Does anyone know how to watch TV without eating?

PrincessWarior

Try sleeping:happy:
I'm the same way, so I try to only watch T.V late at night.

Dugleik

Knitting, obvs.

Well, yeah, obviously.

mshippiequeen

I tend to want to eat whenever I even sit down!

I know I'm not the only one. Have any of you had this problem in the past and found a solution?

you are my spirit animal. i used to be this same way! i would just mindlessly shovel food into my mouth and never ever even get full. just eat eat eat. i just woke up one day and knew i had to cut it out. on days where i'm snacky, i make something called whipped awesome which is egg whites, spinach and seasoning all whipped together in the processor and i pack it tight in a tupperware so when it hits, i can just scrape and nibble on something healthy for pretty much forever. i realized it was pretty genius of me because my worst snacky foods i'd chain eat were scrapey like peanut butter or yogurt or ice cream, etc. so i am using the same motion.

maab_connor

Knitting, obvs.

this is what I was going to say. it keeps your hands moving and you can't eat or you'll get crumbs in your stitches.

toadg53

I'm retired and have to admit my tv is on all day when I'm home. I do find myself sitting down a lot of the time catching a bit of whatever I have on. I do get up and do "stuff" whenever the commercials come on. AND I hate to admit but I have my laptop on my lap, or the dog on my lap when the shows are on. Over the last 7 months I've been serious about this journey I have pretty much re-trained myself not to eat or rather not to have things next to me TO eat when I'm sitting on the couch. But I do always have a glass of water right next to me. I drink ice water, not plain. It's pretty much my go-to item. My doctor told me to have a couple go-to items for when I have to have something. My items are, of course, water. But when I must have something, I have a cup of Maxwell House Int'l cafe Suisse Mocha coffee. I use 2 tbs which is more than the recommended, but an extra large cup. it becomes 45 calories, but it's the best 45 calories of the day. 2 fat, 2 carbs. it's wonderful. and it really satisfies that sweet and chocolate need I have. I also go to a cheese stick. it's about 80 calories and on a no carb diet, perfectly acceptable. but the re-training your brain is #1 and it just takes time. believe me, if I can do it, anybody can. I was one that pretty much had something in my mouth constantly. good luck. friend me if you'd like. I'll really try to help you. I'm on here several times a day ... and I hate to admit it

melinda200208

OMG!!!! This is my BIGGEST problem and I want to know how to solve it. I get home from work, eat dinner, put my comfy clothes on, grab a snack and much while watching t.v. That is my down time. But, I need to learn to not munch every time I watch t.v. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

sbarella

I knit or crochet when watching TV. Plus learned to eat at kitchen table with no TV on. Now if I could figure out how to read without eating.......:grumble:

Think about how dirty you books will get!
(studying without eating is borderline impossible for me. Recreational reading is not a problem, but studying makes me hungry as hell, so I think about how expensive my textbooks are!)

ScientificExplorerGirl

Drink herbal tea or fall asleep (preferably not at the same time).

missyjg99

Push-ups.

In the commercial breaks, do exercises. If you do jumping jacks or burpees, you're not going to want to eat because all that crap sloshing around in your digestive tract while you're bouncing around... well, let's just say... YAK CITY!

On this note.............


Deck of cards workout: Hearts = cardio, Diamonds = upper, Spades = lower, Clubs = abs. Play: draw the 8 of hearts - do 8 jumping jacks, draw 10 of diamonds do 10 push ups .... etc.

I like this idea.
I only watch TV on my kindle, on the treadmill. I just don't ever have time to sit down to watch TV between 2 young kids and working full time. If I do find time, I get bored watching TV after a few minutes. Boredom=snacking for me. But if I do watch something I try to drink tea or decaf coffee, lemon water etc.

Dugleik

Either:
A - Just don't eat while watching TV
B - Work it into your calories. Find some low...ish calorie snacks that you like and eat in moderation.

Francl27

I know this may not sound very helpful, but you are in control, not someone else.

Don't eat while watching TV, plain and simple. As someone else pointed out, take TV away from the food equation. If you need to eat, do so at the table, then return to watching TV after.

This.

For the longest time I had to eat something every time I went somewhere. At some point I just made myself stop. There's no miracle solution unfortunately. Just stop doing it... focus on what you're watching and don't eat (or jog in place or something while watching, that way you couldn't eat anyway).

HollyB1223

I like to knit while watching a movie with my family. I just like to use the time doing something with my hands, that I enjoy, and otherwise do not find much time for.

crepes_

I definitely get this. I used to have this need to eat while watching TV just because I'd been doing it for so long that it was just in my muscle memory and made me feel so incomplete if I wasn't snacking.

I found that occupying my hands with other things took this away completely. I learned to crochet, I would work on grip exercises, I would pet my dog, or fold and unfold paper over and over again. Eventually, it just went away. You could also go the exercise route. Those small pedal sets that act like the bottom part of a stationary bike can be placed in front of the couch and you can watch TV as long as you pedal. It can be used for your arms, too.

MelissaGraham7

lots of great stuff here! Yay!

elainecroft

I am going to try the idea of only eating at a table. Thanks for bringing up the question!

jjking54

Start switching a beverage, no cal, for your nibbles.

This ... hot tea works well

bumblebreezy91

I don't have a TV, but when my fiancé and I watch Netflix/Hulu/Youtube on the computer, I drink tea. Also, I always save calories for later in the day as a habit to prevent my tendency to want to binge in the evenings, so usually I do have some kind of snack while watching a show online.

knra_grl

Knitting, obvs.

This helps if you know how to knit - I have been making knitted dishcloths the past week and haven't had the munchies while watching netflix

MissingMinnesota

Eat only at a table to dissociate sitting down and watching TV with eating. If you want a snack, switch off the TV, sit at a table and eat it. That'll soon make it seem like too much trouble!

This is actually a great idea.

AJinBirmingham

Pop a piece of peppermint chewing gum in your mouth before you sit down to watch T.V. and/or brush your teeth. Find something else to keep your hands busy. Eat something healthy and filling before you sit down to watch so that you are full. Put on gloves so that you "can't" eat. Before long, it will become a habit NOT to eat.

Television gloves! That's a new idea. I like it.

(I did give up television for a few years - I just wanted to make sure that my decision to watch it was intentional and not automatic. Even now, I watch less than an hour/day . . . Unfortunately, I can eat an astonishing number of calories in under an hour.)

Sunbrooke

Find something else to do with your hands. I started addressing and stuffing some envelopes for my sister's real estate business in my free time, and I found that it drastically decreased my snacking. I would do it while watching tv and the snack food stayed in the box. You could learn to knit or crochet. Or do sudoku. Whatever.

An easy hobby that anyone in the family can pick up and work on while watching tv is working on latch hook rugs. The kits are pretty inexpensive and even pretty young kids can do it. You can just get one and whoever wants can pick it up and work on it.

Tanya949

Someone mentioned taking a sip of water every time you felt the need to reach for food when watching TV. Since you're not really hungry, you shouldn't eat. Can't go wrong with drinking water.

ChaplainHeavin

That's easy, don't watch TV, problem solved. Go for a walk, or to the gym, besides, there's not much worth watching on TV anyway, except The Walking Dead.

Rigger

One of my favorite shows to watch when I'm working out is "America Eats."

anabet88

If I'm sitting down to a movie or a marathon netflix with my husband its green tea and air popped pop corn...you can eat a large bowl for little calories and it keeps me full and satisfied. Sometimes it fills me up so much I'm done eating for the evening. My new favorite topping is sprinkle on smoked paprika YUM with a little pam butter spray.

dariazeoli

I've started to march around the room when the tv is on. It keeps me moving and distracted from wanting to munch.

GummyHuman

I know this may not sound very helpful, but you are in control, not someone else.

Really it comes down to this. ^

Eating too much or snacking too much has never been my problem (mine was more of an eating high cal unhealthy crap problem) but I was a 3 pack a day smoker way back in my 20's, so I do understand the problem. I did a few things when I quit smoking that I think helped a lot. I quit cold turkey and never went back.

1. I told myself that I wouldn't accept any of my own BS excuses.. no matter what. There's no "just a little" or "just this once" in quitting smoking, so I prepared myself to be strict.

2. I avoided my smoking triggers if I could (like booze and other smokers ...and after dinner TV watching!) for a few months.

3. I replaced the physical habit with something less damaging. I got into sculpting which kept my hands busy. And when I couldn't avoid the triggers or keep my hands busy (like while driving) I would hold a pen like a cigarette. I also chewed a HELLUVALOTTA gum! Smoking, much like snacking, is a large percentage habit, not need for nicotine (or food).

4. I visualized the bad stuff that happened when I took a drag of a cigarette; the smoke filling my lungs, caking up the walls with tar, burning holes straight through. I have a pretty good imagination, so this looked super gory in my head.

I think all of these can translate to snacking.

#1 and #4 were just mind tricks, while #2 and #3 were things I could actively DO to help stay on track. I liked having both bases covered.

In the end though, it's just a choice you're making every day.

mz_tashae_007

That's easy, don't watch TV, problem solved. Go for a walk, or to the gym, besides, there's not much worth watching on TV anyway, except The Walking Dead.

Rigger

The Walking Dead is amazing I love that show

thevoice1973

I see we are in the same school of thought Gummy. I stopped smoking the same way and have solved a lot of my "unsolvable" problems by no longer accepting any form of rationalizing a momentary weakness. Accept it for what it is, your primitive brain trying to trick the conscious part into doing something for short term pleasure. After a while, that part stops trying to tempt you into "bad" behaviors !

vanguardfitness

play videogames with a controller

Kymmu

No eating in the living room.
At the table in the kitchen only.
A hangover from bringing up the kids!