TV is hard to watch without eating

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Replies

  • Reaverie
    Reaverie Posts: 405 Member
    I have that issue when I do watch. For the most part, I HATE tv. It's too boring and time consuming. But sometimes in very rare cases, I will find something decent to watch and sadly my desire goes straight to snacking. Must be the conditioning learned from going to movie theaters and buying popcorn. I dont have cable. For me, its a waste of money when I can find anything I want to watch free online. I havent had cable since I was 18. My kids took after me in this regard. Even as toddlers they had zero interest in television. They prefer books, games, or in my sons case, coding.
  • bogie538
    bogie538 Posts: 1 Member
    Make a habit of not eating in front of the tv, if you have family, have everyone eat together at the table.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,454 Member
    Kdewit03 wrote: »
    I am finding it very hard to watch tv and not eat.....how do you guys do it?
    Eat lower calorie snacks. Personally I eat popcorn (Smartfood Delight lite white cheddar).

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • It's not really a better habit, but I've got my phone in my hand the whole time. Busy hands = not even thinking about what's in my kitchen cupboards.
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
    I walk on my treadmill while watching TV. Have it set up in my basement with headphones so I can hear it without annoying everyone else in the house. I've gotten to the point it feels weird to sit on the couch and watch.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,846 Member
    edited February 2017
    Machka9 wrote: »
    If you still want to watch TV, try this:

    Get up at each commercial break and do something ... load the dishwasher, put a load of clothing into the washer, vacuum a room, sweep the kitchen floor, fold some laundry, prepare for tomorrow, lift some weights, do some crunches or planks or whatever other core work you do ...

    This is what I used to do when I suffered with commercials. Now, thanks to Netflix and Amazon Prime, the only show I watch that still has commercials is The Walking Dead, and that only if I am not willing to wait a day to get it on AP.* And, we start it at 9, put it on pause for 15 minutes, and then fast forward through the commercials.

    *TWD is not free on Amazon Prime, but I get credits when I do No Rush Shipping and use them to pay for the episodes.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,846 Member
    Kdewit03 wrote: »
    I am finding it very hard to watch tv and not eat.....how do you guys do it?

    When my meals have a good balance of protein, fat, and fiber, I don't get the munchies. I sometimes plan for a low calorie snack.
  • readytobeatfat54
    readytobeatfat54 Posts: 91 Member
    Can you airpop popcorn? It has very few calories, has fiber, and you can flavor it with spices. If you want to get to know how a spice tastes this is a great way to go about it!
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    You can save calories for it or do something else like play on your phone, do a puzzle, lay out your clothes for the next day, plan your workout for the next day, etc.
  • CTcutie
    CTcutie Posts: 649 Member
    edited February 2017
    I stopped watching as much TV in general a few years ago when I started MFP. I also took up knitting, so I do that while watching Netflix. I also feel more productive- because, hey, I just made myself a SWEATER!! Now when *all* I do is watch Netflix for more than 30 minutes, I get bored most of the time :blush:
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
    stop watching tv. it kills your brain cells, anyways.

    Could you please post a scientific study on this statement? lol

    have you SEEN the general public. i think its case evident LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    everher wrote: »
    It's just a bad habit you have to break.

    I would suggest finding something else to do with your hands while you watch tv.

    Great idea, and cut back on the screen time.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    I want to know how people pay attention to a movie or TV show while doing all these card games, knitting, and squats etc... Also are all these saying they exercise really doing this exercise for the duration of the movie or TV show some specify that they do these things during commercials, but others seem to just be doing it through out.? I don't know how healthy it would be to keep up cardio or squats or whatever for such a very long time. I could be wrong though. It could be totally healthy to do such at length on a regular basis. I don't sit down to watch TV often, but when I do my attention can either go here or there. If I try knitting or crochet while watching TV I always either mess up my project or forget to watch the show, if I exercise I also fail to watch the show, card games too. Sometimes just relaxing and watching that show you have waited all day or week for could just be that. Relaxing and resting and enjoying the show.

    I pay attention better if I have something for my hands to do or if I am moving my body a bit actually. That is not the case for everyone but some of us feel better and more relaxed moving something.
  • jeanmariemcp
    jeanmariemcp Posts: 17 Member
    I focus on how thin and fit the actors/actresses are and how much I'd like to look and feel like that.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Kdewit03 wrote: »
    I am finding it very hard to watch tv and not eat.....how do you guys do it?

    The average American watches 4 hours of TV every day....and people don't "have time" to exercise...haha
    As for your question, I gave up TV.
    I have those 4 extra hours....

    WE HAVE A WINNER.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    stop watching tv. it kills your brain cells, anyways.

    Could you please post a scientific study on this statement? lol

    Watching TV does not kill brain cells. I would say it causes them to atrophy due lack of use, like muscles do when one just lies around instead of moving.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    stop watching tv. it kills your brain cells, anyways.

    Could you please post a scientific study on this statement? lol

    Watching TV does not kill brain cells. I would say it causes them to atrophy due lack of use, like muscles do when one just lies around instead of moving.

    But what if you're watching Nova on PBS? :sunglasses:
  • red99ryder
    red99ryder Posts: 399 Member
    Yes all those starving people on tv .. I need to stop watching stuff like naked and afraid .. alone . And the wheel lol they make me hungry

    Good luck
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    edited February 2017
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    stop watching tv. it kills your brain cells, anyways.

    Could you please post a scientific study on this statement? lol

    Watching TV does not kill brain cells. I would say it causes them to atrophy due lack of use, like muscles do when one just lies around instead of moving.

    But what if you're watching Nova on PBS? :sunglasses:

    Look at the ratings for Nova vs The Bachelor or other trash tv and I think you'll find in the vast majority of cases tv is weakening more brain cells than its building
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I realized that I just really don't enjoy the food I eat while watching TV as much as the food I eat when I don't.

    Just think about it next time - you have no idea how many times I eat something while watching TV then realized that I didn't actually appreciate any of it because I was too busy paying attention to the TV (that being said - I like focusing on what I watch and typically won't do anything else at the same time).

    Or get a stationary bike, or run in place while you watch. Hard to eat while doing either of those things.

    Agreed. I used to watch TV and eat before I started my weight loss journey 22 months ago. I stopped doing that now. I only eat in the kitchen at the table or the bar, and I never have the TV on. I like to focus on my food. Now, I can't stand to have the TV on when I eat. When I visited family over the holidays, I asked my nephews to turn off the TV so that we could enjoy each other and our food.

    I don't watch TV much anymore either. I'm more active around the house. So, by the time I sit, I don't really feel like watching. Instead I'll look at MFP or another weight loss app that I use.

    For bedtime, I will turn my TV on, but it's mostly for white noise in the background. I still spend more time reading the apps instead.

    Sometimes, I'll sit in the living room and watch a show or two on the weekend, but I don't even turn my living room TV on through the week anymore. That is a HUGE change for me. I was a TV fanatic before I started my journey. I didn't even set out to stop watching so much. It just happened naturally.