Try and Turn it OFF

Television is a killer for those of us that have issues with emotional eating, boredom and inactivity.  Nighttime eating is mostly done while watching television.  It is a double whammy in that it encourages poor food choices and encourages inactivity.

If you find it hard to escape the lure of the television, or if watching your favorite show turns into wasted time zoning out and tuning into poor food choices, you are not alone.  We watch television an average of four hours every day.  Even if we are not sitting watching television, it is on for an average of eight hours a day.  Have you ever noticed how much television is a part of your life?  From the non-profit organization, TV-Turnoff Network, here are some shocking television facts:

* By the time you’re 65 years of age, you’ve seen 2 million television commecials!  Most of the commercials we see feature fast food, junk food, soda, booze, sugary cereals, bakery items, and candy.  When it comes to television commercials, think “out of sight, out of mind” as a way to avoid temptation.

* Our children spend approximately 900 hours per year in school, and over 1,000 hours per year watching television.  A portion of the childhood obesity epidemic stems from sitting in front of the tube, contributing factors are also poor nutrition and inactivity.  Limit the amount of time your kids (and you, as an example) watch television.  Encourage more physical activity like helping with yard work, taking walks together, walk the dog, play sports, and any other active hobbies that get you to move.

Does the idea of turning it off seem awful to you?  What would you fill your time with?  What would you do?  Try it.  Turn off your television for an entire week.  You will have more free time than you ever imagined.  There are many fun things you can do with your new found free time.  Here’s a few:

*Take a drive someplace new or to a favorite location.
*Take a class to learn a new activity or hobby.
*Write a note or e-mail to those that you haven’t been in touch with for awhile.
*Go for a leisurely trip to the grocery store.  Take your time to read labels and check out new food choices to add variety in your diet.
*Pick up a project that is left undone.  That sewing project, embroidery, counted cross-switch or other hobbies that are midway to completion.
*Cook a family meal together.
*Play a board game together.
*Anything else you can think of that doesn’t involve television!!!

Just as you learn and incorporate new habits into your routine when you change your life to lose weight, television is a habit.  Decide what your true favorite shows are, watch them, and eliminate the television background noise in your life.  Fill your life and your home with the sounds of your family having fun together or the silence that comes with you enjoying a solitary hobby of reading a book or hand crafts.

Whenever I hear from clients that they don’t have time to cook a healthy meal or exercise, I ask them how much television they watch every day.  If you question how much television you watch and how important of a habit it is, turn it off and notice how you feel.  Do you feel anxious, too quiet, bored or relieved?  I think when you eliminate or limit your t.v. time, you’ll have lots of quality time available to you.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator