5 Ways to Reduce Weight Gain From Watching TV

Multiple studies have shown a strong correlation between watching TV and weight gain.  According to the American Bureau of Labor Statistics Time Use Survey, the average American watches 2.7 hours of TV a day.  This adds up to over 19 hrs a week - almost a part time job!

How Does Watching TV Actually Cause Weight Gain?

Clearly the actual act of watching TV does not directly cause weight gain.  Many people assume that the increase in weight is directly tied to the fact that people who watch TV are not exercising during that time.  While this may play a role, it does not explain the entire picture.  Individuals that read, do crafts, or talk with friends in the evening (equally sedentary activities) do not experience the same weight gain. 

The reasons behind the weight gain associated with TV are not completely understood.  There are some good theories to explain this phenomenon that go beyond simply a lack of exercise.  One theory is that watching TV tends to also be associated with mindless snacking in the evening.  It is very common to reach for food while watching a movie or TV show.  Most TV watching happens after dinner, which is the time when eating will affect your insulin levels the most.  Insulin levels rise higher later in the evening in response to any food intake, which results in more of those calories stored on your body.  Additionally, snacking in the evening after meals shortens the time your body is away from insulin overnight, and thus reduces your fat burning time overnight. 

Eating while watching TV also has the effect of decreased concentration on your food.  When people are not focused on eating, and mindlessly sitting with snack food, or even their dinner in front of the TV, they eat far more than if they had sat down to the same meal at a table.  When you are distracted by TV, you miss your satiety cues, and easily overeat.  This is the reason you can go through half a carton of ice cream or a whole bag of chips without realizing it.

Another theory as to why watching TV can lead to weight gain is that many people use the TV to buffer negative emotions.  They watch TV as an escape when they feel tired, rather than processing any negative feelings. Unprocessed negative emotions can lead to increased cortisol levels (which causes weight gain), as well as a tendency to overeat to further buffer negative emotions.  Over time, this leads to weight gain.

Finally, TV watching has been associated with less sleep in many studies.  With the rise of Netflix and binge-watching TV shows, it has become far more difficult to turn off the TV.  TV shows end each episode with a cliff hanger, and often the next show in the series automatically starts unless you actively shut it down.  Gone are the days when you had to wait for a certain day and time to watch your TV show – you can literally watch entire seasons in a day.  Therefore, many people watching TV at night stay up much later than if they had been reading a book.  Additionally, the blue light emitted from TV screens (and other electronic devices) has been shown to decrease melatonin production, your body’s natural way of signaling the brain it is ready for sleep.  The result is less sleep, and less restful sleep.  Sleep deprivation is a well-known cause of weight gain. 

5 Ways to Avoid Weight Gain From Watching TV

Given the clear association of TV viewing and weight gain, the evidence is fairly clear that you should decrease the amount of time you spend watching TV if you want to lose weight.  This does not mean you have to give up watching TV altogether, but you should be more mindful about it, and set up some guardrails to keep you successful on your weight loss journey.  Here are 5 ways you can avoid weight gain from watching TV:

1.   Do Not Eat In Front of the TV

First, have a rule that you do not eat in front of the TV.  This will help you avoid any mindless eating, which results in consuming more food than if you were focused on eating.  If you do feel truly hungry, stop your show, and go eat at a table.  When you are done eating, you can resume your show.  If you have this as a rule, you are not telling yourself you can’t eat, but you are making the hurdle required to eat the food high enough that it will stop “boredom eating” and eating out of habit when you are not truly hungry.

2.      Journal First

Make a habit of journaling daily.  Journaling is an essential partof a successful weight loss journey, as it allows you to process low energy emotions.  It also enhances deliberate gratitude and elevates your overall mood.  When you journal is completely up to you, but if you currently feel you do not have enough time to journal, and you are watching TV regularly, you are making a choice.  Try setting a rule for yourself that you must take 10 minutes to journal before watching TV.  This is a very short time, but will help you immensely in your weight loss. 

3.  Choose Your Shows Wisely

Look at your current TV consumption.  How many of those shows would you pay to watch if you had to?  If you would not pay to watch the show, cut it from your list.  Make sure you are using your TV viewing time to only watch the shows you truly enjoy, and replace the others with different activities.

4.    Schedule Your TV Watching

Schedule your TV viewing.  Once you have narrowed your TV choices down to a few favorite shows or sports matches, look at your schedule for the week and decide ahead of time when you will watch them.  You might start to view watching your favorite show as a treat on a certain day of the week and create a ritual you look forward to.  On other days, schedule time to connect with others or to work on a hobby you have been neglecting.  You can have a date night at home with a spouse, have a game night with the kids, or call a friend or parent to reconnect.   When you are intentional with your time you find that the positive effects from being selective with TV will spill over into other aspects of your life.

5.    Set a Deliberate Bed Time

Finally, make a decision when you will finish watching TV.  You may even want to set an alarm across the room that you have to walk over and turn off.  Being intentional ahead of time will prevent the urge to continue watching when the cliffhanger happens on your favorite show, or when Netflix slides right into the next episode.

By making these few simple changes you can watch some TV and avoid the dreaded weight gain that usually goes with it.