Ok, moms & dads, I need help. My husband and I are over weight (I've been my entire life) and now our son is becoming heavy. He's 9.5, in 3rd grade and is very active. He did get into some trouble at school (nothing major), but our punishment was to take away his ice hocky time (his only passion in life - so far). He does play/help out w/ his sister's t-ball team 2x/week, does gym in school and plays outside. He will NOT ride his bike since the training wheels came off (hes so afraid). He does have some trouble w/ his legs, but I think he had a low calcium intake. He's been drinking at least 2 glass' of whole milk a day and I have seen an improvment. He's the 1st to eat fruits and veggies. When he was a baby, I hardly ever had baby snacks w/ me - it was always bags of string beans, snap peas, fruits and other veggies. He has recently gone from about 70 lbs to over 90 in a matter of about 2.5 months. Not good. I'm going to have his blood checked because I have hypothyroidism and I've recently found out that mine is bad again. I know its genetic and it does/has hit every generation on my moms side for the past 6 or so generations.
So, my question is, how would you handle this on your own? What would you feed him (he ALWAYS seems to be hungry)? Since my husband and I need to loose weight also, I want to start walking as a family after dinner even at a slower casual walk is better then not walking at all. Are there any work out videos for the Wii I can get him? I'm in the Neptune area - any gyms or yogas places to register the kids at? I'm open to any and all advise.
P.S. Yes, he does eat junk food, take out, fast food, school lunches, but not often. We're very adamant about when the kids can have that stuff.
Thanks so much to all that respond.
First off I would not take away ice hockey time as a punishment as that is exercise and keeps him active. I would come up with another form of punishment next time. It definately makes it more fun to do exercises, walking as a family. You might do this already but stick with fresh fruits and veggies over canned of those items.
drop the whole milk to fat free , make his lunch for school , when eating fast food go for the fruit cup instead of the fries and do a diet and exercise program for the whole family. It will help for everyone to do it.
Talk to his ped about maybe a nutritionist to see him.
Given your family history, I would consult with a nutritionist for the best advice. Also agree to go to 1% milk vs. whole... lots of fat in there he doesn't need at his age. Good luck and good for you for working on this - not easy, but important.
I would change the whole milk to 2% milk for starters.
Definitely start getting into shape as a family! Take him to his doctor to get his health checked and to make sure nothing is going on there. If you're having problems sticking to a plan -the whole family can try Weight Watchers! It's just about the only weight loss plan out there that will TRULY teach you all how to eat for the rest of your lives -and how to splurge, work out and be overall healthy.
Not sure about the leg issue and being afraid to ride his bike at almost 10 years old. You may want to talk to him about that and get out as a family to ride bikes.
Make sure he is eating A LOT of protein! He's probably going through some growth spurts, and protein keeps you fuller longer. There's plenty of lean protein to choose from too -meat, chicken, fish, certain cheeses, Greek yogurt, and eggs.
Also, be honest with him -tell him you and his father are making an effort to get in shape because being overweight is awful for your health. Let him know if he can control his weight starting now, he'll be happier and healthier and live longer. Let him know that you two want to be around for awhile and you have realized you must get the weight down! I love what my son's preschool "coach" tells them -eating sugar, fast food, junk and fried stuff makes you slow and sleepy so you miss out on life! It's true too. He never uses the word "fat," but none of the kids want to be "slow" and I've actually had my 4 year old turn down sweets and choose spinach as a side over french fries because he wants to be fast!
Hi J.,
I too have hypothyroidism. But am not fat, tho I should be as I am a Baker.
One of the best choices you can make for your whole family, is better food decisions. And By this I mean, servng less extra large servings, using plain yogurt mixed with mayo for sandwich spreads, homemade salads (Pasta/potato), and eliminating extra servings, when a bowl of salad (with only 2 T. of dressing, not more) or a piece of fresh fruit will fulfill the quench for more.
Because your child IS active, punishing him/her by eliminating a physical activty is not a great choice. How about an extra chore instead!??
Lastly, eliminate prepackaged and canned foods, especially snacks, treats fruits and veggies, as many are filled with excess sugars and lots of salt which can induce bloating.
Cook more homemade foods, easily prepared in minutes in exchange for the prepackaged entrees. Also serve and offer less bread, and make sure your bread choices are whole grain or whole wheat. FYI: Eliminating serving bread/rolls/biscuits/tortillas with dinner is a great beginning.
Keep in mind that kids naturally Model some of their parents behavior. So if drink lots of sodas so will he. And sodas can be compared to the devil's advocate when trying to loose or maintain weight loss. In fact, even diet sodas increase the desire for more food, especially those with lots of sugar.
R./The Muffin Lady
It's almost impossible to get a kid to eat perfectly. Do your best to have healthy foods in the house, but don't keep buying the "junk" if he goes through it the first day. I think it really helps to make snacks and meals healthy enough to get him "sated" so he will be less likely to want to eat. I was over 50 years old before I realized how much my body was craving protein, and when I have the right kind of protein in my diet I am not hungry. In fact I lost 5 pounds not even trying just by starting a 4pm snack with a protein shake. The snack was so healthy and I didn't want anything else until dinner. Whereas before I discovered this I would get hungry and 4 and start eating anything in sight! I told a friend this trick and the same thing happened to her. Lost 5 pounds quickly and easily.
I have some great suggestions on meal replacement and snack protein shakes and bars if you are interested. Just email me.
Hi- Didn't read all the responses but here's my 2 cents. I wouldn't take away his sport as punishment, ever. In our family we think of playing on a team as a responsibility as well as fun. Hockey is great exercise and he owes it to himself and the team to be present. Unless what he did was really awful and you have already used every other punsihment you could think of I would let him play. The 2 glasses of whole milk is full of fat and calories, switch to low-fat or nonfat or better yet have him get his calcium another way, milk really isn't that good for big kids and adults anyway. Maybe meet with a nutritionist to get the helpful and correct advice so you know the best way to help him slim down. The walks are a great idea and fun too. Biking is great exercise that doesn't really feel like exercise. I wonder about sending a kid to a gym or using a workout video. Making exercise into a chore isn't a good idea at his age. There are so many things he can do to burn calories that are fun, he shouldn't have to go through an inside workout routine at his age. Fresh air and family time while exercising is so much more fun. I bet if you spend some time with him he'll get over the fear of the bike. Have fun with it and he'll be more likely to care and want to continue.
Lots of great advice so far, I'd like to add that you could talk to your pediatrician about giving him a good multivitamin on top of the healthy food he's already getting. Also agree with dropping the whole milk.
You'd be surprised at how a walk after dinner is not only good for your body, but it's also good for your family to have some time together. I think if you approach this as a team effort, you will see results for all of you. Good luck!
Well he needs to see good life habits from you and your husband. You are making a step in the right direction..Good for you.
Your family is going to moan and groan but I would get rid of all of the unhealthy snacks.
Momentarily it tastes good then the weight is there for a long time. Take up running as a family. We put out guacomle (sp wr) made from avocados. Its taste great. Get rid of soda and whole milk. He probably doesn't need whole unless there is special circumstances. Check out my sister web page on kids nutrition. Her site is called superkidsnutrition.com. It teaches parents how to be proactive with healthy eating choices. Good luck..
I think you need to get him to a pediatric nutritionist. But the first thing they are going to tell you is that junk food, fast food and take out need to be removed completely.
Make some smoothies. They are filling and nutritional if you are careful about what you put in there.
You need to ask the Pedi for a full workup and see if there are any medical issues that are present. I would NOT take away any sports or activities. As for the food intake - look into doing a whole family dietary change - Summer time is a great excuse to look into healthier eating - even snacks. Good Luck
Given how active he sounds and the fact that he eats very healthy most of the time it sounds like it's more than just diet and activity. I would consult a nutrionist to help you out and also his pediatrician about checking his thyroid.
My brother also had a problem with his weight at that age, I remember my mother put him on weight watchers and he lost it. He was a different problem though, he LOVED food and would eat the fridge if he could.
Good luck!
try the website sparkpeople.com it has a very good way to track food, how many calories you're eating, getting the right type of nutrition (no empty calories), tracks excercise and gives you goal to meet and reach. I've enjoyed it very much. It can be time consuming entering in your food each day but well worth it. It also has recommended meal plans that can get you on the right track to getting the nutrition that you need.
There's more to nutrition that just veggies so this can help you get the right nutrition in a variety of foods. I hope this helps...GOOD LUCK!!
I don't know that I really have any answers for you. We are in a similar situation. My husband and I both need to lose weight. We have a 10 year old son (just finished 4th grade) who weighs 120 lbs as of the last doctor visit. But overall he is pretty healthy. He does eat me out of house & home LOL ! But I know based on my 2 brothers and friends with older boys (most of whom are very active in sports) that starting about this age this is very common for boys. And it doesn't end until they are in their 20's ! I am working on the whole family eating healthier. For you I would have his thyroid checked and see what his doctor says. Is this normal range for boys ? Is the doctor ok with his weight ? If so, I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep him as active as possible. My son's doctor and nurse have both said my son is fine. Not overweight or in bad health in any way. I just plan on keeping him active with swimming, basketball, running, riding his bike, baseball, etc. As long as he's active, I'm not going to worry.
You sound like you're off to a good start with noticing this issue and wanting to exercise as a family. I would also go to a nutritionist for full family support (get a recommendation from your Ped). Good luck!
Hi J.,
I have learned that nutrition is the key to weight management. My husband lost 110 pounds five years ago and has kept it off easily. (He began taking an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex that is not only guaranteed to absorb but does not create free radicals.)
Your son, and maybe even you and your husband, are either not getting any nutrition in your diet or you are not absorbing it properly. Fast foods, processed foods and even fresh vegetables because of pesticides are full of synthetic chemicals that work just like a pharmaceutical in your body. These chemicals reacts with your body chemistry (contraindicate) and things get out of whack. This is one of the reasons some people try to eat organically, don't see any change and think that organic food is not helping. Synthetic chemicals don't just magically disappear once they are in your body. They stay there and do more harm. Some things are genetic, but some things simply run in families because families have the same lifestyle. For instance, osteoporosis is something that can be controlled and reversed even in someone who is a perfect candidate for it. My Mom had it and I had it. I have reversed mine backwards to Osteopenia. Why? Because I found a way to make sure my nutrition actually absorbs.
If you would more information on the vitamin my husband takes (and I take) I'll be glad to get it to you. They also make a children's chewable. I noticed when my husband started absorbing the nutrition, his eating desires changed. He would now rather have an apple than a bowl of ice cream. THAT is what convinced me and pushed me toward research!
Regards,
M.
Do you have Wii Fit Plus? He'll love it and he won't even realize that he's exercising!
My son is 9 1/2 and he weighs just over 100 lbs. He is very tall so he doesn't look overweight per se but he does have a little bit of a belly. We push him to ride his bike every night. My husband and I both need to lose weight but I am limited right now because I am pregnant. My husband takes the boys on a bike ride every night though and he told them they are going to keep doing the same path until the boys can do it with ease.
He trained our boys to ride their bikes in 45 minutes. Just take his bike, lower the seat, and remove the pedals. Let your husband grab the bike by the handle bars and help him gain speed by pulling him on his bike. Tell your son to keep his feet up. Your husband can let go when he gets some speed and your son can practice balancing. If he starts to feel unbalanced, he just needs to put his feet down. Once he realizes he won't fall and get hurt, his confidence will start to build. He can even push off himself and then pick his feet up. Keep doing that until he can glide on his bike for some distance. When he is ready to try, put the pedals back on and raise his seat back up. I'm telling you...45 minutes and both my boys could ride like champs!
We are definitely concerned about how our weight is affecting our children even though our two youngest are quite slim. My husband just started on Medifast and I am studying to become a health coach over the next few weeks. Once my new baby comes, I will be going on the program as well.
I wish you guys the best.
i think you need to start a diet all the family also excersise everybody in the family :)
