I seem to have to be constantly vigilant about grazing. It's definitely not that I need the extra calories or nutrition...My food intake at meals is right on target and I feel full. It's a head hunger issue that challenges me. I am likely to pick up an extra Protein shake as a snack, pouring unneeded liquid caloies into me, a bandster no-no. Anybody else have the same issue and have any success stories?

What I know about my issue so far is that I eat when I'm bored, and I'm bored around 2PM, when I run out of my morning burst of energy and am less focused. I'd love to blam it on nutrition, but I think it's more about patterns. I have always hit a lull at 2PM in my lifeand habitually just slowed down and picked up food. I'm going to try going to the gym at 1:30 each day and see if that helps me install a new patterns.....

Right now, my grazing is under control, but it is a struggle. Looking for other ideas....

Hi!

If you know what time is risky, schedule something else during that time slot. I don't know if you work or are at home during that time, but here are some suggestions:

chew gum

get your Water in, (I drink lemon propel, it's very refreshing)

have coffee with skim milk

go shopping and walk, walk the mall (no food court!)

get a manicure/ haircut/ shop for a smaller size

catch up on some reading/ do a crossword or sudoko

watch a funny movie while catching up on ironing

clean out a junk drawer

email friends or post on lapbandtalk!

phone a friend

walk the dog

bathe the dog...

make a TO-DO list for those moments when you feel that restlessness coming on...

In other words, if you can plan a plesant distraction you won't think about having a food that your body doesn't need anyway.

good luck!!!!!

Hi!

If you know what time is risky, schedule something else during that time slot. I don't know if you work or are at home during that time, but here are some suggestions:

chew gum

get your Water in, (I drink lemon propel, it's very refreshing)

have coffee with skim milk

go shopping and walk, walk the mall (no food court!)

get a manicure/ haircut/ shop for a smaller size

catch up on some reading/ do a crossword or sudoko

watch a funny movie while catching up on ironing

clean out a junk drawer

email friends or post on lapbandtalk!

phone a friend

walk the dog

bathe the dog...

make a TO-DO list for those moments when you feel that restlessness coming on...

In other words, if you can plan a plesant distraction you won't think about having a food that your body doesn't need anyway.

good luck!!!!!

These are some really good suggestions

I have also find my self in the same spot

and what I do is boiled about three eggs

in the morning and take them to work with

me and around 2pm what I start to feel the urge

I pop one or two minus the yoke good source

of Protein also I found this Tropicana fruit squeeze

water in lemon/pink grapefruit/and tangerine at walmart they

are really good and only 35 calories/13% juice for

a 15.2 oz bottle if you have a fridge at work eadys

make a really good fruit bar popsicle made with really

fruit jucie I keep a box a work in the fridge they come

in handy as well

Hey! Thanks to you both! I think I'll stick with nonfood solutions since I think the problem is a food habit..... And I've been told we're never supposed to chew gum! Thanks for th dieas. I was also thinking every time I head to the refrigerator at a non meal time, I need to start dancing in front of the fridge....just to break the pattern!

Forgive me if im wrong, i dont think it is wise for a lap-bander to be chewing gum, if you should swallow that gum, your going to be in BIG trouble. Please dont do that without getting the OK from your doctor. Not a wise decision, all the others are excellent.

~Hotpink~

Forgive me if im wrong, i dont think it is wise for a lap-bander to be chewing gum, if you should swallow that gum, your going to be in BIG trouble. Please dont do that without getting the OK from your doctor. Not a wise decision, all the others are excellent.

~Hotpink~

I've been chewing gum for 40 years and I have yet to swallow it. I chew gum all the time.

Grab a cheese stick. I think they are only 80 calories and protein.

I have to watch this too. Late morning is a quiet time for me after the morning rush and I tend to eat then, when I really dont need to.

For that reason, it works best for me to work on 3 meals a day and NO Snacks. That means no reason to eat ever between meals. I can eat enough in one sitting to keep me going till almost meal time, like about 4pm and between then and dinner I just ignore hunger pangs.

I am sure this is the reason for my slow weight loss. I have always been a morning eater... ODD but true. I eat breakfast around 6:00 2 eggs 1/2 pc whole grain toast if I can get it down. Then coffee 2/3 cups a morning, then by 9:00 I am hungry, VERY hungry. I sometimes have light yogurt, but most time a packet of oatmeal. Then by 10:30 I am ready for lunch.. I TRY to wait until 11:30 but somtimes have something else. Lunch is normal, light soup, lean cusine or something around 300-400 calories. Dinner is probably light compared to most. No snacking in the afternoon or evening, Just my mornings! Its like I am having 6 meals a day and 4 of them before noon. I have dropped from an 18 to 14 BUT only about 25 total pounds, I exercise like crazy! My GOAL this week EVEN just for tomorrow ONE MORNING SNACK!!!!

I'm like that too. Food food food all morning and then little after lunch. I'm "interested" till about five pm (but ignore it) and then its like someone just turns off a switch. Couldnt care about dinner and certainly cant understand night time snacking. It would never enter my head at that time of day.

For me it's evening grazing. I have dinner about 5:30 and by 9 or so I'm wanting more. I'll have a mini bag of popcorn or a sf pudding cup or both sometimes. I hate that because it is adding about 160 calories to my daily intake that I otherwise wouldn't have.

cheese sticks are a great idea. And those sf fudgsicles are yummy. Good Luck BetsyJane.

I have solved part of my problem, at least until my body or mind come up with something new and creative to bother me with.....

I was drinking a Protein shake for Breakfast because of restriction in the morning. And that lead to hunger...and more hunger...and another Protein Shake...and more hunger. It's not just that there's no sense of fullness with liquids. For me, it's also that sugar and artificial sweeteners both make my blood sugar go up high, and then I am on a mad roller coaster of cravings for the rest of the day! I stopped my 6AM protein shake and started eating breakfast around 9 (a little eggbeaters suually), and I'm mostly back in control of my eating. I just can't handle the artifical sweeteners any better than putting a cup of sugar in my mouth..... Live and learn, eh?

What I know about my issue so far is that I eat when I'm bored, and I'm bored around 2PM

Good for you for recognizing this, now it is up to you to change this behavior, at 2:00 when you are bored and want to eat..go for a wlak, exercise, read a book, change do something to get your mind of it at that time, come here at 2:00 read post get support. Do whatever it takes but do not give into the boredom and then eat. you have a head start because you realize the pattern,now react upon it! Good Luck!

For me, I tend to snack after 8:30 pm, when I'm home on my computer after my son goes to bed. I try to eat small Snacks, but I know I probably shouldn't be eating them.

Kinda funny, last nite I was craving snacks so I tried to eat 5 cheese cubes. They turned out to be bad. Then I tried to eat a small bowl of Cereal but the milk was bad too. I tried to eat another type of cheese which turned out to be bitter before I just gave up completely and had some Crystal Light

Ha! That'll teach you! Have you noticed you are throwing out a lot more food since being banded? I sure don't get around to eating enough before it goes bad. They I bring home leftovers when I eat out and they often go bad...... Hubby isn't around to eat on weekdays, and I can't seem to buy small enough for me.

It's nice to hear how you recognized it!

Right now with the clear liquid diet, I feel the same way. Everything I can eat really is sweet. Well, drink. I'm not a big fan of sweet stuff in the morning, and it is definitely keeping me hungry. I've been trying to add Protein powder as an extra boost since I was told protein helps curb hunger.. So far, no go. I guess when I'm to mushies I'll learn from your experience and go straight to egg whites!

As for gum, my dietician said NO gum. She said if I accidentally swallow it, it can block and need another operation to remove it. But, I'm not a gum chewer and when I did occasionally, I would almost always swallow it without thinking.. So I'm a poor canidate for someone risking it after banding.