We lc for the most part--I am strict lc, everyone else is more moderate. DD gets fruit and yogurt (greek). I am really careful to offer her low glycemic foods.

We never have junk food in the house, but she gets incidental exposure when we are out and about or traveling or eating out. She does eat some (high fiber) bread on occasion. We don't deny carbs, but we don't actively provide them as a general rule, kwim? If we go somewhere and there happens to be bread, she can have it kind of thing.

At 2 she's 41" and 50lbs. Tall and solid. (Genetics are tall and solid).

I did take prednisone for a month in my second trimester and I am hearing that can cause obesity, but her relatively lc diet should be helping!

We are increasing her activity level as much as we can. She's just been prescribed 6 months of phys. therapy for a motor/weakness problem though so it's difficult to keep her running around. She falls a lot.

I am having to sit on my hands because my first instinct is to put her on a diet, which I don't believe in that at all. She's too young, she has too much growing to do to deny her food.

Talking to other moms, she's not overeating at least not compared to their kids.

Today, for example, this is what she ate (she just had a shot so her appetite is weird)

Kefir
Kiwi (organic)
Greek yogurt
2 scrambled eggs with cheese
2 oz OJ with water
1/2 an organic apple
1/2 cup Leftover gnocchi from a restaurant meal

No dinner yet--she's too busy fussing.

I don't know what to do. Any ideas on how to handle this? My first thought is to just keep working on activity and not worry about the food and trust her body to even out.

F

I don't know - it's hard. Our pudgy kid (48" and 50 pounds - at the top of her %ile) is also our most LC kid. She eats gladly and heartily anything low carb and eschew sweets more than the other ones. Thing is, she most resembles her Dad in every way and he has always been thin or only a little overweight. I tend to think things like this are really genetic in nature. Our neighbor's kid was in the ballpark of weight of your girl and she has thinned out considerably in the past yea (Dad was tall and massively muscular). Just keep doing what you know is right. I did notice she had juice. My kids get juice occasionally, but a 2 year old should not really have juice every day. I would totally cut out grains. No sense in her learning to eat it if she's sensitive to it in terms of weight. It will be harder to break the habit later.

She won't drink water and we've had some issues with illness and dehydration.

It's only 2oz and diluted with 6oz water--well below the 4oz limit the AAP suggests.

Compared to what other kids are eating (Trix, goldfish, lunchables etc...) I think 2oz of juice is okay.

I am not thrilled with giving her any bread, but I don't want to not ever give her carbs either and we are in that stage where it's hard to find things she'll eat. She's not me, she doesn't have to be super strict lc.

Maybe LC kids chunk up more? I don't know! It's hard to be in this situation because science not only knows nothing about obesity especially in young kids, they try to ignore what they should know about LC.

I do know I was chunky up through the age of 18, but never more than 15-20 lbs total, which could have been easily dealt with. Except my family, took my natural large size (5'10") and amplified those 20lbs until I felt like I was 300lbs overweight and made it much worse than it had to be, kwim? So if she's like me, we just have to wait it out until she's done growing and she can decide what she wants to do about it.

Who knows? Maybe the pt will be the key. Maybe she hasn't really been able to use her body fully b/c of the weakness and hasn't been burning the calories off. When we take her to the playground, she just looks at us and stands there unless we take her by the hand and show her how to climb and navigate the equipment. That seems a little off to me given her age--she should be more naturally active.

F

She should be more active but it might just be shyness at this stage and have nothing to do with her energy - my kids would never play at the playground at that age. How is she at home?
I missed that about the juice being only 2oz - seems totally reasonable to me. I think you are doing a great job and maybe thinking about what you can add to her diet might do more long term (rather than take away). Maybe you are right that LC kids are the pudgy ones when young and then they thin out?
At two, it's unlikely that you have any control at all over the situation and she will just thin out or not as she gets older. If it's any consolation, I was heavy since 4 and it didn't prevent me from dancing my whole childhood and in my 20's. Now I run long distance races (including 2 half marathons) and am very healthy. Fat is never the whole picture, KWIM?

You might want to read Regina Wilshire's blog post about using BMI to judge children's overweight. She could be overweight like only a pound!!!!

Nothing Changed But Her Age



Do you think she has excess body fat? Or is she just dense and heavy, like gold? My family has lots of people like that. One daughter ballooned up at that age - she looked like the Sta-Puffed marshmallow man. Then she leaned out from 3-4 and was never that fat after that. But still very solid and heavy for her size.

Maybe she's less active because she's in fat storing mode. No energy left over for running around. (what kind of shot?)

I would watch out for what I call "downward comparisons." Like comparing to what the other kids are eating - that is such a low, low bar.

I hear you on what she will eat but if she were mine I'd be more concerned about getting her used to habits that feed her so well when under your control, that junk is not that attractive when she's out and about.

How much sweetener is in the kefir?
Full fat yogurt? how much sweetener is in that?
I would not serve 2 oz juice either. I'd serve water with smaller and smaller flavorings. Even drops of things from the health food store.

More protein sources. And good fats. You can have her look at pictures of good protein things and let her choose among a list you have chosen in advance. Like, hot dogs, baloney, chicken legs.

For carbs there are frozen peas and frozen berries. And the sweeter veggies like cut-up sweet red peppers, cucumber, and so on. Oat cakes are not the worst in small doses I think. Also potatoes.

The menu you list has kind of a lot of fast carbs and fructose as a proportion of energy.

I don't know about your toddler being overweight but I can share with you that I used to teach toddlers how to swim. She can't fall when swimming and its great exercise for kids.

My mother and I taught toddlers at our local YMCA.

"You might want to read Regina Wilshire's blog post about using BMI to judge children's overweight. She could be overweight like only a pound!!!!"

No, she's quite heavy for her age. My pudgy daughter is "overweight" or borderline at the same weight, but 7 inches taller and three years older. Clearly, there is more going on here than just regular baby weight. It's very understandable that the OP would be distressed and fretting. Our neighbor's kid was very similar (60 pounds at age 3) and has slimmed down alot, though, so it's not necessarily forever.

Unfortunately the research is starting to show that the diet of the mom and grandma have A LOT to do with how pudgy your kids get.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/release...00726221737.htm

Well my Omegas were great during pregnancy. I took Omega 3 supplements. I did not have the best LC diet while pregnant (morning sickness) and the prednisone didn't help either, but I didn't have GD (a miracle imo).

F

I think there is something alot bigger going on here than maternal diet or weight, maybe the prednisone (evil stuff but necessary sometimes)? I was so nauseous and sick while I was pregnant I was either eating nothing or pure carbs in the form of the worst kinds of sugar. I also weighed 290 and my kids are pretty slender.

Is your daughter seeing an endocrinologist in addition to the PT (apologies if you already said so)?

Thanks for the link.

I have to make a distinction between what is offered and what is eaten. DD is offered all sorts of LC food, what she actually deigns to eat is a different story. Two is...a hard age to feed imo. This kid eats plain BBQ sauce, completely ignoring the chicken it was supposed to go with. And then asks for more!

She's solid, a bit of a chunk but not fat per se. Mostly proportional but her belly is a tad big. All her peers are stick thin and drinking koolaid. sigh.

Kefir and greek yogurt are considered low glycemic and have higher levels of protein than other dairy. (For the record, I have made delicious homemade yogurt and she won't touch it so we use store bought which has some sugar.) Again, she's not strict LC, more moderate.

F

No not yet. It will probably be on the table if her weight keeps going up disproportionate to her height.

I will say we have had a pretty sedentary year too. She was sick Jan-Mar and had breathing treatments for wheezing. I caught one of her bugs and ended up in the hospital and was sick Mar-Jun, so we haven't been doing much.

Maybe not being sick will be the secret?

F

Yes! We need to do this. She's pretty fearless in water-thanks I believe to DH's hair washing technique. He just dumps water on her head willy nilly, no coddling of the eyes and it seems normal to her now.

I also want her to take ice skating lessons, although falls there will hurt more!

I have been counting down to her 3rd bday, that's when you can sign them up for all sorts of fun stuff.

Right now she works out with me and we are making more of an effort, now that I'm healthy, to get her out and moving.
F

Also look at the amount of fructose your toddler is getting. 3 different fruit items per day. May not sound like a lot, but obviously there is a problem. Her liver may be exceptionally sensitive to fructose.

My kids took ice skating that early - they had loads of fun. At least they don't have as far to fall . What kinds of treatment did she have for wheezing? It sounds like she's just been through alot. I wouldn't judge her activity levels now. Kids that age tire out easily and are not necessarily as physical as later.
I would also resist the temptation to provide food just because otherwise she won't eat. Hubby and I were super hardazzes about that and it has reaped dividends manifold, even though my mama's heart often wanted to cave. No, the kids don't like everything we give them, but they are not real picky and they eat stuff most other kids won't touch. Broccoli for dinner is a big deal in our house (lots of squealing) and their favorite right now is beef heart and steak tartare. It's really worth it to just get all that stuff out of the house - I truly believe any kid with access to wheat flour has the potential to become a very difficult eater. I don't know any kids who are gluten free who are picky.