Eating Habits

#207: The Truth Behind Why You Can’t “Trust Yourself” With Halloween Candy

October 21, 2025

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A Certified Eating Disorders Registered Dietitian (CEDRD) with a master's degree in dietetics & nutrition. My passion is helping you find peace with food - and within yourself.

Meet Katy




Do you ever tell yourself you can’t be trusted around Halloween candy? You swear you’ll “just have one,” but somehow you end up knee-deep in wrappers feeling guilty and frustrated with yourself.

It’s not a willpower problem. It’s because the candy has “charm.”

In this episode will help you finally understand what exactly “charm” is and how it works. Spoiler alert: it has nothing to do with willpower or discipline. It’s because years of diet culture messaging have trained you to see candy as “bad,” creating guilt, restriction, and the urge to overeat the very thing you’ve been trying to avoid. All of this gives the candy power, which I call “charm.”

Hit play and we’ll break down the real psychology behind feeling out of control around candy, and how mental restriction fuels cravings, why willpower always backfires, and what it actually takes to rebuild self-trust with food. You’ll also hear how cultural messages like “sugar is toxic” or the “Switch Witch” tradition reinforce this diet-y mindset, even for kids.

By the end of this episode, you’ll see that the solution isn’t more control – it’s PERMISSION. You’ll learn the first steps to “decharming” candy so it no longer has power over you this Halloween, or in in the future.


3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

🍬 How diet culture and “sugar fear” conditioning (yes, even the Switch Witch) make Halloween candy feel forbidden…and why that fuels cravings and guilt.

🍬 The real reason you feel “out of control” around candy (and how mental restriction keeps you stuck in the eat–repent–repeat cycle).

🍬 The first steps to “de-charming” candy so it loses its power and you can finally enjoy it without guilt or bingeing on it.

Today’s Wellness Woo is Go Pure Beauty.


Resources Mentioned

Grab your ticket to the Decharming Halloween Candy Workshop HERE!
Free Hunger and Fullness Guide


Prefer reading over listening?

Click here to dive into the full transcript and enjoy.


Resources for Your Intuitive Eating Journey:

– Intuitive eating education on the blog

Work with Katy

– Explore the self-paced mini-course Stepping Off The Dieting Rollercoaster


Connect with Katy Harvey:

Website: KatyHarvey.net
Instagram: @katyharvey.rd
Facebook: KatyHarveyRD

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