Television and Weight Loss

How much television do you watch and what do you do while you watch it? As a medium for entertainment, television is the least active form you will find. You watch it while lying on a couch or sitting in a lounge chair; it asks for very little brain power as interactivity is limited to you yelling at the television without it responding to you (Contrary to popular opinion, yelling at a coach, referee, judge or player does not affect the outcome of any event.); and food or drink accompany you while you watch.

First, lying or sitting down burns very few calories. It is nearly the same as sleeping. Even your heart works at half time while you are lying down as it doesn't need to pump the blood against gravity. Standing while watching television would burn more calories but who stands during a broadcast?

Second, aside from mindlessly watching the television, there isn't much to do. So you eat and drink. If you only eat vegetables and drank water, you would be okay. But who does that? Chips and salsa, chips and dip, pizza or any number of high calorie easy foods add to our television pleasure. Have you noticed how much better a pint of ice cream tastes while watching the latest star seeking show?

Tips to limit the impact of television on weight loss

You don't need to chuck your television to lose weight. But you can make a few simple changes that will help you toward your goal of losing weight.

1. Substitute some television time for activities that require more of your attention. Play board games or even video games that make you to use your brain and limit gratuitous eating and drinking.


2. Stand for a part of the show or pace a little. Moving will promote blood flow and use a few extra calories.


3. Cut up vegetables and fruit into bite size morsels. You may find it satisfies your need for a snack while lounging on the couch without adding as many calories.


4. Limit the time spent watching to less than two hours a day. Go for walks, swim, garden, work on a project or even try talking with your family. You may surprise yourself and find these activities more entertaining than watching television.

Gregg Ghelfi is founder and contributor to http://fitinthemiddle.com. Fit in the Middle is dedicated to providing information and resources on nutrition, fitness and weight loss. We invite you to read our blog at http://fitinthemiddle.com/blog/ and comment on the various articles. We also welcome you to submit guest blogs to info@fitinthemiddle.com.