There are two things I do to spin time that don’t serve me well:
1) Graze on high-calorie/low-nutrient foods
2) Watch TV/Surf the internet

When I engage in these activities, it feels like I am doing something. I guess I am avoiding the tasks that require more of my mind. Or maybe they sooth my anxiety about the list of tasks that need to get done, but I don’t feel like doing. These activities have bad outcomes. I gain fat and my task list grows. Maybe sucking my thumb would be a better option. Don’t people suck their thumb to pacify their anxiety? It’s gross, but at least I don’t get fat. No. Never mind. Yuck.

I need better ways to deal with these issues.
1) Since I first accepted the idea I should slim down (it took ten years of weight gain, twice) I have been trying to figure out how treats could fit in to the nutrition equation. I never could accept the idea of ‘never’, but I have yet to figure out what moderation means. Sometimes I can limit myself to one treat a day. Other days, I reach for serving after serving. I need to find a way to fit in one treat, max per day.

2) I turn on the TV as soon as I get home. It only goes off when I head to sleep. In the morning, I turn it back on and it stays on, until I leave the house. This is insane. I’m often going from channel to channel without any objective. Sometimes, I go online and just go from topic to topic with similar mindlessness. Too often, I do both together. My long term goal with this one is to only use the TV or the internet for specific purposes. For example to watch a particular show that interests me, or to learn something online that could help me.

I need some small steps right now that limit my mindless tv/internet grazing.
I have been thinking of goals for next week that will get me closer to these objectives.

Should you stumble on this blog, will you please comment on any suggestions you might have?

Here are some ideas I have for the treats:
1) For some time period (lent?) pay a dollar to the penalty jar, when I eat more than one serving of treats a day.
2) Schedule the treat for a particular time of day, and make it special and something to look forward to.
3) Cook some healthy alternative to high calorie things and portion out through the week. The thinking is that making it will make it more special and I’ll want to keep it longer and savor it more.

Here are some ideas I have for less TV:
1) The evening TV mindless is worse than the morning one, so choose one evening a week w/o TV
2) Earn TV time by completing certain housekeeping (the ones I most often avoid) tasks through the week.
3) Kill two birds with one stone and tie TV time as a reward for meeting the one-a-day treat limit.

Now, please add your ideas in the comments. I will be grateful and I will pay it forward by helping others when I see the opportunity.