What do you consider grazing?

Grazing to me is mindless eating......if I plan to have 3 meals per day and 2 snacks then I consider it "legal".....when I just grab something subconsciously or just because it is staring me in the face then that is grazing. A good day for me is 3 meals and 2 protein shakes, maybe 1-2 snacks depending on what my meals are.......if it's very dense (chicken breast or steak) then I usually forego a snack because I can't physically eat it and not be uncomfortable.

Grazing is eating beyond your small meals, you know, a bite here, a bite there... I graze.  Always have.  But, I cut back when I have to... and if I cut back too much, I have serious blood sugar problems, so I have to eat every two - three hours anyways.

Some may call the way I eat "grazing," but I carefully plan everything I'm going to eat each morning, enter it into SparkPeople, make adjustments for my calorie, protein, fat, carb, & fiber targets, then use that as my food "to do" list for the day. (I'm flexible to make adjustments as things go along, but I pretty much stick to it.) I spread out the meals and snacks throughout the day, eating them as I feel like I need to-- about every 3 hours, more or less. Half a high protein cereal bar, 10 small whole grain crackers and a tablespoon of natural peanut butter, whey protein shake with fruit, 3 ounces of turkey and a half cup of veggies... no one "meal" is what most people would consider meal-sized. My surgeon said "three meals a day with nothing in between." That may be perfect for some, but it doesn't work for me. To me, "grazing" is mindlessly eating throughout the day without a plan or a nutrition-related purpose. I think eating through my balanced food to-do list throughout the day, taking in the right foods as needed, is a valid and effective strategy.  I re-lost 30 pounds that I had regained, plus another 12, once I started eating this way (last November).

I have to agree with much that has already been said. I'm an every few hours eater~I can't do just 3 meals and that's it, nothing else. My blood sugar gets too out of whack if I don't fuel my body more often than that. That being said, some days I do graze and I always feel like crap about it b/c its usually on "bad" foods. I try not to do that very often though!

I too eat every 3 hours. I have to anyway because I am diabetic (under control with diet) I plan my meals and my snacks. It doesn't always come out how I expect, but for the most part I have a meal plan and snacks for the next few days. I eat three main meals that I cannot get all the requirements into if I tried! I do not like to eat until I am full...I will only eat til I am satisfied and no more. Then my snacks I like a fresh fruit. I can't eat that with a meal because it's just oo much.  Then later I have protein snacks.  If I feel like I am still hungry I grab raw veggies as they are practically free of anything.  So they are always safe snacks.  I don't feel deprived this way too. I'd never get all my food in 3 square meals. I just cannot seem to eat that much at 3 sittings. I think of grazing as mindless eating without a schedule and inconsistant munching on random bad and good food all day most days.    It takes me three attempts to finish a restaurant meal sometimes. I don't like to eat out because I get home and look up the calories and i am STUNNED at hidden fats and calories!  I use a lot of olive oil and cheeses in my own cooking but...Restaurants use some serious FAT and butter!  If it doesn't say LEAN on the menu...IT'S NOT!!!! LOL