:43 PM

 This is the first Halloween that I did not indulge in candy. Pat on the back for me. But if I did I would be the one doing jumping jacks for 1 hour and 18 minutes, because I LOVE I mean absolutely LOVE chocolate. And get this if I eat it in excess I break out before the day is over. They say that means I'm allergic but I could care less.
16
SSEMINOLE
11/4/2008
4:25:31 PM

 I had four pieces since Halloween.... But I made sure to report it and didn't exceed my daily allowances once! Yay me!
15
MARIKINS048
11/4/2008
4:15:30 PM

 i had about 4-5 pieces on Halloween while i was passing it out to kids, but since then, I've accounted for it in my daily allowances. I just can't resist those Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!!!!
14

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