Everybody knows that you shouldn’t be eating while watching TV. Well, here are the reasons why… plus a few tips and tricks whenever you do (because movie nights, duh!)
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been hearing that I shouldn’t be eating while watching TV since… well forever. And the reason that was spread around most often was that “you’ll get fat”.
I always hated that answer. it’s LAME. And I’m 100% someone that needs to actually understand something for me to believe it. So here is that actual reason.
Let me get one thing clear, the act of watching TV will not get you fat. What people mean by this statement is that watching TV will lead you to eat more, be in a calorie surplus, and thereby gain body fat.
This blog is all about the ACTUAL reasons that one should avoid eating while watching TV. However, you and I both know that we’ll probably never stop doing that… so I’ve included some tips and tricks that I use.
REASONS YOU SHOULD STOP EATING WHILE WATCHING TV
1. Your brain cannot multitask
Though no one wants to believe it, our brain cannot actually multitask. It just switches its focus from one task to another. What you actually might be doing is putting one of the things on “auto-pilot”.
Test it out yourself
Texting & cooking
Try filming yourself while you’re cooking something… like stirring a soup. Then, grab your phone and start texting someone.
Odds are that as your brain increasingly focuses on texting, it’ll start neglecting the stirring more and more. You’ll notice that the stirring will just get flimsier and flimsier over time.
Point is that your brain can’t actually focus on two things at once. Either it tries to automate it – as it tried with the stirring – but does it poorly, or it stops altogether.
(Does turning down the volume when looking for a house number start making sense now?)
2. What happens when the brain gets too much input?
So when you’re eating, your brain is focusing on the food on your plate. At the same time, the brain is keeping track of the message that your stomach sends updating it on how full it is.
So at this point, the brain is already divided between two tasks. As humans have been we’ve been doing this since the beginning of time, it got somewhat decent at it performing them simultaneously.
Now, imagine adding a movie to the mix, which is a massive distracting no less. Therefore, the brain is trying to juggle three things: food, signal and movie.
So since the brain cannot multitask, what do you think is the first thing that the brain abandons in the attempt to handle everything? The most boring of the three: keeping track of the hunger/fullness signals. The movie and the food provide too many endorphins and dopamine to be abandoned!
You’re left with paying attention to the movie OR paying attention to your food.… which one is automated? You guessed it: the food.
Now you’re in a situation where your brain is actually focused on the movie. In the meantime, you’re automatically bringing food to your mouth, chewing and swallowing… with your fullness signals being completely ignored.
This is why they tell you to stop eating while watching TV, especially if your goal is to lose fat. Your brain cannot listen or deal with all the input it’s getting, and so it gives up paying attention to food. This is especially the case when you have snacks like chips or candies. The bag is huge and there’s NO stopping you.
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3. You can't tell if you're actually enjoying the food.
In the same way that your body isn’t listening to your stomach fullness queues, it isn’t listening to your tongue either. You could be eating something that genuinely doesn’t please you and you wouldn’t notice. Your brain is too focused on Captain America’s abs to care about that.
It is important that we eat only the foods that we enjoy. For those who want to lose fat, eating foods that we enjoy will actually make being in a calorie deficit easier. And even for those who don’t care about losing fat… why would you want to eat something of which you don’t like the taste.
4. You can't tell if you're thirsty
We are always being told that we should be drinking more water. At least 2 liters a day. Have you ever tried doing that? Even for the fittest of us, it’s the hard to keep up. There’s no way in hell that we’ll get closer to that goal if we are watching TV and ignoring your thirst signals.
For those who are trying to lose weight, drinking water is a way to keep you satiated a tad bit longer, and so eating in a calorie deficit will be easier. (Anyways, you’ll be so busy going to the bathroom every 30 seconds, you won’t have time to go to the kitchen.)
And for those who don’t care… just drink water. You know you need to.
5. Tips for movie night
- Pre-portion your meal. And when you’re done, don’t get up to get more. I know this is a hard (especially if its chips or candies), but if you just keep watching the movie, you’ll forget about the food in a second.
- Have a glass of water / water bottle with a straw. I cannot being to tell you how helpful it is to have a straw with your water when you’re trying to drink more. These HydraFlow water bottles are my favourite. It’s a reminder staring at you right in the face. Plus, it allows you to drink without breaking eye contact with the screen. Works like a charm…
- Eat something you know you like. Movie night are FUN. So fill it with food that you know you’ll enjoy to avoid eating things that you don’t like.
- Fill your plate with crunchy veggies. I know this sounds lame… but it’s the crunch that you want. So if you fill your meal with crunchy peppers, cucumbers or carrots… it might help your need to eat without the added calories. And believe me, it works just as well as popcorn.
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6. One final important note
Please do not take this as a message that you cannot eat while watching TV ever. Movie nights are amazing, going to the cinema and eating popcorn is a classic, and getting together with a bunch of friends and pigging out on junk food will create memories forever. I’m not saying to stop doing this.
Remember, health is about the balance of all things, even the junk-food nights. Your need and want for junk food nights have to be balanced out with healthy options… and the only change I’m suggesting is on some nights, eat without distractions. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll enjoy it and how your body responds to it.
I hope this allowed you to make sense of the famous phrase “stop eating while watching TV”. Let me know for any further questions!
xx LS
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