my kids need to lose weight HELP!

[bethyboo]

I have recently started CAD diet. I can see it is really helping me. My 11 year old has a lot of weight to lose as well. She stuck to CAD"s for 2 days. She told me it was to resticting ecept for her reward meal in which she liked. She wants to do weight watchers and that is ok with me if she does indeed stick to it. But deep down i can see how the carbs have worked hell in my life and i know deep down that is probably her problem too.
Do i actually let her try the weight watchers again or do i "make" her stick to the CAD"s.?... My fear is if i "make" her stick to CAD's she will closet eat (sneek food)

My other question is my 5 year old is also already showing signs of "hanging on to fat". He is heavier then he needs to be and on the road to "overweight". My problem is at 5 he doesn't like too much of anything but "CARBS" of course. If any of you have had or have 5 year olds you will understand how hard it is to get them to eat the things they don't like or want. Any suggestions as to what i can do? >>>>>> The only way he will eat vegatables is chopped up in his potatoes!!! Go figure. :daze:
I know i have to cut the carbs out for him but i don't know how.

Any suggestions would be helpfull

Thank you
& *Peace
Bethyboo

[slack32]

It is so hard for kids to lose weight- I was one of those kids who had to start watching my intake right away- It is hard, because it makes you different from your friends. For your 11 year old I would be very careful how you handle it- that pre-teen age is a sensitive one. Contact your pediatrician, he or she should be able to help. If you don't get answers that you like, look for someone who specializes in pre-teen, teenage weight issues.

Foe your 5 year old- just don't give him the food that you think may be the problem. Cut it out of his diet. He won't starve. He'll eat something else if he is hungry! I'm sure that you can find a food that will work as a subsitute.

It is so hard to help children out of the weight situation, but it is so important for both their physical and mental health! The earlier your get the good habits going, the longer they will last!

[MsKatt]

My daughter is six years old and is too heavy. She is very tall and appears to be about 9 years old! I found that since I control the shopping and cooking, I make meals and snacks that are low-carb, or low-glycemic carbs and that's what she eats. I am not expecting her to lose weight...only maintain...not gain anymore. I am lucky because she is not picky (kid eats squid! :Puke: ).

My one problem is Grandma. Grandma watches the kids while I am at work and I know she sneaks carbo-crap! This has been a struggle in itself.

Good Luck
Michelle

[JeannieF]

One suggestion I'd make is, if you haven't already, get the book Carbohydrate Addicted Kids. It has loads and loads of good information in it. There are two different plans in there. A "jump start plan" that gets the kids onto the program right away, and a slower introduction, that changes their eating habbits a bit at a time.

If you know the problem is carbs (which we all understand here) and you're pretty sure carbs are her problem, the weight watchers is going to do very little to help her over time. (Temporary successes with great big weight gains to follow.)

Also, if you read the book, as you gain information about how our bodies work and the insullin response that makes us fat, share that information with her so she can understand what the real problem is.

My 11 year old son is on the program and losing weight. He enjoys it because he can have his reward meal. This makes it easy when in school because his reward meal is at lunch time and then none of the other kids even need to know that he eats "different" than they do.

Good luck to you. You need further info, feel free to pm me, or just reply here and I'll be glad to answer whatever else I can.

Jeannie

[Zuleikaa]

I agree with Jeannie F. If the problem is carb addiction, and it surely sounds like it, especially with your 5 year old, Weight Watchers with its carb based program won't help. It might just seem more fashionable and easier to your daughter because she can still have carbs. The problem with still having carbs on any program but CAD/CALP is that you don't get to the underlying problem and the addiction can escalate piling on additional weight. Further she can start yoyoing, damage her metabolism and wind up ever heavier.

I'm sure that you've read of many on the board who started out 30 pounds overweight and over the years ballooned to 100+ overweight. Don't allow your daughter to start down that road, please. You are still the parent. If your afraid your daughter will sneak carbs outside, make lunch RM for everyone and just serve CM for dinner. That way she can eat "normal" with her friends.

Your son and daughter are still growing and need more calories and are hopefully more active than adults. Their bodies can probably tolerate some carbs more than once a day or higher carb but still lc snacks such as nuts, sunflower seeds. If you serve a filling CM breakfast and dinner, your daughter probably will find she's not as hungry for junk food. Also be sure to have some protein options available for her to carry with her as lc snacks, beef jerky, smoked sausage, pepperoni, cheese sticks, nuts, sunflower seeds, etc.

Also, do share information and have her read the Carbohydrate Addicted Kids book and print out articles for her to read about the dangers of a high carb diet and the world-wide obesity epidemic resulting from the spread throughout the world of fast food purveyors and the subplanting of native diets with refined foods. It's always been telling to me that the government sponsored "healthy" diet has the same carb/protein/fat ratio as hog feed lot feed. Feed lots are where hogs are sent before slaughter to fatten them up.

Good Luck!!!

[bcbrett]

My son and I started Atkins one month ago ( May 17 2003 ) and so far we have lost 8 pounds ( maybe more as we weigh in on Friday ( June 20 ). We both started at 158 pounds. The first two weeks were tough and a real change of life style but it has gotten a lot better. He basically eats eggs, bacon, sausage, deli meats, chicken, fish, burger patties, tons of cheese, nuts ( great for snacks at school ). Try giving him things that he likes because I believe that it is the best way to get the kids off carbs (fries, chips, candy, bread, rice , pasta ). The hard part is to keep them motivated. But yourself being a good role model and adhering to the LC lifestyle it may be achieved. Lots of praise!! Even if you have a skinny kid at home like I do, don't let them eat any of the junk aswell. My husband never complains and actually is enjoying the meals. My son is really slowing down on the meats with salt and nitrates now and eating more non - processed meats as we are getting more creative, but whatever you have to do to get rid of the carb addiction is helpful. His appetite is greatly reduced and food does not seem to be his sole conceren anymore ( gets full easier ). He sometimes tends to want to eat when bored but that habit is slowly vanishing. Sorry for how long this is but my husband and I have always worried about his weight and eating habits and now we are dealing with it as a carb addiction and I think we are treating accordingy. By the way his problems have always been mine aswell so I understand just how important it is for us to get our eating habits undercontrol for the whole family.

For all parents who care but don't know what to do

[JeannieF]

Hi!

How old is your son? How much would you say he needs to lose and how successful have you been getting veggies into him?

My son is 11, needs to lose 20-30 lbs and veggies are a real challenge. He'll eat the meat, cheese, eggs, sunflower seeds, nuts, etc. But veggies are a challenge.

Good luck to your family. (My whole family, including my skinny son, are all doing this too.)

Jeannie

[bcbrett]

We had our weigh in - my son has now lost 11 pounds, me - 10 and my husband 7 ( he was not really following it as he still drinks beer every day ). We have been doing it for 5 weeks now and I must admit it is getting easier. My son is starting to like the way he looks, his sister ( the skinny one ) told him that he does not look too chubby anymore ( although she has never told him that he is chubby before ) I can't be anymore proud of him!!! As someone who has a lot of nutritional background this seems to go against everything that i have ever learned. There seems to be something to this. My son still does not eat to many veggies but we will still keep trying. Better no veggies than any chips and cheezies ect. ps we always have salad or a veggie with our meat at the dinner table whether they eat it or not it is just put on their plate.

good luck

keep trying what do you have to lose

[JeannieF]

11 pounds is so fantastic! :clap: I'm sure there is a major difference in how he looks. If you haven't done so, give him something that weighs about 11 pounds to give him a real "visual" of how much weight that is. (Put cans of food in a bag to create 11 lbs if you need an idea, then hand him the bag.) He'll be amazed.

My son lost 3.4 lbs in the first week and I'm happy for him. I dug through my pantry and handed him three cans that added up to about 3 1/2 lbs to illustrate the weight for him. He was shocked. :eek: We have a long way to go and I'm concerned because he seems to be getting antsy already. He's not much on the skill of waiting for results. He wants it all right now. (A true American kid.)

My husband lost 11 lbs and he's much like yours. Can't give up the beer. We have a beer here in Pittsburgh (IC Light) that only has 2.3 carbs per serving, so he's switched to drinking that exclusively. It's something, I guess :rolleyes: .

How long did it take your son to lose the 11 lbs? I need to give my son lots of encouragement.

Keep it up and continued luck to you!

Jeannie