Updated on March 13, 2017


March 13, 2017
Change the leisure habits. Don’t connect relax to food
Posted by Alberto Roycor Updated on March 13, 2017

Do something as you watch tv.

A few days ago, a friend of mine told me that she had a problem. When she was watching television and only during that time, she was compelled to go frequently to the fridge to pick something. Even being fruit, or nuts, the calories intake was in excess. Nevertheless, she did not feel that desire when she was working at the computer (she works at home). And her kitchen is at the same distance from her office or even closer than from the TV room.

I told her that the problem was that she had associated TV watching with eating something, as it happens in the cinemas with the pop corn. Recently, I heard somebody answering a street poll about a considerable reduction on the cinemas tickets. He said that the problem persisted, as the popcorn was still very high! We have written several times about this unhealthy practice, and its relation with obesity and many other disorders.

Coming back to my friend’s problem, I recommended her to change the leisure habits, always connecting relax to food. Another reason could be that the TV program could not be interesting enough, and she became bored.

I recommended her to take the phone or tablet to the TV room, and when she had a thought of going to the kitchen, picked the device she used to complement her desktop and check the mail, filter the tasks or just surf. Once the TV program had attracted her attention again, she could put the gadget aside.

You can do the same with a magazine, a newspaper, a Rubik cube or a crossword. Some time ago, many ladies used to do knitting with excellent results.

A Rubik cube can help.