How My Family Eats Dinner

[RiskyGirl21 19]

My family and I eat dinner always watching tv. To practice mindful eating most articles say that I need to eat meals without the tv on. What should I do about my eying when my family is used to eating while watching tv?

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

i eat when i watch TV

to me (and this is my 3 cents and my opinion only) if i am standing or watching tv or swimming the river(or watching basketball on tv..just recently my hub fed me while i was up yelling at my tarheels as i was too obsessed with ESPN--true story)...it makes no never mind to the calories..it is true, you can eat more while grazing with the TV on but if we let the WLS work and us be mindful of what we (eat), i see nothing wrong with where you eat...(eating out in public, those places have big tv screens)..do what works for YOU

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

I had to give up tv eating as a condition of surgical psychological approval. As an adult I never had the tv in the kitchen, but we would all wander into the living room with our plates. I've been tv eating free for a year now.

[Crosby 303]

Have you talked to your family? If you haven't then do do in no demanding nonaggresdive manner. If they aren't willing to change take a deep breath and remind yourself that you are in control of you. And although their support would be great you are the one that has to take responsibility to change..not them. You could eat in another room, sit with your back to the TV, wear ear plugs...there are several options.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I'd wear headphones and listen to beautiful music.

[Summer Rain 245]

Mindful eating - not eating while watching tv, reading, using the computer - is suppose to help us not overeat. If you measure everything that goes on your plate and eat slowly you really should have no problem IMO.

Summer

[Samantha Ann 46]

Oh, I say do what you're used to doing. I eat with the tv on, with my laptop on netflix.

[RedDirtRoads 64]

I agree with @@Summer Rain, if your portions are pre-measured and you pay attention to chewing . . . who cares if the TV is on? I think the reasoning is that you're going to be paying more attention to what is on TV than the amount of food you are eating.

[RJ'S/beginning 5,358]

I notice a big difference if I am in front of the TV. I eat too fast. So for me it is no TV. I have a habit of putting my fork down with every bite. I hold it in my hands when watching TV and this takes a crucial step out of the equation for me. I also cross my arms after each bite to make sure I eat slow and chew long and hard....OCD maybe , but it works for me. Because when I don't I end up up chucking everything......

[Elode 8,093]

@@RiskyGirl21 I still eat watching tv (sometimes) but I have a permanently reminder in my brain to eat slow and watch the time. I put my fork down between bites...ect TV and eating has not been an issues but I'm always mindful. If you have hard time keeping up with that then I would just shut the TV off or move to a different area away from the TV.

[TEXASLADY52 264]

I have a harder time eating at the table with my family!! My husband eats real fast. I never ate fast until I married him I gained 50 lbs the first year we were married. I catch myself eating right along with him and not mindful eating.....so I eat in the livingroom so I can eat at a slower pace.

[Essence46 493]

Have you considered making dinner time your family talk time. Cutting the tv off but talking about your day, upcoming events, school, work, etc.

Eating with the tv on is a good distraction for me. It helps me to slow down and take my time. I usually take a bite, put my folk down and watch tv. Take another bite, put my folk down and watch tv.

[scstxrn 213]

Eat before or after?

[esskay77 785]

It depends.... how much control do you have over where everyone eats? If you are the mom, then this is a great time to set a good example and get everyone to agree (though they will fight you on it) to eat at the table together. There are other good benefits from eating dinner at the table together. Communication increases, children (if you have any) feel more connected to the family and feel loved and supported, you create a community and family, not just people sitting next to each other watching TV, have a conversation, and on and on. It's not just about eating. Besides, you would be setting a good example to the kids (again, if there are any). If you are not the mom and you are the daughter, different story. But still, try to get everyone on board. If you can't, then just try it a few times yourself. In fact, try it for one week to see what happens. Keep a journal. How do you feel during dinner? After dinner? If your family sat with you, did you learn something new about each of them?

Of course, I feel like a hypocrite since I eat in front of the TV but I live alone. Sitting at the table eating alone just feels pathetic. But when family or friends are here, we always sit at the table. TV is not on at all.

Just give it a try to see what happens. Or maybe alternate weeks to see how each way makes you feel and if you do better in one way vs. another. But, as others have said, if you eat in front of the TV, measure your food and eat slowly, putting the utensils down after each bite. Take a breath in between each bite.

Let us know how it goes--I'm always curious to see if not eating in front of a TV makes a difference in eating.

[James Marusek 5,244]

One of the reasons why individuals gain weight back after they reach their bottom weight and enter the maintenance stage after surgery is because of grazing. Grazing promotes expanding your pouch and that then leads to weight gain. It is very easy to graze when you are watching television.