Need suggestions to stop grazing

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susanhardt
susanhardt Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I seem to eat all the time and never feel full. I can eat dinner and then sit down and start to snack. Does anyone have suggestions how to stop this? Especially in the after-dinner hours? thanks.

Replies

  • Cheri_Moves
    Cheri_Moves Posts: 625 Member
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    chug the water!

    I drink a lot typically, but I graze a lot when I haven't. If I remember to chug it, wait about 10 minutes, I dont feel the need to eat.

    ETA: unless Im really hungry... Then I need to stop grazing and eat real food.
    Also, I an eating machine after about 4pm. I dont eat breakfast so I can have all my calories later in the day. it works WONDERS for me :)
  • BR3ANDA
    BR3ANDA Posts: 622 Member
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    Water definitely helps, you could also trying adding more protein and fiber(veggies) to your dinner and less carbs, the protein and fiber helps you feel full longer. You could also try keeping some smart "grazing: choices around, like sliced cucumbers, if you have calories left after dinner, another good choice is PB & celery, or a whey protein shake. I found that once I was on my nutrition change for a few weeks, my sweet tooth & after dinner cravings were reduced dramatically.
  • angeldaae
    angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
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    It helps me to "close" the kitchen after dinner. Clean it up, start the dishwasher, and turn the lights out.

    Also, you can try doing something to busy your hands. Maybe knitting, or crossword puzzles, anything you like that keeps your hands busy so that you can't be snacking. My husband and I like to do puzzles together, and it's really hard to snack while putting together a puzzle.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
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    Make the decision that you are only going to eat when truly hungry and only plan on 3 meals a day plus maybe one snack. For some people, many small meals a day works. For me, it didn't. I found myself frequently grazing and eating more than I should by doing "mini" meals.

    As for stopping unplanned evening eating, eat more filling meals throughout the day. Eat a filling breakfast and a filling lunch and a filling dinner and plan to maybe have a small snack between lunch and dinner or in the evening if you are hungry.
  • jillebean60
    jillebean60 Posts: 78 Member
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    1. Thirst feels like hunger many times before you actually feel "thirst".
    2. Eat foods that stay with you longer (usually protein and complex carbs like beans, oatmeal)
    3. Move- If you're feeling hungry because your metabolism is doing what it's supposed to do, then walk around or do something to break the hunger cycle.
    4. If all else fails- keep something on hand to take the edge off (sugar free jello, chew gum, drink a cup of coffee or tea).
  • Vansy
    Vansy Posts: 419 Member
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    i have this same problem. Especially about Day 4 in a row of eating the strict 1600 calories, I tend to want to grab a bite of something here and there. Thankfully I'm moving soon and my kitchen/pantry will be empty -- I plan to pretty much keep it that way except for a few healthy snacks.

    However, I do better when I'm not constantly near that part of the house, if I'm downstairs and near the kitchen I'm much more likely to grab something to eat. If I'm upstairs hanging out then I don't go out of my way to go grab something. It's all about mindset, just have to change the habits.
  • TeeTee622
    TeeTee622 Posts: 4
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    I have the same issue. I stopped having food in my house that I could graze. I juyst brought healthy meals, no snacks. I found out that what I buy, I eat, usually sooner and in larger quantities than I believed. If it isn't in the house, I don't eat it. So for me, the key is keeping it out, until I want it.
  • jendraka
    jendraka Posts: 117 Member
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    My two stand-bys are large glasses of ice water and chewing gum. I get the munchies and I hit up either one or both.
  • Andh_19
    Andh_19 Posts: 14
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    I tend to graze nonstop. However, I portion out (and log) carrots, cauliflower, etc. into one container and throughout the day if I feel like eating something I grab my container of veggies. I don't eat them all at one sitting but bring them out if I'm in a snacky mood.
  • neaneawy
    neaneawy Posts: 146 Member
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    I do all of these. I started to notice too that about 2 hours after a meal I wouldn't feel hungry, but all I could think about was food. This was the first sign that my body was ready to eat again, so I started feeding it. I would make it a protein snack like 1 oz of cheese or a small yogurt. This would usually head off my grazing. I would also make sure to start preping my next meal at the same warning signs, so I wasn't tempted to snack while preparing the next meal since I was starving. The longer you do this it gets a lot easier. I can log everything at the end of the day now and I'm usually pretty spot on with my calorie allowance. It feels good to see the new habits forming.
  • Redtango76
    Redtango76 Posts: 144
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    This is such a great question ! I can't wait to see all he responses ! I really struggle with this too except my week time is at 2 pm after I get home from work ... That 2 or 3 hr window before dinner kills me almost daily !
  • bchgrl8
    bchgrl8 Posts: 55 Member
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    I tend to want to snack out of bordem especially when I sit down at the end of the day and watch TV..so I find what helps is drinking a glass of ice water or sugar free anything first, if I'm still "hungry" I try to go for something higher in fiber. My go to snack is frosted mini wheat's, one cup. It takes a while to chew and stays with ya for a while cause of the fiber! If I want a dessert..I'll drink a cup of flavored coffee, or coffee with flavored fat free creamer...hope this helps!:drinker:
  • CottonCandyKisses
    CottonCandyKisses Posts: 246 Member
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    It helps me to "close" the kitchen after dinner. Clean it up, start the dishwasher, and turn the lights out.

    Also, you can try doing something to busy your hands. Maybe knitting, or crossword puzzles, anything you like that keeps your hands busy so that you can't be snacking. My husband and I like to do puzzles together, and it's really hard to snack while putting together a puzzle.

    This...clean up the kitchen and put the food away....get out of the kitchen, go outside, downstairs, etc. Drink water, chew gum, keep busy.
  • knightreader
    knightreader Posts: 813 Member
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    chug water.
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    - drink water
    - chew (sugar-free) gum
    - brush your teeth after a meal (when they are all clean, do you really wanna dirty them again?)
    - avoid television if possible (tv tends to make people want to snack more)
    - go for a walk, play a game, something distracting!
  • kellya252
    kellya252 Posts: 12 Member
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    We eat dinner fairly early, so I try to save some calories to have a planned snack. Are you eating enough at dinnertime?

    I tend to graze if I'm bored, even watching tv, so I will do things that keep my hands and mind busy, like sudoku puzzles, or jigsaw puzzles. Some people like to knit or crochet to keep their hands busy.

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