Question:
What is Grazing?

I haven't had surgery, but hope to in the next few months, and I have heard the term come up called, "Grazing." Especially when people talk about Re-gaining. What is this? Does it mean eating all day? I am confused! Thanks    — Shawnie S. (posted on December 10, 2001)

December 10, 2001
Grazing is eating pretty much constantly, like you might at a buffet, or like you see cows and horses do. Instead of sitting down and eating a meal you pick at everything all day. Usually when we graze we don't always pick the food choices either. Someone may have a better answer but this will give you the idea.
   — MaryAnn51

December 10, 2001
I usually encourage people to get 4-5 crackers and cheese or tuna and put it on a plate and eat it in about 15-20 min. THAT is a meal (snack). And then, do not eat for 2-3 hours. Only drinking, after the half hour or so. To put the box of crackers on your desk, THAT is grazing. Especially, eating 2 crackers every 15 minutes or so all day, drinking as you go. That is "painless pouch stretching". The idea of the tiny meals is to feel comfortably full, comfortably empty and so on. If you just eat a little all day long, you are never full, never empty and your pouch just keeps relaxing.
   — vitalady

December 10, 2001
I'm six months post op and ever since I was put on solid food I have worried about grazing. During my first few months I pretty much did graze or at least I thought I was. Now that my pouch has relaxed some, I can tell the difference between grazing and having meals. It really took me a while though. Early on I found that even eating a tiny bit made me so very full. Now there's more of a difference, I can tell if I eat something "small" as opposed to a "meal". But the difference is still only a few bites. For myself, I find the best things is when I start feeling hungry to put some thought and intention into my eating and then eat till I'm full. One of the things that sabotages me is my old diet thinking. I'll think, if I only take a couple of bites it doesn't really count. Then I have to stop myself and say, it does count, take a couple more bites and make it a meal. This stops me from eating a lot of bad choice foods because I don't want to eat enough chips or candy to make me full. I've also heard from others and have to agree that if you get your protein in first, you won't be as tempted or able to graze. Don't be totally scared off by the grazing issue. I don't think it's a will power thing so much as a planning thing. If you plan and eat high protein meals that fill you to a comfortable place, you probably won't be a grazer.
   — kcanges