A lot of us take our dinner right in front of the TV. Seems relaxing enough, but if your aim is weight loss, then you may want to think about moving away from the TV.
Research has found that kids who watched TV while eating lunch ate a whopping 228 more calories than those who ate without the television on. While the study was done only with kids, I am a firm believer that this also holds true for adults. I'm a fan of TV just as much as the next girl, but it can be a mindless activity, which leads to mindless eating and unnecessary calories. So do yourself and your kids a favor and turn off the tube. Maybe you're already eating without the TV on, so I'm curious . . .
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Alas, we have no kitchen table. We're college students, we do what we can.
1Always eat in front of the tv since I work so late, but I put a small portion on my plate that way if I want more i have to get up and go get it. Usually I never want to get back up and go get more
2In a family situation, I don't like dinner in front of the TV (or tv-show-on-laptop), but my roommate and I enjoy it.
It actually makes us less likely to get up to grab a second helping, so as long as we're reasonable with our first portions I don't think it's a problem for over-eating at all.
3When I eat in front of the TV, I only have a specific amount of food so I'm not taking a whole bag or container of something. And I think it's usually fruit I have with me when I snack in front of the TV.
4Sometimes, but I don't think it makes me eat more because I'm not just eating out of a bag of chips or something. I'm eating the same measured out portion I would have at the table.
5I hear this claim all the time, but I honestly don't buy it 100%. In my own experience, my BF and I eat dinner in front of the TV nearly everyday. I've lost 85 pounds and he's lost over 70. We make healthy meals, eat what's on our plate and that's it. There's no grazing because it's usually more of a hassle to walk back and forth from the living room to the kitchen for unnecessary snacks anyway. I also eat slower while I'm watching TV, so it takes longer to finish my meal. I really wish the overexposure of eating in front of the TV as bad would die down already because I just don't think it leads to that much overeating. I know it depends on the person and their own personal eating habits, but it certainly isn't bad for everyone.
6Occasionally I'll eat a meal in front of the TV, but most of the time I eat at the dining room table, with my kids. I want them to grow up having family meals where we can all sit around and talk about our day.
7Pretty much every day I eat dinner in front of the TV. It's not the healthiest practice, and I definitely wouldn't continue it if/when I have kids, but for now nothing is better than coming home from work, cooking a meal, and plopping on the couch with my boyfriend to watch some mindless television while enjoying some good food.
8I don't believe this. My family has pretty much eaten dinner while watching TV (not in front of it though, usually it's in a adjacent room) and sometimes with the TV off, and it hasn't affected how much we eat in the slightest. If I'm hungry, I'll get seconds. If I want to get out of chores or away from the table, or I'm just not that hungry, I won't.
I eat lunch in front of the TV almost every day now. I always hear this advice about eating more while watching TV, but I make a conscious effort to chew my food for a very long time. Much of the time, I end up eating LESS while watching TV (especially if the show is interesting)!
9We always eat at the table, but the TV is usually on in the dining room, so we can see it while we eat. Plus, I do crossword puzzles while I eat so I slow down. I actually eat faster and probably MORE if I eat with the TV off in silence.
10I don't own a table so I can only eat in front of the TV.
11I'll be getting a table when I buy a home, but I still think I will eat in front of the TV. LOL!
I wouldn't have it any other way, in fact, I can't start eating until I find a good channel & program!
12I don't have a table, and I live with a roommate. Therefore, I'm gonna eat in front of the TV for pretty much every meal.
13I like to eat dinner at the table - not from a health standpoint but from a conversation one! When my husband and I sit and watch TV and eat, we don't really talk, whereas if we sit at the table, we always have a really good conversation.
I do like the tip about putting a small amount on my plate and making myself get up to get more. Will have to try that.
14exclusively
15Well- I live alone and have only 4 hours to myself after work. So after gyming, cooking, and showering, it leaves me 1 hour to eat and watch tv. I would like to not do it, but like others, portion it out first. I am usually more lazy than I am hungry.
16All the time! Staring at the wall while I eat seems weird, since I usually eat alone.
17We watch TV and eat a lot of the time... but I have been working on spending some quality time at the dinner table, which most people don't do these days.
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18We always have our tea in front of the telly
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