Weight loss for children?

[TXMomof4]

My oldest dd is getting a little......chubby. I know that some of it is genetics - dh had a problem with his weight when he was younger and has to work hard to keep it off now. However, I want to help her without making a point of helping her, kwim? She has a friend that told her she was a "tiny bit overweight" because she has a tummy and it really bothered her. I made the point that her friend is about 6 inches taller than she is and is just built differently, but she is still making comments about it.

 

She eats fairly well - she is kind of a carb junkie though. I limit the crackers and bread eaten and offer carrots or apples for snacks most days. She does play outside for a few hours each day, but is much happier sitting and reading a book (which I sympathize with completely). We will be starting swim lessons soon, but that's just one day a week. She also is doing riding lessons - but again, just once a week.

 

I would love something we could do as a family, but with dh gone and ds as uncooperative as only a 2 yo can be, family walks are more stress than fun. She doesn't really like riding her bike and I don't have one, so family bike rides are out. I am just at a loss right now. Any suggestions?

[Melissa in Australia]

could she join some other sport as well? something like basketball that is very active? or could she ride on a exercise bike while reading?

I have the opposite problem, children who are too thin!

[Jean in Wisc]

My oldest dd is getting a little......chubby. I know that some of it is genetics - dh had a problem with his weight when he was younger and has to work hard to keep it off now. However, I want to help her without making a point of helping her, kwim? She has a friend that told her she was a "tiny bit overweight" because she has a tummy and it really bothered her. I made the point that her friend is about 6 inches taller than she is and is just built differently, but she is still making comments about it.

 

She eats fairly well - she is kind of a carb junkie though. I limit the crackers and bread eaten and offer carrots or apples for snacks most days. She does play outside for a few hours each day, but is much happier sitting and reading a book (which I sympathize with completely). We will be starting swim lessons soon, but that's just one day a week. She also is doing riding lessons - but again, just once a week.

 

I would love something we could do as a family, but with dh gone and ds as uncooperative as only a 2 yo can be, family walks are more stress than fun. She doesn't really like riding her bike and I don't have one, so family bike rides are out. I am just at a loss right now. Any suggestions?

 

We were told to keep our son's diet steady so that the child would not gain or lose any weight. Then when he went through a growth spurt, he would gain height but not weight, giving him a taller/leaner body. It really worked. It was a safe way to diet--no one wanted us to actually decrease his weight.

 

Do you do any DVD aerobics? You could do them together.

 

Jean

[Mom0012]

Do you think your daughter is overeating? I think a lot of children put on weight at this age and then slim down. What about the Wii Fit? I haven't used it but I've heard good things. I'd love to get Dance Dance Revolution and do that with my daughter. I've heard you can really build up a sweat and it's lots of fun.

 

Lisa

[Karen sn]

My dd chunks out and in a few months she is 3 or more inches taller and quite a bit thinner.

I would let your kid know that this is a natural thing. If she wants to grow up, she has to grow out. And eventually it will stop.

 

When you are watching a movie or on the floor playing with the toddler, engage your dd in some floor exercises. Leg lifts, sit ups, push ups - some easy things that you can do in 15 minutes.

I like the recommendation to do an exercise video with her. I liked Suzanne Powter.

[Jane Elliot]

My dh's (an M.D. with a B.S. in Nutrition) first suggestion to his patients is to make sure they're drinking only water, no fruit juice or pop.

[Lolly]

First question, does she really need to lose weight? Look at her without using your Mommy glasses. Has she just put a little weight on, or is she really chubby? Is this part of a normal growth cycle, or due to over eating or lack of exercise? Is her shape truly different than before?

 

If this is just a matter of her friend having a different body type, then you are best off teaching her to love herself with her own shape. Some people are sticks others have softer builds. Both are beautiful.

 

If she is overeating or eating improperly (doesn't sound like it from what you have said), then getting her eating balanced out would be a good idea. First place to start is in the drink department: water, water, water. Next, limit dessert type items to once a week.

 

It sounds like exercise may be a problem. If you can afford it, up the swim lessons to 2 or 3 times a week, (Of course, I am of the opinion that that is what it actually takes for swimming anyway...) or add in another activity. If not, it may not be pleasant, but family walks might be in order anyway. After everyone gets used to them things might become more pleasant.:) Of course, the video exercise option is always there.:D

[FriedClams]

I did a fun marathon with my kids and some friend's kids recently. I made up a chart and marked it off by 1/2 miles. We gave the kids a month and everyone who started it finished. It was really fun. With littler kids along I would recommend going to the local HS track. They can run around the infield while you and DD walk or run or whatever.

[FriedClams]

Oh yeah - Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds videos are fun and easy. My DD likes to do them with me. I think a lot of it's modeling - you do it and they'll join in (which can be annoying if you really want a workout for you, LOL!)

[Marie in Oh]

and what is her BMI? If you go to about.pediatrics.com and search for a growth chart percentile calculator, you can put in her height and weight and you can see if it is an issue. There is also a BMI calculator. I have heard if they are more than 25 % in height than weight, it is in issue, like if they are 50th for height and 75th for weight. BMI is also a good indicator.

[Storm Bay]

We were told to keep our son's diet steady so that the child would not gain or lose any weight. Then when he went through a growth spurt, he would gain height but not weight, giving him a taller/leaner body. It really worked. It was a safe way to diet--no one wanted us to actually decrease his weight.

 

Do you do any DVD aerobics? You could do them together.

 

Jean

 

 

This is the best way. I'd also watch drinks and the carbs in your house.

 

Food for thought (pun intended because I live with a punster & sometimes just give in): Fat/oil helps you feel satisfied & protein helps keep you satisfied between meals. We keep meals balanced that way, and, when dc were younger, snacks, too. Snacks that are mostly carbs tend to get people to eat more.

 

It's good to catch this now, especially if your dh has to be careful. I friend IRL who chose not to worry when her dd gained a lot of weight and went to 90 percentile in weight because she was at the same percentile in height, but it was obvious she was chunky. The doctor told her not to worry, but the fact is that even though the percentiles matched, her body mass index was no longer healthy. That girl is a carb freak and is now medically morbidly obese and is only 11 (she has been this way for several years). Very sad because her health is going to suffer for this.

 

There's a balance to everything, but Jean has given fabulous advice here. I agree that you don't want to make a big deal out of it with a child this age. You don't want her obsessing about her weight or getting into a weight gain/loss pattern so young.

[yslek]

According to Dr. Sears, children should not "diet" or try to lose weight. He says that in the case of chubby (or even heavy) children, the goal is to increase healthy habits (eat good foods, move more) so that they eventually "grow" into their weight. I'm trying to think of ways to help my oldest ds be more active right now, as he's recently gone from quite thin to a bit chubby (esp. in the tummy :(). I hope it's the beginning of a growth spurt, but he is definitely my least active child, so some regularly exercise can't hurt. ;)

[TXMomof4]

Thanks for all of your ideas. The biggest problem I'm having right now is that I'm 6 weeks out of neck surgery and am seriously limited on my activities. I'm hoping she's storing up for a growth spurt, but I really don't think so.

 

I think I'll get some aerobics videos and see if I can convince them it is part of our school day....PE, right? I think we'll move more to laps around the yard instead of timeout in her room (and yes, somedays that will mean a significant amount of running :glare:). TV has been banished for the next 3 weeks. 21 days to make a habit, right? Now let's see if I have the

stick-to-itivness to get this going.

[Jen in PA]

Some of the local school districts here have given the students pedometers and had them set goals, then keep upping the ante by having them beat their own best days. My stepson's school did this and it got the kids very motivated.

[Guest zizou]

Hi Friends,

 

One has to possess an appropiate weight depending on his/her height.If the weight of a person falls below a threshold he will become weaker.The tips to get an optimum weight are suggested here.

 

The first tip is that, you have to take food at the same time each day. This can help your body to get addicted to the same time and you will be hungry only at that time. Secondly, you have to prepare your meals in a healthier way. For example, you can replace “white†carbs instead of whole grain. This will also improves the quality of the food to your diet. You can also replace oils and saturated fats with healthier choices. Thirdly, you can consume more vegetables. Antioxidants contains are very rich in Vegetables and this can help to advance your overall weight loss as well as develops your health in different ways.

[Kim in Appalachia]

Kids should not diet. Maybe help her be more aware of what she is eating, but I would not want her to feel bad about eating food.

 

Maybe the two of you could do an exercise together. It could be a DVD or just taking a walk everyday. There are a lot of exercise DVDs. There are ones with dance themes that could be fun, or there are ones that focus on strength.

 

I do think since we tend to be a sedentary society that it is good to make our kids exercise. Teenagers need to be physical in order to grow properly. Girls need some strength training in order to develop strong bones. Encourage your dd to exercise for her own health, not for weight management.