Obesity Discussion Forums

[rebekahfc]

My daughter posted here a few days ago and i have just read it. I really didn't know she felt like that. I am not overweight and I never have being so i dont know how she feels alot of the time> also the doctor said she was 25lbs overweight and i think my daughter may be in denial. I am at a loss of how to help her since i dont want to hurt her. I feel if i say something to her it will make her upset as it has done in the past.

[Chrisydj]

You could try setting up family activities like going for walks or bike rides every evening. And not just change the way she eats but change the way the family as a whole eats so that she doesnt feel like she is being picked on or seperated or different. Plus with everyone eating healthier and going on the walks or whatever together it will give her the support she needs and bring you all closer together. And everyone will be healthier for it.

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by Chrisydj

You could try setting up family activities like going for walks or bike rides every evening. And not just change the way she eats but change the way the family as a whole eats so that she doesnt feel like she is being picked on or seperated or different. Plus with everyone eating healthier and going on the walks or whatever together it will give her the support she needs and bring you all closer together. And everyone will be healthier for it.

Kids will follow the examples set by the parents and will feel singled out or picked on if forced to do something different than anyone else.

rebekahfc, my question is how are you going about this "diet" with your daughter? What are you encouraging her to eat now on an average day?

[rebekahfc]

I am following a diet plan made by our doctor. Though we never stick to it. Its only me her and my 12 year old daughter. My 12 year old says that she is not fat so why should she go on her sisters diet. I dont know what to say to that so I let her eat something else. When she eats something else Rebekah eats something else and it just keeps continuing.
I obviously encourage fruit and veg. I have tonnes of fruit at home and I pack her a healthy lunch instead of giving her money. I have switched to the basic low fat stuff and brown bread. I dont have control of what she eats in her bedroom though.

[Chrisydj]

I say make it a family change and make a rule where if you eat you eat at the table including yourself. My neighbor told me today that she has noticed that everyone in our family has slimmed down and all it took was a few changes in my kids and boyfriends diets. We get healthier breakfast cereal for the kids or oatmeal. They have 1 2liter of soda to last them the week when it is gone they get water or v8 juice. We cook dinner alot more than we used to so that means I KNOW what is going in their tummies. We dont buy cookies or candy or potatoe chips at all so it isnt here to tempt them. we go on walks together as often as our schedules allow but we also do things like yard work together, today we spent 3 hours raking leaves and picking up twigs and branches that fell from the last 2 big ice storms we had. it was fun to do it TOGETHER and no one feels they are being picked on and it makes it alot easier for me to get my exercise and eat right when i'm not the only one doing it. I told my family that if I was going to be healthy that they were too. You just gotta find the healthy foods that you all like and find the fun tasty ways to cook them. like an eggplant pizza it is just a slice of eggplant with a slice of tomatoe and lowfat cheese on top and you bake it in the oven it yummy and healthy. Eating better doesnt just mean losing weight it means living a longer happier healthier and more comfortable life.

[Chrisydj]

Oh..what is the doctor suggesting for a diet plan? i know alot of times their diet plans are blah and boring and for a kid or teen or even most of us adults. You might look at the South Beach Diet, its not really a diet but helps you make the changes in your eating habits. i started out following it very strictly for the first couple of weeks, and lost 14lbs the first 2 weeks, mostly water weight but it was a loss that i havent gained back. now we dont follow it so strictly but i eat ALOT of veggies and meats like chicken breasts or fish or turkey and some steak (gotta have my red meat) and i dont have the cravings that i used to heck even my acid reflux is gone. Sorry I'm rambling. But anyways I just thought the problem could be the diet plan the doc gave you since the ones i've seen from doctors are rather bland just remember you can add seasonings to your food and most if not all of them have little to no calories so you can make just about anything taste good

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by rebekahfc

I am following a diet plan made by our doctor. Though we never stick to it. Its only me her and my 12 year old daughter. My 12 year old says that she is not fat so why should she go on her sisters diet. I dont know what to say to that so I let her eat something else. When she eats something else Rebekah eats something else and it just keeps continuing.
I obviously encourage fruit and veg. I have tonnes of fruit at home and I pack her a healthy lunch instead of giving her money. I have switched to the basic low fat stuff and brown bread. I dont have control of what she eats in her bedroom though.

So your doctor gave you a diet plan for you and your daughters? I'm curious, what does it consist of? As far as controlling what she eats in her bedroom, unless she buys stuff from stores that you aren't aware of, she can't eat what's not in the house. That only covers what she eats, but just as important is how much she eats.

I think you are on the right track. You do control her meals, so as long as that is healthy there is not much else you can do. Regardless, it sounds like she wants to be healthy too, so I think that you both have the same goals, just maybe different ways of going about getting there. Has anyone explained to her what causes weight gain?