How to stop grazing?

[avatarkorraa 4]

Hey everyone,

I need some advice and just general tips & tricks for how to cut out a bad habit such as grazing. I am 6 months out and I've been very good with eating well post-op, I track everything I eat and keep my calories and carbs minimal, but grazing has been the one bad habit I can't seem to kick. I don't go crazy though, I always eat clean and when I graze it'll be on 2-3 almonds, a small sliver of chicken, or some spoonfuls of salad, definitely not cakes or Cookies or chocolates. But I know the calories eventually add up so it's a habit I want to get rid of. I track and weigh absolutely everything else I eat for my regular meals and Snacks on myfitnesspal. Lately what I've been doing is trying to log those calories from grazing on myfitnesspal to at least be accountable and adjust my macros for the rest of the day accordingly , but it's difficult to account for everything sometimes since it's such small amounts. Rather than doing that though I'd much prefer to just stop the habit altogether. Any advice would be really appreciated! Thanks

[dianemar 45]

I've had to wake up and realize I had been grazing, MY solution is to only eat at prescribed times, and preplan the Snacks. I do not keep nuts and such in the house because it is my grazing temptation. I cannot have 2-3 almonds or cashews. So I plan all snacking. Good luck, and it is a good thing you are facing this hurtle, you will succeed!!

[Newme17 3,444]

Could be you're actually thirsty?? Maybe always have Water on hand, when you feel like grazing on something, drink water first.

[Ldyvenus 317]

I set timers to match my usual hungry times. So far it has helped me keep on track.

[smg 471]

It's possible that it could be thirst, like @Newme17 said, and that would be the easiest thing to rule out. Try drinking Water when you want to graze and see if that satisfies the craving. If not, it could just be old habits rearing their ugly head again, unconsciously. One thing that I noticed is that after close to a year out, you become less "aware" of what you are doing. For some time after surgery you are hyper-aware of everything you eat, drink or even think of eating, but as time goes on that hyper-awareness begins to subside, even if only a little, and I think that sometimes that "opens the door" for bad habits to start showing themselves again, since most of us probably had those bad habits for a lot longer than we've had our new good habits.

For me, grazing is not something I try to avoid. Instead I make sure I only graze with the right foods. Keep prepared Snacks on hand like fruit and veggies and you can graze on them all day without any feeling of guilt. A handful of nuts once a day is a good idea and easy to do. I also make sure I have lean Protein sources on hand and ready to go like chicken.

Fighting the grazing itself is a tough battle, if you've done it for a long time. God bless you if you can win that fight, but for me, the answer was just making sure the foods I was grazing on were the right ones!

Best of luck!

[Hellya 144]

When I find that I'm in that grazing space, which is often, I use this trick: After I eat, I look at the clock and tell myself I can eat again in 3 hours--so if I eat at 9, I know I can eat again at noon. And when I start heading into the kitchen, I look at the clock and make myself stop. Or I make some tea. Sometimes I'll even set my alarm on my phone so I'm doing less clock watching.

[BigUtahMan 207]

I read on another post the magic of pickles.
So I have stopped with nuts and cheese, and now I eat a picked which satisfies with crunch, flavor and volume with minimal calories. If Water and pickle doesn't do it, I know I need more and then I will have a Protein Bar or drink.

[ashes_202 20]

My NUT said that if you feel yourself becoming hungry at a time that you are not supposed to be eating then exercising can help alleviate that hunger. And of course when you exercise you drink more Water so it's a win win really.