My son is 10 years old about to be 11 in August and he weighs 117 pounds and that's pretty much over weight for a child his age.I wanna help my son as best as I can and I don't want anything to go wrong.I know that he needs to loose some weight but I'm not sure how much.My other son is underweight and he just turned 12 I guess that's because he is a very picky eater.My 12 year old doesn't eat any vegetables at all especially the green ones period.When I make a meal I have to cook extra sides cause the sides that I choose the 12 year old don't won't it,but my 10m year old eats whatever you put in front of him at all times.One day I made them some breakfast and he had seconds and then like 2 hours later he was hungry again,then when he ate lunch he had a snack after that and he wanted something else to eat afterwards.What can I do about this the doctor just told me to limit the salt I put in my food.Also change some of the foods we eat but that would be hard for me cause my 12 year old only eat certain foods.My oldest son doesn't drink alot of water but my younger son drinks alot of water everyday.
One of the best I've seen and used is Dr. Sears LEAN kids. You can find it on his website askdrsears.com
C.
My daughter is now 11 and will be 12 in July. She was a bit overweight for her height and age and didn't have the healthiest eating habits. Last year we got her involved in Kung Fu classes and she has shed so much weight by going 2-3x/wk. The exercise has helped her and also her self-confidence has been boosted. I tried to stay away from "diets" for kids because I don't want her to be too obsessed with her weight. I didn't want it to turn into an eating disorder. She still likes her pizza and the usual junky food but the exercise has given her a balance. It doesn't justify bad food choices but at least she hasn't kept packing it on. I am a RN and I know that physical activity is something our kids lack so much. They don't get out like we used to when we were kids for various reasons. Schools don't have recess much of the time or PE every day anymore and sitting in front of the tv or computer or video games only compunds the problem of obesity in kids. I know these activities are not free but there are other places like YMCA that can offer the kids a chance at physical activity plus they get to learn better how to social with others. I hope this helps you out some!
P.
Hi R.. I would suggest trying to limit the things you give as snacks. Maybe find things like raisins, fruit, cheese and crackers and veggies with ranch dressing. That way your 10 year old can feed his munchies but with things with fewer calories. Also, I read that sometimes when we think we are hungry, we are not. It's our bodies way of telling us it needs water. So offer up drinks preferably water or flavored water if he doesn't like it plain. And I would also tell you to find an activity he really likes, basketball, football, martial arts, skateboarding, anything to get his heart pumping to help burn those calories. I hope that helps. For your picky eater, I would make sure he is getting all the vitamins he needs through a multivitamin. I know of a great one you can get. And if you are really interested in working from home, see my ad in the Mamasource Directory. It's called Team2Succeed.
I'm in the same boat as you. My son turn 11 on 6/28 and he is about the same weight. He's not interested in any sports and is very uncoordinated as well. He does like some veggies but I'm getting a bit sick of corn all of the time. The suggestion for Juice Plus is a good one. I went on it about 4 years ago and because I went on it, I was able to get my son in the kids trial for free. He used to get sinus infections at least once every 6-8 weeks and he has not had one since starting.
I try my best to give healthy choices for foods but it isn't always easy with everyones schedules. Nicholas would sit in front of the television or X-Box all day long if I would let him and think nothing of it. He has no ambition to go out to play and I know that this is a major factor in his size. If you find anything out there, please, let me know!!!
My son was rather hefty at that age. He is 13 now and weighs about 130 pounds but he is getting tall (5'6''). I was very hesistant to put him on any sort of weight loss plan; the best thing that worked for him was getting involved in sports, being outside: riding his bike. I began to notice that how much he ate was directly related to how active he was and whether or not he was going through a growth spurt. My doctor's advice was to keep him active and limit the amount of sugar and fat (candy, cake, junk food, etc..)that he was taking in. As long as he was eating balanced meals it is fine.
Hi R., I may have just what you are looking for to improve the nutrition for both of your boys! Juice Plus is the concentrated, whole-food nutrition of 17 fruits, vegetables and grains in a capsule (or chewable or gummy form for kids)! I have 4 children - with varying degrees of picky tastebuds, and it is the easy way to get the important nutrition from fruits and veggies into them each day.
Your 10 year old son may start to feel more satiated after meals when his body has all of the nutrients that he needs - that has been the case for me and my kids! Also, your picky eater will get the benefit of all of those vegetables without having to eat them!
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Jerry Senfield's wife has a cookbook out about how you can disguise nutritious foods in your cooking. Try it. I would get rid of all snacks items... cookies, cakes, candy, etc. Only have fresh fruits/vegetables, granola, etc. Put your overweight child in a karate class to loose weight... swimming... go walking or bike riding in the evenings. There's a website that I find really good www.realage.com. Check it out. Has information about various foods, things to do to stay healthy, etc.
We have five kids, the middle two are a bit heavy, the oldest two are real thin, one hates everything, and the baby (3 1/2) well she's still in her own little world when it comes to food. When the heavy kids want seconds and it would be too much food, we tell them when they are 5 foot 3inches. That seems to help. We limit the portions at meals, they must have fresh fruit before any other kind of snack, we don't keep candy, cookies, etc around and only have them for special occasions. We encourage outdoor play and occasionally kick them out of the house to go outside to play.
The way we address the weight issue with these guys is not that they need to lose weight, but that they need not gain more. We keep regular growth charts (a wall in the kitchen) so the kids can see how they grow.
It's really hard in this fast food world to keep kids fit, it takes a lot of work. We encourage excercise for all the kids, thin or heavy because it is healthy wether you are thin or healthy.
The YMCA is a great resource, they offer lots of support and yes they do have scholorships for low income families, that is why we are able to be members. Good luck, I'm sure with lots of encouragement to make healthy food choices your son can develop a healthy relationship with food and eventually grow into his current weight.
try getting him into a sport. the YMCA has lots of choices, ours even offers karate and swimming, and they give discounts for lower incomes if necessary.
also, my son's school gives them health challenges to do at home...maybe you could set up a chart and challenge him to do 30 min. of some exercise a day, 3 to 4 times a week. then have a surprise at the end if he accomplishes it. your other children can have the same challenge. remember bike riding, jumping on a trampoline, sports, and swimming all count.
have fun with it and he'll learn to live healthier instead of just being on a "diet". keep the healthy foods going too of course.
Look at the "Body For Life" book. It is changing your eating habits/exercising. I am doing it right now and it is safe for any age. I have lost 27 lbs so far.
Anita From spring
The YMCA is a good option. They incorporate physical exercise with all of their activities. Since he is so young, I would not harp on it with him. You may give him a complex and make things worse. I was overweight as a kid and my mom was constantly on me about it which turned it into a big thing for me in high school and that let to anerexia for a spell. Just get him active and that should help a bunch!
Have a great day!!
D. Mattern-Muck
The MOM Team
Raise your income and your rugrats at the same time!
www.formyrugrats.com
"The only thing that counts if faith, expressing itself through love." Galatians 5:6
Dear R.,
I wanted to use a whole food approach (staying away from processed foods..diets with fillers and low in nutrition).
We saw a DVD(9 Simple Steps to a healthier family diet) done by Dr. Sears (pediatrician in CA..his website is ...www.AskDrSears.com (he's been on Oprah/Today/Baby Talk).
He recommends Juice Plus fruit and veggies caps and Juice Plus Complete meal replacements..as a healthy way to get more good foods and cut calories in a healthy way..he also has healthy shopping and snacking tips.
I wanted an extra bit of work also..i fell in love with the Juice Plus products and medical research and way my family is feeling...and decided to become a distributor..this worked out well with being a stay at home mom.
Checkout the website www.jphealth.net/starwar for more info.
I'd be happy to answer your questions or send you his DVD.
S.
____@____.com
Hi R.,
I am no expert, but it sounds like your younger son might have a higher metabolism than your older son, thereby being hungry all the time. You can try giving him more healthy snacks like fruit instead of salty/sugary snacks. Also try getting him involved in sports. That will burn a lot of energy and help him to lose weight. I have 3 kids that are very involved in sports and it seems to keep them healthy. One of my boys started swimming & playing water polo for his school and he lost 2 pant sizes within 4 months. The coaches also promote eating healthier to help them in their sport and that will help alot.
I hope this helps with your situation.
P. C.
Since there are so many crazy diet plans etc out there, I would just suggest to speak to your sons pediatrician. They can probably set you up with a dietician and some information about healthy eating. I would also suggest to buy and cook a variety of healthy foods. Popcorn is way healthier than chips. Wheat thins can also be a good choice for a salty crunchy snack. Pay attention to serving sizes and stick to them. Whatever healthy foods (veggies or fruits) that your son will eat, buy a ton of them! You also may want to find an activity like soccer, basketball or karate something that will get him moving. It's probably going to be lifestyle change for your whole family, I would suggest approaching this as a family issue and not as a weight issue for your son.
Good luck!
Wellspring Community Programs
Katherine Howard
Program Director
____@____.com
www.wellspringprograms.com
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