Constant Grazing...is It A Problem?

[WLTrainee 3]

Hi Guys,

I was wondering if any of you had this problem - I am a month out now, and have lost 19 pounds but I feel like I need to eat constantly. I am trying to mostly eat healthy choices, like tuna, chicken, vegetables etc etc, but I do have the odd chocolate maybe three times a week. Is this a huge problem? I feel like my entire focus is on food, and that I am constantly hungry.

Anyone with some good advice for me?

Thanks!

[SleeveNZ 219]

I am also 1 month out and feel the same. Have been told by my NUT to have 6 small meals a day .... considering the time it takes me to eat it feels like my life is revolving around food! I barely go over 400-500 cal though and exercise on top of that I tend to burn most of that off. I don't think the odd chocolate is a problem as long as you a) exercise it off stick within in your daily calorie limit. No one is perfect. I think it is a slider food so be careful. I have lost 22lbs post op by the way.

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

you need to refocus and set out an eating plan. Write down and plan your meals: if you are doing 6 small meals then write them down and don't deviate from it. Listen to your body find other things to do besides eat. Be more in control of what you are eating and you should find that you will possibly even eat less. This early on I don't think you should be eating chocolate, you are in this to lose weight eating chocolate is an old/bad habit. Good luck.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

feel like I need to eat constantly. I am trying to mostly eat healthy choices,Is this a huge problem? I feel like my entire focus is on food, and that I am constantly hungry.

WLTrainee

Hi trainee! Aka NEWBIE

Welcome to Sleeveland

22 lbs in less that a month - good for you bud

Grazing is a "huge" problem - but you are a a sleever in training, NEWBIE, - but things will come together.

pre-wls - you/I ate during the day, ate this or that constantly - my stomach was big enough, no problem - to eat whenever

your tummy is now 85% smaller than it used to be. if you eat between meals like it sounds like you are doing (grazing) your tummy can't hold that much food.

I/we had this WLS as a desperate measure - wanting to help control our eating - but if you eat between meals, in my case that was kindof like eating all day - that is a "no no" post WLS

if you eat a few bites more than your tummy likes - it might discipline you by getting sick, or hot - just not feeling well

per your NUT - eat 6 small meals a day - if you think you are hungry?? could be head hunger, you don't want to resort to bad old habits

you don't want to do that anymore - your tummy can't handle it, and you shouldn't do it (graze) thats how you gain weight too

eating chocolate 3 times at week at one month out, i don't think so.......I understand its not often, but at this early time you shouldn't have)

after awhile you can eat "alittle" chocolate, just like you can eat anything else - but small portions, and you have to count in your calories total

repeating don't graze ever - even though it might be healthy choices, its too much for your tummy, and its a habit we "used" to do in the "old days" - that "helped" putting us in this "overweight" situation!!!

per your post you are getting very few calories in?? eating periodically during the day is not a good habit

little tough love never hurt anyone, did it???

still friends

good luck

[twoolley 141]

Proudgrammy pretty much hit the nail on the head. Grazing throughout the day is not a good way to utilize the sleeve. The sleeve is useful only if you're using it to restrict the amount of food you can take in during your meals and then keeps you satiated longer. If you're "tricking" the sleeve by taking in more food only over a longer period of time then you're still getting high calories you're just eating all the time. Which is what you're noticing... you're eating constantly.

My surgeon has me on a normal 3 meals a day with a snack or 2 if necessary. Snacks are yogurt, cheese stick, beef Jerky, etc. Low cal high Protein things. chocolate doesn't fit in to that category. I can't find any chocolate to eat (even sugar free) that is under 50 calories per piece. Try replacing those chocolates with sugar free mints or hard candies like Werthers.

Like other posters have said, we're working to change the old habits. For me that included putting food in my mouth all day whenever I wanted. Now I eat 3 times a day like normal healthy people do, and I only eat during those times if I am hungry.

I know it's probably not what you wanted to hear, but our goal is to help each other be successful losers. We've gone to an extreme length to drop the weight so sometimes a little tough love is sobering.

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

I agree with proud grammy. Stop the grazing and stop eating chocolate.....Chocolate is your enemy! I would also highly recommend that you increase your Water intake. Sometimes when we don't get enough Fluid in, it is mimicked by hunger. So increase your water intake. If you struggle with water, mix it with some gatorade or crystalite. Avoid sugars at all cost. Sugar is addicting, I am addicted to sugar and now I have to detox to get it out of my system. That helps stop the cravings......

[dadobuns 0]

Grazing is OK as long as you're not eating a bunch of junk. I graze constantly (9/25/2012 surgery date) and I have lost 40 pounds in that time. If you're on solids, keep fresh fruit around.

[GeauxForIt 659]

My doc told me last week that I need to have something in my stomach every 2-3 hours for the 1st four months or so.

If you're mindlessly eating, not good. If you're mindfully eating, that's good.

[WLTrainee 3]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the feedback here. I am not sure that I am grazing all day, I think eating every 2.5 hours feels like grazing - yesterday I was much stricter though, in sticking to the 2.5 hour rule, and I managed to drink much more Water, so I think it is definitely something to do with thirst. I also noticed on some other forums that the guys have been prescribed acid blockers, so I wrote to my doc and asked him to prescribe some for me. He said absolutely - so will be getting the prescription today. Will let you know how it goes. You guys are also so right about the chocolate - enough!!! No more!!

Thanks for the tough love guys - who else would give me all this great advice!?!

Mich

[Catracks 865]

I eat slowly throughout the day so one meal blends into another. However, and this is important: I weigh and measure EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth and enter it on My Fitness Pal.

If I were just to eat whatever all day in whatever amount it would be a disaster in my case. For instance, did you know that just 1/4 cup of walnuts had 200 calories? I could eat that without even thinking about it.

[delta_girl 931]

Establish your meal and snack times - 5 - 6 daily, and don't eat between. We are conditioned to feel like it is some horrible fate to feel hunger. It isn't. We just aren't accustomed to it.

Hungry between meals/snacks? It's ok. Feel hungry. Desensitize yourself to it. Drink something. Get busy. Nothing bad is going to happen to you because you feel hunger.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

Grazing is OK as long as you're not eating a bunch of junk. I graze constantly (9/25/2012 surgery date) and I have lost 40 pounds in that time. If you're on solids, keep fresh fruit around.

dadobuns

i don't hear as well as i used to ..................

OMG - what did you say, grazing is ok as long as you're not eating a bunch of junk???

dadobuns congrats on losing 40 lbs

best of luck to you - i would research grazing - it is not good for you

trainee - not good to resort to old habits - eating this and that, when you want periodically

drinking more Water - big congrats

never said sleeve was gonna be easy, it does get better/easier in time

all newbies et al - search and read the boards constantly for advice