THE CINEMA BLOWOUT.

Do you eat when you go to the cinema?

This is one habit that just has to go!

Here's why, you're sitting in a dark room not moving for 2 - 3 hours! The only energy you will be expending is what your body requires to keep warm, breathe and if your like me try to stay awake (cold dark room I take a blankie and get sunggy before to long I am snoring and drooling - yes very attractive I know.

There are some habits you will have to give up completely because they just do not make sense to continue and cannot be justified in continuing. Eating food at the cinema is not only a cost your wallet can do without, the savings your waist will experience are the greatest benefit that will come from cutting this bad habit out of your life.

Why can you justify giving this one up, its expensive to go to the movies tickets alone are upwards of $16 a ticket for a child, for a family of 4 you are looking at $95 without a loyalty card or concession. Add on to that a movie combo snack pack which is a medium drink, medium popcorn and a ice-cream for each person and there's a grand total of $160 approximately gone from your pay, $64 of which is in snacks and that's only if you get a medium size there is always upgrades to be added on.

Now lets look at how much energy you are putting in:

XL box popcorn approx 200g of popcorn = 1011 cal, protein = 18.2g, fat = 56.8g, sat. fat = 25.2g carbs = 99.2g & sodium =1290mg

Choc bomb approx 105g = 289 calories, protein = 5.7g, fat = 16g, sat.fat = 12.6g, carbs = 37.9 g, sodium = 88mg.

Solo approx 600ml XL = 287 calories, protein = 0.3g, fat = 0g, sat.fat = 0g, carbs = 69.0g, sodium = 108mg.

nutritional information panel for cinema blowout

Considering most people require a minimum of 1200 -1500 calories a day just to exist, sitting and eating just what you need to be alive all day in a 2 hour period is not logical.

I recommend 2000 calories for most people to eat a day so a trip to the cinema will leave you with 413 calories. Now if you intend to stick to your daily calorie intake and can have a cinema blowout and a very small meal there after then by all means knock yourself out. But if you know that you cannot have a cinema blowout as breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner then give it up!

Like most habits this one is not easy to master as it is considered a social norm to eat from the candy bar when you go to the movies, one of the best ways to deal with this is to cry poor when your out with friends. And don't let well meaning friends shout you because you have said you cant afford it. Like you they will adjust in time to you not buying food.

If you feel you must eat food then take your own snacks and water from home, they will be less energy dense by choice of course and cost a whole lot less. If you are questioned by cinema staff about bring in food in just let them know you have intolerance's or allergies to foods sold at the candy bar.

Good luck with the behaviour change, I know you can do it.