72 hour "no TV" challenge

HopeBay

I find that my biggest down fall to me loosing weight is the TV. After dinner is done, our son is bathed and bedtime routine is done, we are tired and in the habit of crashing on the couch. This is when I snack! I can do well on eating at work and during the day and the this (tv)sabotages everything. So, I'd like help with not watching TV for 3 days. I have so much to do around the house ( chores and hobbys) that I'd like to get around to. Anyone else in? Provide updates Daily about what you did instead of TV.

BruteSquad

Been there.
However, I got rid of the satellite TV. I do have a Roku after a year of no satellite or antenna. I have a PS3 that I can play games or watch movies on. But I find I watch little TV anymore. I can count on one hand how many hours a week I spend watching TV. IT IS LIBERATING.

But how did I get to that point.

I started making dates with myself, to play my guitar, workout, read a book. Of course when there was nothing on TV, I did watch movies a lot more, but I slowly read more, did more outside, and focused on the stuff I truly enjoy. How many episodes of anything can you watch? And how many times do you need to re-watch NCIS?
So much more gets done around my house now that I don't sit around the house staring at a bunch of pixels.

So Bravo to you for making a first run! Stick with it, you will be happier.

wwk10

Blow up your TV; throw away your papers
Move to the Country; build you a home.
Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches.
Try to find Jesus on your own. --John Prine--

I have been trying since January to watch no TV.
I dont count movies though.
Cancelled cable and went from 5 TVs to 1.
Some days or zero minutes, and many are under 30.

lisbethmascote

i know what you mean i watch tv all day and do nothing but eat. my house is a mess. i want to stop! so now i gotta find a strategy

AshRyd

just saw this - thinking it is a sign!!!! last night i needed to go for my walk yet but i was watching "The Voice" , so I will go after. Then "Smash" came on, so I will go after. Guess what??? never went!!!! stupid TV!!!

It will be hard, but I agree!! I need to cut/eliminate the stupid TV! I have seen every possible episode of NCIS so I guess I can stop watching )

Starting tonight I am cutting out 1.5 hours of evening TV every day and wiill do something, anything else!

numindan

I just can't cut out the TV (yet!). The weather just isn't nice enough for long walks outside. That said, I do not watch TV unless I'm walking on my treadmill. Putting the treadmill in direct line of sight has got to be the best thing we've done in years. I grab the remotes and stick them in one of the water bottle holders, pick a show (or two) that I'm dying to see, and then watch guilt free.

wwk10

I cut cable bc I hate the cable company.
I had to convince the family Netflix, Hulu etc could still provide our TV needs.

I made a list of shows we could get without cable.
Then you start thinking, "Could my time be better spent instead of watching American Pickers, Pawn Stars, Parks and Recreation, 15th re run of Wizards of Waverly Place?"

numindan

Cancelled cable and went from 5 TVs to 1.

5 TVs? How did you manage? How did you find room for them? I've always lived in a 1 TV household and I just can't imagine finding space for an additional TV in our home.

Allie_71

It'll become addicting to not have tv You may decide to get rid of it all together. Haven't had it for about 8 years and it's amazing how much time you have for other things without it

Warmbloodwear

I dont have cable or satillite (sp) which is a little crazy! I have apple tv but never watch it. I am alot more active because of it

IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym

I actually prep my breakfast for the next day and do workouts while I watch my dvr'd shows after my husband goes to sleep. It keeps me moving.

bookdame

I don't have a tv at all. So I've gone a long time without one. Once you start reading, talking to people, playing piano, getting a manicure, listening to music,.... You notice TV isn't that big of a deal. I think most tv shows are pretty boring.

I have netflix on my computer and I've been watching that alot lately because of the rain, but mostly if I want to catch a movie I'll go out to the theatre.

If you feel like you are overdoing television, yes, take the challenge. Its always good to examine behavior that goes overboard. Good luck.

bejuled74

I am taking this thread as a "sign". Just last night I had a conversation with my fiance about getting rid of Uverse. It's so expensive and we will sit and watch tv all night. There are things i should be doing, but I don't because I'm glued to the TV. We were thinking about switching to the antenna...so we can still get news, but I'm not sure anymore. I'm thinking about cold turkey.

mzhokie

I can't live without tv! It's my back ground noise as well as my entertainment. BUT I do pick my favorite guilty pleasure shows to watch while on the treadmill. I can only watch them while on the treadmill and they have to be addictive. That way i get in at least 40 mins a day on the treadmill or more.

The other thing is a DVR. I can record whatever, go commercial free and get through things I want to see much faster. Also if it's nice out and I want to go for a walk..... I can knowing I can watch it later.

I'm sure I need to cut back on my tv watching but at least I'm trying to use it to my advantage at times too.

cyclerjenn

I got rid of my couch, now in front of the TV is a Stair stepping machine and a spin bike. The kids have TV's in their rooms if they want to watch tv, but I have to be on one of my workout items to watch tv.

wwk10

Time to go home.
Keep those TVs off.
Read, walk, talk, clean, cook, write, workout, listen to an album, play a board game, go outside, sit on the porch , , , ,

whencynstops

I have a TV but no cable or antenna. Anything that I do watch is over the internet. I can easily go a week or two without plugging in the TV. I work full time and go to school full time so I do not really have much time for it anyway. Add in the gym and there goes my entire day.

LemonSnap

Move to Australia. There is nothing worth watching on television here.

robot_potato

Tv is my tool. I workout in front of the tv after the kids are in bed. i'd be bored to tears without some sort of distraction.

Toddrific

I stopped watching TV years ago, I just ended up finding other things to fill in the time with uselessness....eyes internet.

amnsetie

No TV for 6 years now. Really not worth my time.
TV creates demand for unneeded products. Creates dissatisfaction with your own life. Manufactures consent for sexism and the exclusion of "other".
Free yourself to be yourself.
You can entertain yourself with friends and family, and if they are not along for the ride interactive entertainment is at least more engaging and can lead to new friendships.
OK I'm a gamer, but the games raise your heart rate more than TV ever will.
Also talking books are better background noise which yes I do need esp when cooking/cleaning..

alecta337

I don't own a TV, but my bf does and I am only there Friday afternoon - Monday crack of dawn. We rarely watch live TV unless it's a sporting event. If we want to watch something, we normally download the show we want to watch and then put it on our PS3 and watch it that way. We normally always have the tv on in the background with some comedy show playing, but we don't watch it usually. Its just for some laughs if we decide to pay attention. I spend Monday - most of Friday with no TV. But I sometimes will watch tv shows on hulu or a movie that I downloaded. I am so busy with homework and other crap that TV doesn't really take up too much time.

Its a good idea to get off TV. We are probably going to cancel our cable as soon as basketball is over. We will probably keep it off till Football, we aren't really into baseball.

alecta337

I got rid of my couch, now in front of the TV is a Stair stepping machine and a spin bike. The kids have TV's in their rooms if they want to watch tv, but I have to be on one of my workout items to watch tv.

This is a great idea. A friend of mine also suggested doing something during the commercial breaks, if you're sitting on the couch watching. You can jog in place, do jumping jacks, situps, pushups... anything to get your heart pumping for those 5-10 min. Its like interval training =]

dreawest

I agree that the PVR helps. I used to watch shows as fillers waiting for the show I wanted to watch to come on. Now I only record the shows I am interested in and watch them on my schedule, sometimes weeks later. It really cut back on my viewing time and I love skipping the commercials. I keep meaning to get a tv for the basement where my eliptical is but maybe I should just haul it upstairs and install it in my living room (toddlers beware), I can always tuck it away when company comes.

jbyesh

We have cancelled our cable last week. Its been a little weird at 1st, but good. We have hulu/netflix streaming. But we're really not using it a ton since we cant just sit and blindly flick thru channels. You really have to be intentional with these 2 programs. Cant say how often we couldnt find a darn thing to watch and paying $60 mo to stare at nothing. Husband has started exercising with me, we're all reading more, finding better ways to spend our time that we "didnt have time for" before.