Grazing and how to end it?!

[sasharbinx 115]

It's been two weeks since I got sleeved and I'm already noticing myself racking up calories throughout the day by grazing. What I'm eating is generally healthy (protein shakes, Jello, peas, cottage cheese, Tomato basil Soup, Crystal Light) - none of what I eat isn't on the avoids list for me. It just seems I feel like I snack around more than I should.

Have you all experienced this and how did you put an end to it because I know a sleeve reduces an intake... it's me who controls the frequency. Partial venting here. I know I need to change. Just looking for support! I'd like to think a few days of this hasn't undone the whole value or ambition of my procedure. Like today has been my highest day since I've had the surgery - 1028 calories (approximately from MFP). Yesterday was 967. The day before that was not so bad at 850. Tuesday was 922. The day before that was 654. So I guess I've just had a few days of higher than I'd like eating... still losing slowly! Just worried my old habits will come back!

Honest constructive criticism welcome!

Edited January 14, 2017 by sasharbinx

[doxaholic 252]

I follow my plan which makes me eat six times a day. When i am not eating im drinking. There is no room for grazing are you eating as much as your plan is telling you to eat? Sometimes when your thirsty our bodies mistake that for hunger are you staying hydrated?

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[erica_ozzy73 241]

I'm 5-6 weeks out and I understand your wanting to eat or graze. They have taken some of your stomach not your brain lol

I only ( try) to eat 3 meals a day and one snack. Grazing and eating 5-6 meals although small is how I got to where I was .... we don't need that constant supply of food and it's ok and good for your stomach to feel a hunger.

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[blizair09 3,250]

I believe it is more about what you are eating than how often you are eating. I eat 7-8 times per day, approximately 1.5-2 hours apart. At the 3.5 month post-op mark, I get in about 1000-1100 calories per day, less than 20 carbs, and about 100 grams of Protein. I just make sure that each "meal" doesn't go overboard (but with the restriction from my sleeve, I can't take much in anyway). At 5 weeks post-op, I was in the 800 calorie range.

Here is an example of a day:

Meal 1: 1 scrambled egg and 2 pieces of bacon

Meal 2: 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1 T sugar-free strawberry preserves

Meal 3: 1 string cheese

Meal 4: 2 oz salmon with 1 oz green Beans

Meal 5: 2 oz hamburger steak with 1 oz green Beans

Meal 6: 1 string cheese

Meal 7: 2 oz salmon with 1 oz green beans

Meal 8: 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1 T sugar-free strawberry preserves

I have lost almost 160 pounds as of today. I lost 99 pounds pre-op, but I have lost almost an additional 60 pounds in the 3.5 months since the surgery following this kind of plan. I would recommend keeping a food journal (you might be doing that already), and keeping your carbs low. Both of those strategies have helped me immensely.

Good luck!

[reree6898 1,164]

I have lost about 176 pounds since surgery (I am 15 months out) and I eat 6-7 times a day and have from the start of solid food at the advice of my Nut. I eat things like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, Jerky, etc. the high Protein almost no carb things. I still eat less then 1000 calories a day and am down to 31% body fat. But here's the thing I eat on a strict schedule. I am blessed to work in an office where I can stick to my schedule. But you could just about set your watch by the times I eat, lol. With it being on a schedule and having nothing in between its not grazing. Grazing is munching on junk all the time throughout the day in my opinion.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

@@sasharbinx

I eat every 2 to 3 hours. It isn't grazing because all my portions are measure and accounted for.

You posted your calories and not your Protein. If you are eating 900 calories a day but your Protein is over 90 grams, there is nothing wrong with that.

Eating in the 1000 calorie range is not going to stop you from losing fast, but if you are getting most of those calories from carbs, that will stop you from losing fast.

Also at this point for you, all the nerves are not reconnected to your stomach. It is hard I think to understand this post-op, but when they do reconnect you know the difference. My Dr explained it to me so I understood it. And you can't eat anything that is dense right now. When you get to the point you can eat solid forms of protein, you won't want to or be able to graze. If I have a steak or a pork chop, it legit takes a solid 2 hours or more for me to want to eat again, that fullness/tension from eating dense protein lasts a long time.

Focus on getting your protein in, and don't worry about the calories. The sooner you get off starvation level calories, the better.

[Dub 9,922]

@sasharbinx

This is the part where you've got to fix your thinking. Your surgeon fixed your stomach, lol, but this is where it's now on you to make the changes.

It's no longer about hunger anymore...it's about eating to nourish your body as needed.

Tracking calories at this point can really, really help.

Getting on a treadmill and keying in your weight will show the calories burned. When you see how much effort it takes to burn those calories....your desire to consume them through grazing will be greatly diminished.

Discipline will be achieved.

[NotOnMyWatch 54]

I've been months in therapy to deal with my grazing. I can't get approved to move forward to surgery until I master it. I feel like I have. It's super frustrating.

[Torriluv87 300]

I thought i would have a grazing problem but i can't even get half that amount of calories in. I feel like if i can eat 800 to 1000 calories a day id lose quicker but it's hard. Im 3 months out and get barely 600 calories a day if im lucky. What can i do? What do you guys do? I need simple meal ideas. Does anyone meal prep and cook for their family?

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[2ndSpring 350]

HI Sasharbinx,

Here is how I have been handling the issue myself.

Before surgery I ate whenever a thought about food popped into my mind. Given my past behavior, I decided the #1 concern for me is to use this post-surgery time to learn new behaviors and forge a new relationship with food. I chose how many meals I would eat each day and I made it a firm rule. No matter how hungry I am or what social situation pops up, I only eat my planned meals. If I am hungry between meals, I tell myself that it is not a big deal and that I can eat again in X hours. I found that hunger comes and goes.

By following this rule, I have learned so much: I have the power to say no (and mean it), I don't have to eat at every opportunity out of fear of hunger, and food doesn't need to be such a big part of my life.

This is what has worked for me. Its not easy, but it I'm feeling really successful. I hope it helps you too.

Good luck.

[rolosmom7 740]

I'm also a "grazer" in the sense that I eat 6 meals. Sometimes 7. But each meal would be someone else's small snack. It works for me and is really the only way I get my Protein in.

[erica_ozzy73 241]

I believe it is more about what you are eating than how often you are eating. I eat 7-8 times per day, approximately 1.5-2 hours apart. At the 3.5 month post-op mark, I get in about 1000-1100 calories per day, less than 20 carbs, and about 100 grams of Protein. I just make sure that each "meal" doesn't go overboard (but with the restriction from my sleeve, I can't take much in anyway). At 5 weeks post-op, I was in the 800 calorie range.

Here is an example of a day:

Meal 1: 1 scrambled egg and 2 pieces of bacon

Meal 2: 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1 T sugar-free strawberry preserves

Meal 3: 1 string cheese

Meal 4: 2 oz salmon with 1 oz green Beans

Meal 5: 2 oz hamburger steak with 1 oz green Beans

Meal 6: 1 string cheese

Meal 7: 2 oz salmon with 1 oz green beans

Meal 8: 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1 T sugar-free strawberry preserves

I have lost almost 160 pounds as of today. I lost 99 pounds pre-op, but I have lost almost an additional 60 pounds in the 3.5 months since the surgery following this kind of plan. I would recommend keeping a food journal (you might be doing that already), and keeping your carbs low. Both of those strategies have helped me immensely.

Good luck!

How on earth do you have the time for all that??. Lol

That would do my head in.

I remember whilst doing bodybuilding eating 5 meals and that was shit enough.

3 for me is more then enough to think about lol

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[blizair09 3,250]

@@erica_ozzy73

I've just gotten used to it. I work from home unless I'm traveling, so it just folds into my day. It was a lot to keep up with at first, but now, it isn't as tedious. (But I do keep a "consumption record" on a word doc each day with the times to eat and drink.)

[teacupnosaucer 445]

I limit myself to three meals and two Snacks a day. Period. I might bump it up to three snacks once I start my lap swimming again because I will likely want a morning snack after swimming whereas right now I do an afternoon and evening snack. One thing I found helpful for my PREop grazing was splitting up my snacks in MFP. Instead of having one "snacks" category, I split it into separate meals: morning snacks, afternoon snacks, evening snacks. That way you can see more accurately when you are "grazing" or going over your limit of snacks for a given time period. So if you're eating three snacks in the evening, you know that's where you need to watch what you're putting into your body. For me pre-op my downfall wasn't the cheese portion I had after my morning swim, it was the handful of chips then the handful of m&ms then the handful of my husband's popcorn... all after dinner during TV time.

I agree with @OutsideMatchInside though, I wouldn't count it as "grazing" if you are eating high Protein good-for-you snacks to nourish you in between meals. To me grazing would be grabbing a handful of potato chips periodically all day long until you've polished off a bag, or returning to the pantry over and over again for m&ms or saltine crackers in between meals and planned snacks, or eating while you're cooking in the kitchen just because the food is there. Eating nutritious, protein-dense food in measured portions 5-6 times a day is encouraged in most plans I've heard of.

For example

Breakfast: Cup of oatmeal with PB2

Morning snack: Cup of yogurt

Lunch: Cream of chicken Soup

Afternoon snack: Serving of cottage cheese

Dinner: pureed bean chili

After dinner: sugar free popcicle

and

Breakfast: Cup of Oatmeal with PB2

Morning snack: Handful of ritz crackers, handful of ritz crackers an hour later, another handful waiting on lunch...

Lunch: Cream of chicken soup

Afternoon snack: Sneak some of your kid's happy meal, more ritz crackers while you're making dinner

Dinner: Pureed bean chili

After dinner: Small bowl of ice cream, some of your husband's potato chips an hour later

Are two very different days even if you're eating the same MEALS.

[summerset 5,265]

1 hour ago, teacupnosaucer said:

I wouldn't count it as "grazing" if you are eating high Protein good-for-you Snacks to nourish you in between meals.

Having six meals a day can indeed feel like "grazing" because you're essentially eating about every two hours if you don't want to eat your last meal immediately before going to bed.