grazing

[finallyfull]

The word "grazing" has always sounded virtuous to me -- like a light, non-hoggy way of eating, like someone who hardly cares about eating. A big contrast to the fact that grazing allows you to stuff more into your stomach by sneaking it in through small quantities.

But cows graze. Big giant cows. And buffalo. And maybe elephants? Big huge animals that weigh tons graze.

Lean, energetic, powerful lions eat big regular meals and then don't bother themselves with food until the next meal.

[vmsurbat]

The word "grazing" has always sounded virtuous to me -- like a light, non-hoggy way of eating, like someone who hardly cares about eating. A big contrast to the fact that grazing allows you to stuff more into your stomach by sneaking it in through small quantities.

But cows graze. Big giant cows. And buffalo. And maybe elephants? Big huge animals that weigh tons graze.

Lean, energetic, powerful lions eat big regular meals and then don't bother themselves with food until the next meal.

Interesting observation! I have always liked the quote in the book (and I paraphrase): "Animals that graze eat grass, not granola bars..." So true, so true....

[~reneew]

Hmmm... true. Big fat cow vs. powerful fit lion. Tortoise and the hare... lots to ponder... Also, lions don't have grocery stores and have to work at it.

[noni]

I get full pretty fast, so grazing is how I gained weight. I take after my mother. She goes out to eat with her two thin friends now and then and they can't believe that she's unable finish her meals at a restaurant as chubby as she is. But she is a grazer.

[oolala53]

Let's be careful here. Elephants are SUPPOSED to be big. They are not overeating. I have a feeling if they were offered food only certain times a day, but were allowed to eat their fill, eventually they would eat enough to stay heavy even eating fewer times per day. I doubt they'd lose their appetites and get skinny.

Grazing was an appetite-killer for me for many years, but a squelched appetite was not a reason NOT to eat for me, either. I paired food with multiple feelings and events, so eating when not hungry became a habit, but it wasn't a pleasant one, in the scheme of things. It basically decreased the overall pleasure. THAT is the most convincing reason to me to avoid it, though recently, I've forgotten that. I'm glad this thread is bringing it up to remind me.

[leafy_greens]

I get full pretty fast, so grazing is how I gained weight. I take after my mother. She goes out to eat with her two thin friends now and then and they can't believe that she's unable finish her meals at a restaurant as chubby as she is. But she is a grazer.

I can relate. I was a grazer, and got full fast at restaurants. I thought I was doing everything right because I never ate more than half the portion. When I started No S eating 3 full meals it felt so wrong, as if I was stuffing myself, but if I didn't feel stuffed then I wouldn't last until the next meal. I think that the stuffed feeling is actually just a normal "full" to a non-grazer. I'm having to re-learn what the right feeling should be in regards to fullness.

[finallyfull]

Oolala -- I guess what I think of when I mention elephants grazing is the fact that you can pack wayyyy more food than you might think by eating smaller amounts all day, if it works for a gigantic animal like that. I had always previously envisioned grazing as a petite person thing to do, a small bite here, a small bite there.

It's like the reverse of that old wisdom "how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." I think I've inadvertently been trying to eat an elephant. Whoops.

[oolala53]

I definitely agree that I used to be able to get more in when I just grazed. Not as much these days, as it's more unpleasant than it used to be never to be hungry and to always feel a little full. But it doesn't mean it doesn't happen sometimes...

[Nicest of the Damned]

Animals that graze do it because the stuff they eat isn't calorie-dense. They eat all day because they need to do that to get enough calories.

[Thalia]

Yep. If we ate hay, we could eat nonstop all day too.

[gratefuldeb67]

haha funny post!!
i agree with you... i hate that term and it's very much perpetuating a falsehood that this is a virtuous and non harmful eating habit...

[Nicest of the Damned]

One problem I always had with grazing, maybe because I am fairly disorganized (ok, "fairly disorganized" in the sense that the Pacific Ocean is "fairly wet"). It's hard enough for me to plan three good meals for a day. A lot of days, I don't manage to do it. If I were to graze, I'd have to plan 5 or 6, which would be even harder. I may be an extreme example, but I have read about some research saying that people who plan their meals eat more fruits and vegetables than those who don't. That certainly squares with my personal experience.