Everyday Systems

I think the hardest part of the program is not snacking. However, I think that our current lifestyle contributes to this more than anything. I realized this weekend that watching TV makes me hungry. First, constant ads for food. I know the Baconator looks great on TV, faced with it in real life not nearly as good. But one remembers the TV ad not the real experience. More importantly, watching TV for some reason just leads itself to snacking. It is hard to do any activity that involves just sitting there without eating. If the mind or even better the body is really engaged I am realizing it is easier not to snack. Simply because my mind is on something else. I am remembering how Reinhard did not just work to fix his diet but other bad habits. I think TV is a bad habit and a certain S.

TV can definitely be a problem, I think. It's totally physically passive, for one thing, so you're burning nothing. And it's usually pretty mentally passive too (though there is certainly thought-provoking stuff to watch as well), so I, at least, come out feeling kind of limp and unenergized.

I do needlework when I watch TV -- it's a little challenging, because I mostly watch movies from Netflix, and I like a lot of foreign movies. It's hard to count stitches while you're reading subtitles! You sure can't eat while you doing it, though.

Snacking is not nearly as easy when reading a good book. I was reading Salem's Lot over the weekend and had no interest in snacking while turning pages. I think many of us are conditioned to mindless eating when watching the telly. Snacking during "tv time" is my biggest eating hangup. When I find something else to do, I don't snack. In fact in the summer, the tv is rarely on, and I find I rarely eat snacks. Thanks for sharing this observation.

Oddly enough, TV time is the time I'm least likely to snack. If I'm going to be tempted to snack, it's usually between breakfast and lunch, sometimes between lunch and dinner. However, a good book or needlework can so absorb me that I forget about eating -- sometimes even meals!

I love my television habit!!!!

But I do agree that we are influenced by TV in our eating choices. Since I've become more aware of my eating (thanks to No S) habits and choices, I've been able to mentally block out all those images of tempting bad foods. Well, almost........ Hee!

I've always had dinner in front of the TV as an adult. It's very soothing especially after a long day at work. I do notice that I continue eating long after I'm full when I'm in front of the TV. I'm still struggling with this but at least I'm aware of it now.

resident0063 wrote:I think the hardest part of the program is not snacking... First, constant ads for food.

Maybe you could prerecord programmes you particularly want to watch? Then you can fast forward through the ads, and they have far less impact. It also saves time!