Learn the difference between snacking and grazing.

Weight Loss Surgery Support:
Daily Inspiration for March 26, 2010 Katie Jay,MSW

Learn the difference between snacking and grazing.  
Snacking and grazing are not the same thing. Snacking has a healthy purpose. You snack because you need a short supply of energy for your body. A snack is planned, including the quality of the food you eat, the quantity, and the time of day. Grazing has no purpose other than to manage emotions or soothe your boredom.  

An honest self-assessment should help you determine whether you are snacking or grazing, but if you're not sure ask your nutritionist. Most WLS patients struggle with the urge to graze from time to time, or even most of the time. You can learn strategies to curb grazing, including determining what, if any, planned snack you may need to include in your eating plan. If you are struggling, don't keep it a secret. Ask someone you trust to help you develop the strategies that will work for you. 

Action for the day: Start a food diary today and keep it for three days. Write down what you ate, the time and quantity, and what you were feeling when you ate. Bring this with you the next time you see your nutritionist, and start to explore solutions to your grazing problem. 

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Thanx Molly I will Journal

I thought avout this for a while decided that this may be a bit of semantics.  Trying to differentiate between grazing and eating a snack--regardless of what type of food it is is more about the behavior than the food.  If you were to talk to just about anyone about snack food, they would assume that you are talking about prtezels, chips, other crucny food, sugary food, or ice cream.  Most people do not think of a couple ounces of protein or an energy bar, or a piece of fruit as snack food.  But, if you eat them at a time other than a meal, then you are eating them as nutritional snacks.  Heaven knows that I do a lot of grazing and very little snacking per your definitions.

For people studying Beck, I can see a similarity with the word or concept of dieting.  Dr Beck is against fad dieting for quick weight loss.  But she does acknowledge that following a controlled nutritional eating plan constitutes following a diet.

As to the food diary, when I followed Becks last year, I kept a food diary the entire time.  Any time I attempt to get back on the program, I need to start to diary immediately.

If you do want to follow Becks, your suggestion about doing the daily log, along with time and quantity as well as feelings is jumping way ahead on the program.  She'll have you do this with the 2nd and 3rd weeks of the program.  I don't advise going ahead with this.  Dr Beck asks that we take the Days in the order in which they appear in the Beck's Diet Solution.  If you try a shortcut, you will be cheating yourself out of all of the benefits of the program.