How do you controll grazing/picking eatting ?

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darcirb
darcirb Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
I find that grazing has always been my biggest problem. When I think about it it has been this way all my life. Even when I was a child we didn't have a lot of sit down eatting. Most of our meals were either picking here and there or go sit in front of the TV. I am having a very hard time breaking the grazing/picking habit. Anybody have any ideas or tips that may help me break this bad habit?

Replies

  • ambie35
    ambie35 Posts: 853 Member
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    I can't say how to break it but keepings of healthy/low cal/low fat things on hands softens the blow.
    Once I thought I "binged" and after logging I had eaten less then 300 calories,which is what I try to keep my snacks around for the day anyways.

    things I like to keep around:
    pickles :high sodium,but very low cal"
    nuts: just a handful and a glass of water should fill you
    yogurt
    fresh fruit/veggies
    pretty much any 100 calorie snack packs.
  • JanerZzz
    JanerZzz Posts: 276
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    I would say..rid your house of the bad stuff....always keep healthy options on hand..so if you must graze, graze on carrot sticks with hummus or a handful of unsalted almonds and the like. Try getting a food schedule going...like 3 meals and 2 - 3 snacks. Perhaps you'll find that being on a schedule you aren't constantly craving to nosh because you are not hungry :)

    Good Luck!
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    I eat on a schedule. Breakfast at 7 am, morning snack at 10, lunch at 12:30, afternoon snack at 3 pm, and supper at 6 pm (no evening snack). I don't keep anything out on the counter that might tempt me. If I'm hungry, I might have my snack or meal a little early or I just try to busy myself with something else until the scheduled time.
  • BamBam1113
    BamBam1113 Posts: 542 Member
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    Keep healthy stuff around and plan your meals and snacks. Have them frequently so you don't get that hungry feeling. But make sure those snacks are healthy. Start looking at the serving sizes on the packages and the calorie count per serving size. It's a numbers game. Good luck!
  • Akaratel
    Akaratel Posts: 137 Member
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    well eating small meals 5-6 times is what you want to do! This is good for you since that his what you are used to. My meals are usually 175 calories each, with dinner and lunch being a bit more calories. I would have these meals 2 hours apart, If at that point you still feel the urge to pick between them, i would drink a large glass of water if you are genuinely feeling hungry, you are most likely thirsty.... Sometimes it is just the motion to your mouth you are used to, so if that doesn't help, try some kind of gum, sugar free candy, breath savers something like that..
  • lilchubbybunny
    lilchubbybunny Posts: 33
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    Well, first of all let me tell you I have the EXACT same problem. For me it wasn't stopping my grazing it was choosing better things to "graze" such as raw carrots, an apple, banana, celery, things like that were great for me. Maybe you are like me where 5 - 6 small meals is better than three large ones. I have found that if I eat this way it helps alot. But with grazing we have to be careful even with the vegetables and esspescially the fruits. Grazing is a habit I grew up with my father sort of breeding into me. But since I have changed my diet some, I LOVE the reasults!

    Feel free to add me if you'd like.
    Hope this helps!
    :smile:
  • BrodiesMom2008
    BrodiesMom2008 Posts: 27
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    I have always been much more of a grazer than a meal eater too! I am trying to make an effort to eat real meals now, but I still snack, I have just tried to make a real effort to change my snacks from more junk food options to carrots, fruits, yogurt, or slightly healthier/lower calorie options. It's quite an adjustment but it seems to be working, slowly but surely :) As far as I know there's nothing wrong with grazing just so long as you still aim for the same calorie range and you track the things you graze on!
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
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    Like others have said . . . don't keep anything in the house that is junk or unhealthy. If I have a munchie craving my only options are fruit or a cup of dry cherrios . . . which I will measure out exactly 1 cup into a bowl then hightail it right out of the kitchen!

    My other "trick" is herbal tea. There are so many lucious flavors that smell amazing . . . so I will brew a cup and slowly inhale as I sip it. Smell is such a powerful sense that often this will cure my cravings.
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
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    I don't buy snacks to bring in to my home. I would rather have 3-5 meals a day.

    If you don't buy it in, you can't eat it. I eat junk snacks out of my house though.
  • kmtetour
    kmtetour Posts: 300 Member
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    I'm a grazer, too. I used to eat breakfast and go to work, and then be "hungry" an hour into my day. I have helped this issue by building the habit into my life. I eat a small breakfast at home, and then make a fruit smoothie that I drink throughout the morning. Then I eat my lunch in pieces throughout the afternoon. I eat dinner shortly after I get home, and if I want anything else I have a healthy snack or two (my fav. is yogurt).
  • patsyanne
    patsyanne Posts: 111
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    If you listen to many doc talk about eating better they will say that grazing is the way to do it. By grazing your sugar level never hits a low and keeps you on an even level, it also keeps your metabolism up there processing the food. Of course the foods that you graze on need to be healthy like the other people have said.... keep good snacks around...nuts, fresh crunching veggies, some fruit, etc. So dont knock yourself for grazing just control it and putting it in your food diet listing. Good luck. Also drink lots of water as you graze.
  • up2me2lose20
    up2me2lose20 Posts: 360 Member
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    Oh my goodness...I was the biggest grazer of all time, lol. Cookies, chips, sugary cereal, hey, a slice of pizza left in the fridge--ok, I'm hungry, I'll eat it, lol. But now I plan and I love it. I plan what and when I'll eat, log it all and I'm totally okay with that. Take pride in your new habits and enjoy the process. I've found that I can control what I eat...I CAN BE IN CONTROL! That is so empowering. :)
  • darcirb
    darcirb Posts: 13
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    You are all awsome. Thank you so much for all your input and tips.

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