215 Burpees For A Fun-Size Snickers? I’m Terrified Already

A cool breeze, porch lights glowing, and a bowl full of candy—Halloween can feel magical and stressful at the same time. We lean into the nostalgia of handmade costumes and neighborhood walks, then tackle the “spooky” candy math that gets tossed around this time of year. Yes, the numbers can be eye-opening, but the real transformation comes when we shift from restriction to balance and make peace with treats.

I share a simple framework that actually holds up during the holiday swirl: protein and fiber first, then enjoy the extras. We walk through why lean protein supports satiety and hormones, how fiber steadies blood sugar and gut health, and how this combo reduces cravings without cutting joy. You’ll hear why the “I blew it, I’ll start Monday” mindset keeps you stuck, and how to replace it with a kinder, more effective approach: continue. One imperfect choice doesn’t define your health; your next choice does.

You’ll pick up practical moves you can use tonight—eat a balanced meal before the party, keep water nearby, take an evening walk, and savor your favorite candy without turning it into a spiral. We keep the traditions we love, from driveway hangs to passing out sweets with a signature cocktail, while protecting energy and mood through small, consistent habits. The takeaway is simple and powerful: your body thrives on balance, not restriction.

If this resonates, subscribe for more habit-focused health tips, share the episode with a friend who needs a Monday-free reset, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

Chapters

• 0:00 Halloween Memories And Traditions
• 1:04 Reverse Trick-Or-Treating And Family Plans
• 2:00 Spooky Candy Calorie Facts
• 3:48 From Restriction To Balance
• 5:15 Protein And Fiber Made Simple
• 6:20 Consistency Over Perfection

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Hello and welcome to the Spandex and Wine Podcast. I'm your host, Robin Hackney, and I need to say happy Halloween. Oh, you guys, most of you know that I absolutely love Halloween. If you are new to me, I love Halloween. It is my favorite holiday. I love memories of trick-or-treating as a kid. We always used to make our costumes and go around the neighborhood. The best part was probably coming home, dumping out all the candy, and then negotiating with my sisters on the trades. That was so much fun. And then, you know, as the boys were trick-or-treating, we used to have people over to our house and the dads would take all the kids out. They would have the wagon. Of course, their cooler was in tow and or a trailer, something like that. They would go house to house. And then the moms would stay home and we would have a signature cocktail, of course, and catch up. Plus, we got to see all of the little kids come to the door, their cute little faces and costumes. Oh my gosh, it was just amazing. And now that we live out a bit, I was sharing all this in my newsletter, I do believe. Um, I do reverse trigger trading. So I take bags of candy and goodies and gift cards, whatever it might be for that year, around to the area kids because you guys have got to keep those area kids uh happy because we might need them. We always use them usually when we go on vacation for the animals, so that's super nice. And if we're lucky, we get to go to see our grandsons and take them around, maybe just a small neighborhood, um, or just see them in their little costumes before we head over to my friend Kimberly's and sit in her driveway. She lives in a busy neighborhood, so we get to pass out a lot of candy there. And of course, we'll have our signature cocktail in hand with that as well. Um, but yes, it's always just so much fun. I I do love, I think I like it because it just brings out your inner child or it should, right? Um, so I think that's that was all I wanted to say about that, except I do have some spooky candy calorie facts. And I was sharing these in class and I'm like, wow, I sound like such a downer. This is crazy. I'm gonna start with my favorite Halloween candy, which a lot of you guys know, maybe you can guess. I'll give you a second. Doo doo doo doo. It is bit of honey. I know how old am I? All right, so you know how big they are, they're kind of like Tootsie Rolls. Three bit of honey pieces. You'd need around 13 minutes on the elliptical to balance those out and burn them off. Oh my gosh. And the classic Snickers bar, here's another scary fact: it takes about 215 burpees. Yes, 215 to burn off a fun size Snickers. Oh my gosh. And if candy corn is your thing, mm-hmm, brace yourself a half a cup of those colorful little triangles means 1,000 to 1,200 body weight squats for the average person. And don't get me started on wine. Most of you know that there's 120 calories and five ounces of wine, but who wores just five ounces? I don't know. So a 155-pound person would have to do push-ups for 10 to 12 minutes at a moderate intensity to burn off a glass of wine. Now, I got all of those on Chat GPT, so I'm assuming it's accurate, but you never know. Just wanted to see when I put it in there what they would come up with. Actually, I Googled it too, and then I stuck it in Chat GPT. So wow, I don't even know. That is crazy. But a mindset shift that is sweet. I want to switch gears for just a second because this came up in several coaching calls this week. So many people get stuck in the idea that they have to restrict themselves or go on a diet to make progress. They think that living healthy means giving up all the things that they enjoy. But the truth is you don't have to live in a constant state of restriction to feel and look your best. And I'm not saying that you should have dessert every night or live off processed foods, but I am saying that you will be much happier if you focus on what you can have instead of what you can't. So I would say make your meals protein and fiber forward. Focus on lean proteins like chicken, fish, tofu if that's your thing, turkey. Protein isn't just about building lean muscle mass. You guys have heard me say this before on previous episodes and several of my guests. It also supports digestion, it helps hormone balance, and it helps you stay full and satisfied. And then when you pair that protein with fiber from vegetables, beans, or whole grains, and if your body tolerates all of those, like oats and quinoa and brown rice, the fiber helps your digestion to stay on track, it balances your blood sugar, it supports a healthy gut, which means more energy, less bloating, and just better overall health. I hear it all the time that people say I fell off my diet because I ate ice cream or I didn't eat well towards the end of the week, so I'll just start over on Monday. No, you guys, just no. You don't need to start over. You just need to keep going. Give yourself some grace. Focus on getting those healthy foods in instead of obsessing over the foods you took out. Your health isn't built on one perfect day. It is built on consistent, small choices that make you feel your best. So, yeah, enjoy the Halloween candy if you can, after all the facts that I shared. But also get your protein, your fiber, and your movement in. That is the real magic. All right, you guys. Uh, I hope you enjoyed the fun spooky fast facts. And I hope you have fun tonight. I hope you hand out candy, you take your little ghosts and goblins out, or you relax by the fire with a cozy drink. And just remember your body thrives on balance, not restriction. And if you want to learn more about building healthy habits that actually last and keep your gut healthy through the holidays, make sure you're subscribed to my newsletter or join one of my upcoming coaching sessions, or just schedule a session with me. I'd be happy to talk to you. So stay healthy, stay happy, and have a fabulous Halloween.