Weight Loss - York,PA

You know what? Kids go through stages where they're chunky then skinny then chunky then skinny.

You need to let her be. If she's going out and doing stuff and not sitting in front of the TV eating chips and drinking pop all day then she's probably okay.

Drinks - water and milk only - primarily water. No soda or juice - just don't keep them in the house.

Snacks - veggies, fruit, nut butters on veggie sticks. Simply don't keep junk in the house at all. We don't keep any processed snacks in the house - I don't want to eat them and the plus is my son is not learning to eat them.

Plate meals in the kitchen - NOT family style at the table. Research shows we ALL eat less this way.

Look at what a serving size is (for her age group) and serve that amount. If she is hungry after she eats her meal, then she can have seconds. Teach her to think about whether she is still hungry - not whether she likes the food and just wants more of it.

Treats - keep them occasional and keep them OUT of the house. Way better to go out for ice cream once than to buy a 1/2 gallon (or two if you don't agree on flavors) and eat it until it is gone.

I think the choosemyplate.gov website has some great tips.

Activity - the more, the better. If she is not physically active on her own, you will likely need to do it with her. Biking, swimming, etc are great but are more fun with a buddy.

This needs to be about the family eating a healthy diet, being strong, making good choices and doing healthy activity - NOT about her fitting into the body image stereotypes for a size 0. Sadly many girls as young as 7 think they are too fat and are already feeling bad about their bodies.

Um...no.
If a pediatrician told you she needed to LOSE weight? You need a new doctor ASAP!
Kids (unlike adults) are still growing taller.
You can attempt to level out the weight GAIN, but no "dieting" for an 8 year old.
Serve healthy meals, no soda, and make sure she's active every day.

We got the "fat child" letter from the pediatrician's office because she was a few pounds too heavy (literally, just crossed the line with BMI). After dealing with a son with an eating disorder, the last thing we wanted to do was send our 8-year-old daughter into a tailspin. We never mentioned it to her.

What has worked is bumping up the activity level. We go out on bike rides as a family. She joined a softball team. She rides her scooter when we take the dog on a walk. We play badminton in the backyard. She swims in the summer.

It really has made a difference. Haven't weighed her recently, but she looks healthier overall and seems more energetic.

An 8 year old shouldn't handle a weight loss lifestyle. It isn't something she should be thinking about.

What you do is change how your entire household operates. If you don't want a kid eating junk food on a regular basis, you don't bring it into the house. If you want to get more servings of veggies in a meal, you also eat more veggies. If she needs to be more physically active, go for walks together, take bike rides, go swimming with her, etc.

You teach an overall healthy lifestyle by example that she follows. You do not make this about her body. It has to be about everyone.

Unless your ex is also going to overhaul his household to align with yours, then you need to give up the idea of control on that front and just mind your own choiced.

I don't think it's appropriate to address weight loss at age 8, on any level, but especially to the child. Especially if she's truly "not obese, but needs to lose a little weight". That sounds like a huge red flag that you are headed down a wrong road, and possibly a very dangerous one.

If you are concerned about her HEALTH, make sure she is eating nutritious food, drinking lots of water, and getting plenty of outside play time. If she is a video game or tv kid, unplug it. If you don't have a yard, do family activities like someone suggested - bike riding, swimming, hikes, etc. Organized sports are great IF she is into them. But if you do have a yard or even better, neighbor kids for her to hang out with, just kick her outside. Kids are great at that stuff.

My boys are both overweight, but the doctor's say NO DIETING. They are 8 and 10. What we do with them is increase activity level when possible (they play football, basketball, and baseball), limit sugary treats, and just keep them focused on healthy choices.

Please just don't put her on a diet...encourage her to more move, teach her everything in moderation, and make sure she is drinking enough water and getting enough sleep.

Usually with kids they either aren't getting quite enough exercise and eating empty calories.

Check drinks - more water and less juices and fruit drinks for example.

We cut right back on packaged goods a while ago. If my kids are hungry, they can have a sandwich and a piece of fruit, or cut up cheese, a boiled egg ... back to basics. It fills them up more (again, with the water) and more nutrients.

I find if you follow the food guide for kids and make sure you're meeting their energy/nutrient needs, they aren't hungry for the other stuff.

Good luck :)

** with summer time, just encourage lots of out outdoor time - parks, biking, playing outside.

A good rule to follow - if hungry, have to eat something real (even a bowl of cereal with banana) at our house. If you still want a cookie, you can have after you filled up on something that's actual food (and not just a snack treat). I find sugar makes kids hungry - they get that crash and just come back for more. So I tend to only do treats after they've had something substantial in their tummies (as much as possible - popsicles and stuff like that are just part of summer)

At her age, she should not be responsible for it because she does not purchase her own food or control her life.

Her adult guardians need to feed her healthy food and make sure she exercises enough.

She should also be learning what healthy food is through discussion and stuff. But learning isn't eating. My kid's school teaches nutrition 'til they're blue in the face, but they serve unhealthy lunches, hand out candy and ice cream all the time, have cupcake and pizza parties, and have no control over what people feed their kids at home. What do kids eat? Whatever they're permitted to or given.

When my kids start to look a bit robust (happens) we cut the sugar and junk (out and about) and increase the exercise. I don't tell them they're gaining weight or anything, and never tell them to diet. Kids should not have to deal with those things. As the norm, their meals are healthy at home and when I pack their lunch. If they go to a birthday party or have extended holiday grandparent binges, I compensate with extra outdoor time, extra trips to pool, extra vegetables...

Let her outside to run and play.

Kids/people come in many shapes and sizes. My son has a friend who I would consider very over weight and the siblings and father are thin. The dad can eat a ton and minimal work-outs and still very thin. The mom has to really work at her weight (working out eating right) and it is a struggle. The son might take after the mom's side of the family.

Your daughter could have a slower metabolism.

Give her healthy options at home and allow her to burn calories (playing outside and such). You can go on bike rides together.

I agree with the water option. We do not have soda or juice in the house. if we go to a restaurant we order water.

I also have eggs, nuts and cheese as fast lunch/snack items.

Make sure she's eating healthy things with small treats every so often. Don't make food into a big deal but talk about making sure she has more fruits and veggies than chips and crackers. When she's with you make it a priority to go outside and do things together. Bike riding, hiking, playing on the playground, taking walks around the block, hopscotch, jump rope. Exercise that's fun and play instead of boring stuff.

No dieting. Just focus on health, NOT her body. Just limit the junk food you have in the house, limit the couch time and get out and do fun, active things together. Make some healthy meals together and teach her about healthy choices.

Keep in mind that sometimes kids bulk up a bit before growing. It happened to both of my kids at that age. Then they shoot up and lean out just fine. I try to cut back on sugar and breads and have them get more exercise. I feel like they just held onto the weight at that age though.

I agree with Margie. Eat "real food" AND drink a glass of water, wait 20 minutes, then you can have a cookie.

Cut out the juice and soda, substitute water and flavored seltzer with a wedge of lime or lemon for "fun", or even a splash of juice just for a treat of flavor.

Be sure snacks include protein for longer lasting satisfaction, energy & "full feeling". PB on celery is one, veggies dipped in a good amount of hummus is another, leftover enchiladas (we make our own chock full of good stuff), even a handful of almonds - all are far superior to a bag of chips.

Don't buy single size snacks. Cut way back on processed foods. Make cereals whole foods (Cheerios, not frosted flakes), make crackers things like Triscuits (whole wheat), not Wheat Thins.

Take her to the farmers' market and choose some things you can make together.

Look at fun recipes - Rachael Ray and Jessica Seinfeld have done some great things with healthy alternatives to what kids ask for - like adding vegetables to mac & cheese or adding broccolini to roasted sweet potato "fries".

We make burgers filled with mashed beans, flaxseed and other things to stretch a dollar and increase fiber & veggies. Substitute an easy-peel Clementine or mandarin for orange juice to get the fiber and control the portion size.

It's more about activity than diet. Get her a reusable water bottle, take bike rides, explore nature areas, follow marked trails at nearby preserves. Garden. Grow your own veggies (maybe not this year) and do flowers to beautify your yard as well as a charity's (your church, a local group home, anything). Getting away from a refrigerator and moving the body is the best thing.

Be sure she has a healthy body image and isn't falling prey to the "size 2 to be pretty and attract a man" influence of the fashion and TV industry.

Hi M.,

She needs to be on an absorbable multivitamin. When the body gets the nutrition it needs, the body doesn't crave the snacks and sugars and fats and it doesn't hold onto extra weight. My husband lost 150 pound on the right multi. Didn't try to change his eating habits and didn't change his activity level. His body just finally let go of the weight it didn't need. Have had this happen every time someone has taken my suggestion seriously.

You can't ask a kid to diet but you can get them nutrition! PM me if you'd like to talk.....God bless.

M.

Morning
In my household, I found the best way for anyone within our family to lose weight is to make it a family affair... in most cases, even if everyone isn't on the heavier side, everyone can probably stand to eat better.. in my house, the approach has been casual.. by that I mean, we don't say, you can't eat this or that.. but instead, we ADD more nutritional food..so if for example I am having a sandwich, I add arugula or mixed greens and on the side, instead of a starch, I will eat raw veggies like red bell pepper, carrots or whatever is in the season.. the idea being that I am getting a lot of fiber, which in turn, will help me fill up.. Also... we have none of the following in our house: packaged, processed juice (we only ever drink FRESHLY made ) we always drink lots of water... get your daughter her own water bottle and see if she ll drink more of it... IF you drink soda.. those will definitely put on the pounds... we rarely ever drink soda. I consider it liquid belly fat...also, if you eat simple carbs such as pasta or other starchy stuff and feel you don't want to eliminate it completely, then eat it earlier in the day..
lastly........... exercise.. we walk a lot.... and now that it's summer, and depending where you live, try incorporating that into your lives... it's not uncommon for my son and I to walk min 5 miles a day.. now you may not want to do that, so start slow... if you go to the mall, park farther away. take the stairs when possible.. again, keep it casual and fun.. does your daughter have a jumprope? if so, do what my son does (who is also trying to trim down) do 100 jumps on the morning and 100 in the evening..
or when watching tv, jump when it's a commercial.. it's all little stuff... but it will add up...

good luck

Hi M.,

please forgive me but i'm going to be very blunt here. my mother put me on my first diet when i was 8 and it lead to a lifetime of food issues and resulting in an eating disorder. i won't go into details because this is about your daughter and not my mother.

i will say that i agree with the comments below about making healthy choices, setting a good example with your choices and behaviors. this society is beyond cruel and she'll be subjected to enough pressures as she moves through this world as a woman. she doesn't need these pressures conveyed by her mother as well. support her by building her up instead of focusing her worth on her weight and/or body.

please forgive me for my candor but i would not wish what i've been through with this on my worst enemy, much less a defensless 8 year old child.

my positive thoughts to you and her as you move forward. :-) S.

Hi M., your question is one that is becoming all too familiar. And the responses below...well sorry ladies, many are not accurate.

We live in a time when obesity is on the rise and we should be concerned. Juvenile Diabetes is now an actual disease (it didn't even exist a few short years ago). Our food source is being compromised and our activity levels are decreasing. Couple all that with the stress and anxiety that we are bombarded with on a daily basis and we have a recipe for disaster.

Toxicity, deficiency, obesity, stress, inflammation, they all are sadly a part of our daily lives...and even more sad is our children are now being affected. The World Health Organization stated a few year back that this is our saddest time in history. They predict that based on where we are today with our ill-health, our children are not expected to live the life expectancy we have. That is heart wrenching.

Being concerned for your child's well being is crucial, but please add you to the mix and anyone else you care about. Here's a couple of things to think about:

1. Diet is ANYTHING someone puts in their mouth, so YES, put you and your child on a healthy diet.
2. Our quality of life is digressing. Our air, our water, our soils, they are being more and more contaminated every day.
3. Our food supply is being manufactured, not grown.
4. The amount of preservatives and pesticides and herbicides in our food is alarming, and our bodies just can't handle it.
5. Stress is rampant, we are pushed to our limits physically and mentally every day.

So what do we as parents do? We step up and PARENT our kids.
1. We educate them on the importance of food education. And that means, WE have to get a food education. A REAL education.
2. Talk to your grandparents, find out what they used to eat, how they used to live, and get back to the basics. My grandmother says, "if they advertise it on TV, it can't be good for you."
3. Supplement your food with the highest quality of nutritional supplements available. It's not about price, don't buy because it was "the most expensive on the shelf" but because you did your research and you talked to other families who have taken these steps.
4. Eat local, buy fresh and prepare your own when possible. My health coach told me once...if I buy fast food, expect a fast life. WOW that really hit home!
5. Get moving. Walk, skip, dance, hula hoop, swim, bike, whatever, but do a little bit each day, get to a point where it is a bit difficult to carry on a conversation. That is a good benchmark of a level to achieve.
6. Eat well 3-5 times a day. Every body needs a balance of proteins, fats, and carbs every day. Choose the healthiest ones for you and your family.
7. Drink water...and ONLY water. Flavour it with fruit and veggies (we like to take over ripe fruit and blend it, make ice cubes then add them to our water bottles.)
8. Sleep, at lest 8 hours every night. Without the right amount of sleep your body can't repair itself.
9. Do not eat 2-3 hours before bed, your body needs to be in rest mode during sleep, not digestion mode.
10. Have fun! Enjoy life. Enjoy the time when your daughter is little, they grow up so fast. And if you model fun, a healthy lifestyle and less stress, well she will live that too.

M., my family and I started on this wellness journey just over 9 years ago. We were forced into it...I got sick and I HAD to make changes. I am now super passionate about helping other families change their lives so that they do not have to hit rock bottom before changes happen.

I am here if you have any questions.

B.