Hello - I am looking for suggestions about grazing

[Mydoghasfleas]

I never thought I would do this, join a forum about my weight. Thought I could do it all by myself. One time I also thought I would be difficult to hypnotise, until a hypnotherapist tapped me on the forehead and I was under; she did damn all for my weight loss although my wallet lost several hundred pounds - how many times have you heard that.

Anyhow, enough history for the moment. I peaked at 21stone, started the pre-op diet at 20st 5lb, surgery at 19st 5lb, now 14st 2ib but seem to be at a plateau. I want to lose more but I am encountering an old problem - the big white thing in the kitchen and the biscuit tin. I thought I had overcome the magic pull these have but I keep finding myself walking away chomping like an OCD sleepwalker.

I feel sure some of you have had this and some of you overcome it. Please tell me how.

I took loads of trousers,several suits and jackets to the charity shop last November. The village is well prepared for an outbreak of morbid obesity now. I stopped being obese 3 weeks ago (whoooooo hoooo). Last night I emptied more out of the wardrobe, formal and casual shirts, pools, more trousers. The folded pile stands at just over 5 feet high I cannot believe it, I hope the charity shop has enough room. The biggest shock in the pile is a suit that I bought 3 months post op for work because, I had lost 8 inches round my chest and 4 inches from my waist; I wore it less than 10 times and it now swamps me.

I have never felt this aware of living because I now realise what I had allowed myself to become. I have gained some extra years and have realised how little time we really have, particularly when so much of my life is behind me.

So having asked for help, for anyone waiting for surgery or prevaricating about it. SEIZE THE DAY. Every day you stop from doing something because your weight prevents you is a day lost! Every day is precious. Last week I ran out of petrol, on the way to fill up, I jogged 700 yards because I suddenly realised I could. Big deal? Well it was for me. I'd loved to have seen the grin on my face that evening.

 

[Crystalrainbow]

Hi there and welcome to a fantastic place for support
I am pre op due on 6th feb and your seize the day comment sure helped to settle my mind. Ty. I cant really help re your question about grazing as i am pre op but i'm sure someone round here will congrats on your fantastic loss btw sounds like your doing wonderfully to me. My grazing this week while on lsd had been celery and cucumber chopped up in a dish with salt and pepper, its been pretty amazing ...... now i never thought id hear myself saying something like that lol anyway hun welcome again x x x

 

[Dilligaf]

Hey there! When it comes to grazing, I don't have any nibbles in the house that I don't think are worth having: I always make sure there's a selection of fresh fruit, low-fat cheese etc.

Also, my nutritionist says I should have 3 small meals and 3 snacks a day (aside from anything else, it ties I with the timing of taking my heart medications etc). I try to plan my food for the day the night before, which also helps to be organised around my long work hours.

I try to have a good mix of fruit and veg every day (keeps things regular, lol) but if, for example, I have some chopped strawberries or blueberries for a snack, I have it with a little high-protein, low-fat yoghurt, because the protein is always more filling.

 

[slaz]

Welcome to the forum. I also was just over 21 stone when I decided that surgery was going to be the only answer for me. This forum is a constant source of support and help in just reading how others are coping with the ups and downs of weight loss. Snacking is a problem for me also but I don't keep any really bad things in the house, nevertheless I snack far too much on things like nuts which are extremely calorific. I have not lost much weight in the past couple of months, mainly due to big family celebrations and Christmas so now I must knuckle down again and your post has helped me to realise that I am snacking too much, so thank you for your help and sorry I have no answers for you! Bless this forum!

 

[Mydoghasfleas]

Thank you for you replies. I do eat regularly, three meals and generally light snacks in between when not at work. It's the evenings that are the killer, I have a healthy snack, fruit, nuts, sometimes rice cake, cheese, crisp bread, always with an eye to the sugar content but that acts like a trigger for more. I know it is sensible to remove temptations and that, to some extent, removes the problem but then I become the food police for the other three adults in the house - spouse, daughter and her boyfriend.

Casting the net wider, I am really looking to find something behavioural as a means of dealing with it. I would prefer to be "cured" of the urge to graze rather than graze healthily. It might be I need to do something that rechannels the impulse so I simply do something else or there is some technique that stops the impulse altogether. Of course, it's quite possible I'm looking for the impossible, but who knows?

Did you know it's possible to have the taxman subsidise giving away your donation of you pre-op clothes to charity? Many charities have a Gift Aid scheme in their shops. You hand over the clothes and the charity takes these and some information from you. At this point, they are acting as your agent to sell the clothes. The charity sells the clothes and sends you reports of how much it raises (more anon). At this point, you do nothing at all. In doing nothing, the charity treats the proceeds as a donation. Say the sales are £100, the charity claims tax back on the donation, because your £100.00 gift is after you "deducted" tax from it; your gift was £125 less 20% tax =£100. The charity now has £125. As long as you only pay tax at 20% that's it.

If you pay tax at 40%, it makes no difference to the charity but it does to you. Your gift was £125 (gross), your tax relief should be £50 (£125 * 40%). You had £25 of this by only handing over £100. So you claim the other £25 off through your tax return or by letter to HMRC. All in all, you get money back from the taxman and the charity is better off as well.

There's a good deed for Sunday.

Good luck, wherever you are with surgery. Finally, please no suggestions for extreme sports as a means to distract attention from the fridge.

 

[Kimberly]

How about knitting some thing to do with your hands it's also good for stress it's used with veterans in the state for PTSD .

 

[Su2ie]

I am right at the beginning of the wls journey so can't comment on anything post op but I am a terrible grazer. I have tried really hard to change this since Christmas and make sure that I don't have anything 'naughty' in the house because if it's there I'll eat it and if it's not I can't! It's hard sometimes when I really fancy something but easier to resist than when it's right in front of me. I try to distract myself and have become addicted to the games on my iPhone

Good luck in cracking it, you've done so well to get this far so you can do it!

 

[Yvessa]

I often find I graze when my meals are at the wrong time, as a prelude to being hungry. First step - recognise why you're grazing. Do you need an extra meal? We need to eat at least every 3 hours for most of us, and if you don't get proper hunger signals you might find yourself grazing.

IF your grazing because you're bored, then have things you can graze on that won't do you any harm. Fruit and yoghurt is a good and filling combo. Add a mini meringue and you feel naughty without being naughty. Custard is also a good option. And if you're really craving something, nibble it, taste every last crumb, and when its gone, smile, smack your lips and say 'Aaah....I needed that!'. Make it an experience

 

[femfrankie]

Hi and welcome MDHF
Agree with all of the above comments and the main thing is that you have recognised that you are grazing so now you can tackle it head on . I always have fruit in the house and my jar of gherkins just for times like these and like Yve says it's usually because you are starting to get hungry.. What is going through your mind when this happens?
Are you just looking for something "nice" to eat or is it a case of anything will do OR are you thirsty?
I can usually identify the first as head hunger for example I know there is a packet of biscuit in the cupboard and I want one The second type is plain hunger. I don't feel "hunger" in the traditional sense any more but my body will tell me if I don't eat and like Yve says if it's gone past my eating time I will find I am drawn to the kitchen for a cupboard /fridge rake. There is nothing bad in there so I'm safe :giggle: but it's so easy to see how it could all go pear shaped very easily and quickly! If it's not time for eating I put it down to thirst and go have a cuppa of something. It's surprising just how thirst emulates hunger

Good luck

 

[chrisa]

I have just been struggling with this problem and no doubt will again. I am well over 2 years out now and the last fortnight have been listening to my body. I do not feel hungry. I try not to eat between meals now if I can manage it. Because it is creating a habit that In used to have my body doesn't need food in between because ,y meals are always protein fruit n veg based I try and keep carbs down but some days need to have carbs. I managed to drop 5 lbs just not eating between the meals, so when you want to go rutting in the cupboard have a cuppa or make yourself a milky coffee it does help and satisfy your longing for something. It is very difficult. Snacking is a bad habit that a lot of us have fallen into yet again, even if it is healthy food we are eating it can be adding calories to our daily needs our body doesn't need. Does that make sense?

 

[princess4d4]

hi welcome and a great story i am still pre op but when i feel an urge i have raw carrot sticks in my fridge and just grab a couple of them