Couch Potato Pledge

I realized something important when I got home today from a particularly busy and stressful day at work. All I wanted to do when I walked thru the door was sit down and veg out, while watching some TV for a while. Since it was time for my afternoon, every 2-3 hr snack, I grabbed my 100 calorie yogurt pretzels and turned on the tv. Before I found something to watch, the pretzels were gone. I looked on the table for the package and couldn't find it. Then I glanced down at my lap and saw the empty package.

I don't even remember eating them.

This is not the first time I've unconsciously eaten something. When your mind is sooooo tuned out that you can't remember to breath, you KNOW that is not the time to eat something. And the truth is, before starting the FOODLOVERSFATLOSS program, I would have gone back to the pantry and gotten something else to eat that I could remember doing. Sitting in front of the tv is one of the worst things you can do if you really want to lose weight, because your mind isn't focused on the food; it's focused on the screen.

This is why movie theaters do such big money on concessions stands. They know that you're so wrapped up in the screen that your hand is just moving up and down from the food to your mouth without any conscious thought, and that when you're done with the snack, you'll feel like you never tasted it, you'll feel gypped and you'll want more. If you don't believe me, the next time you go to the movies watch the couple near you who has the giant tub of popcorn. Before the movie starts, as the preview trailors are rolling , that tub is half gone and guaranteed the soda and candy that went with it are too. This is the guy who will leave the movie about a half hour thru the show and go get a refill.

And he can probably be catagorized in the obese column.

TV watching is a killer when it comes do keeping strict with a diet. If you need to have something going into your mouth as you watch Oprah, or the Office, Project Runway or the Closer, make it something chewy and noisy like an apple or a pear. That way you'll really know you're eating something and just not moving your hand to your mouth without any thoughts whatsoever!