Personally, I am not a college basketball fan to any great degree. I grew up in New York City and professional sports drew my interest due to the plethora of teams around the area. I also attended SUNY Binghamton and the college basketball team at my school was not a Division 1 caliber team. However I do realize that for many other people, college basketball is a huge deal and there is no better time of the year than late March/early April as the college basketball tournament begins, i.e. “MARCH MADNESS”.
For those non-college basketball devotees, the 64 teams selected for the tournament are placed in brackets and teams that win continue to progress with the eventual NCAA champion being the team that wins all of their games. Many people bet on these games and there are many workplaces and social groups that have competitions to see who can pick the most winners.
While watching the many games that will be taking place, there is a tendency to do what people do during the game watching: Down alcohol drinks and load up with the traditional game-watching foods and snacks ranging from chips/dips to nachos to chicken wings to popcorn and similar carb/calories-laden foods. Distracted eating is at its’ pinnacle: People are immersed and focused on the game action and mindlessly reaching for those foods that are wrecking their weight control.
“March Madness” is not a one day event…the games go on for weeks until the final championship game. Therefore the eating frenzy is not limited to 1-2 days, but rather, can go on for weeks. For those people trying to lose weight, taking a month “off” of dietary focus often can bring 10, 15 or more pounds back on.
Try to be cognizant of the above issues and if you are a “March Madness” fan, beware of the challenges that await you. Try to separate the enjoyment and the intense rooting for your teams from the compulsion to ingest the foods and drinks that make you less healthy and happy.
My prediction for the winner: Michigan. My interest level: “LET’S GO METS” (BASEBALL OPENING DAY MARCH 26!!!)
Here is a fun song and video about March Madness…”One Shining Moment”
