Teenage Daughter's Weight

That is what I should weight at 6'1, so she is not very overweight at all. Not to the point I would be concerned. Don't DIET. Get the whole family eating healthy and get everyone moving more.

Fantastic advice and tips already...

I just want to add my 2 cents about the diet pills. One of my best friends runs an internationally acclaimed liver transplant center in a very big city and they do liver transplants ALL THE TIME on teenage girls who tried diet pills. They destroy the liver. Don't go there. Please.

Don't let her diet - as so many people have said. Try to avoid focusing on her weight and focus on being healthy & active. Find all sorts of ways to get her moving - exercise is the biggest key. They've discovered that overweight kids do not necessarily eat any more calories than regular weight kids. Find stuff that is FUN to do, not just going to the gym or anything. At that age there are so many sports she could do, and it will help her feel really good about her body and help her move more gracefully. As so many people have said - she's still got growing to do, and restricting calories isn't the point.

Good luck and remember the key is to help her keep her self esteem, no matter what her weight. Feeling bad about herself will lead to problems, whatever she ends up weighing.

I would strongly discourage you from letting your teenage daughter "Diet".

Increase her physical activity.

Teach her to eat healthy.

If you introduce "dieting" now she is set up for a lifetime of struggle and failure.

No diet pills. No caffeine pills. No energy drinks. Those will all affect her hormones and can affect her growth.

Here's what's bugging me. She may be 180 lbs, but she's 5'9". I'm 5'4" and looked fabulous at 175. I looked slender and curvy and healthy. I'm imagining your daughter looking tall and curvy with stats like that. She has room to keep getting taller until she's 16 years old.

If you go the "diet" route with her then I believe it will set her up for disordered eating. She's already on the way there if she's asking for diet pills. I recognize the signs, as my BFF was bulimic and I was anorexic from middle school through college. I still struggle to keep it under control today. It's not about dieting. She HAS to know that she looks beautiful and amazing and lovely. She HAS to know that the images she sees on TV and in other media aren't realistic and that they're genetic abnormalities. Those women have trainers to boot and then a team of make-up artists and wardrobe to help hide any flaws they do have.

Teach her how to cook the healthy foods she loves. Make a recipe book together of favorite healthy recipes for meals and snacks. Show her how to grocery shop. Teach her how to safely indulge in a treat now and then when she gets a craving so that she only needs a taste when the craving is still small, rather than resisting a craving until it's overwhelming and she overeats it. Keep filling and healthy foods in the house that she can have almost any time.

Teach her how to choose clothes that are flattering... colors and styles that she can mix and match and still be stylish. Teach her how the "right" haircut and style can flatter her face shape.

It's an ongoing process. I'm going through it with two of my daughters right now. My eldest (12) is so image conscious and my youngest (7) is so health conscious that it's a nonstop open conversation. They've always eaten healthfully with the occasional indulgence, and they're nice and fit naturally. They enjoy healthy foods and activities and we've found that that's a key element. Activity. Play. Movement. It's not just about food and is really less about the food and more about staying active and getting age-appropriate exercise.

At 5'9 she is only slightly overweight at 180 pounds. (Go to a BMI calculator online to see for yourself.) The thing you have to remember about puberty is kids gain weight and then grow taller. They repeat this process several times until they are finished growing. If there is a history of obesity in the family I would be more proactive, but if not, then just give it some time. The only things worthwhile changing are #1 getting the whole family to eat healthier because it's good for everyone. And #2 getting the whole family to move more. You can go on family hikes, play basketball together, play tag, etc. IF she is interested in sports, enroll her in one. If she abhors the idea, find other ways for her to be more active. Maybe she loves swimming so a family membership at the YMCA would be fun. But don't stress about it and make sure she knows how beautiful she is. :)

First off, that doens't seem that over weight??? She's pretty tall for 13.
I would continue with encouraging healthy eating for everyone and find an exercise that she likes to do - walking, running, biking, martial arts, weight training, tennis, swimming, etc - whatever she likes to do and encourage her to move more. Don't think "diet", think overall healthy life style with good food and exercise. And don't "try" to change the family's eating habits, just DO IT! LOL! You buy the groceries right? Maybe take a healthy cooking class together?

5'9" is tall and tall can handle more weight. Dieting is a no no. It never works. As many others have said eating healthy is key. Having more fresh fruits and veggies and less processed foods in the home and available will be helpful. I've never seen an overweight veggetarian. Variety is also key to keeping weight down. Think different colors reds, greens, yellows, oranges, purples and browns.

Fitness will be important too. She has to learn to keep it moving instead of being sedentary. Starting your day with 25 or more jumping jacks, some sit ups and some push ups will really help increase the motabolism while developing muscles and burning fat.

In my house there is rarely soda or junk foods. She will have to learn how to be responsible for her own body and it's health. At 13 she should be beginning to learn how to cook. Cookbooks and recipies online are wonderful. She will have more vested interest if she gets to pick out and try new foods she prepares herself with you.

Help her gain a passion for healthy foods and fitness as you take this journey together. In 5 short years she will be an adult it is time to prepare her for independance with high esteem and a healthy outlook on life.

Changing the entire family's eating habits is a great, and probably the best, start!!

She doesn't need a "diet", she needs an eating lifestyle. Good for you for changing the family's eating habits, because if you don't what's the point? That just says that it's ok for everyone else to eat unhealthy stuff. The easy way out is not going to help. She's going to have to eat right and exercise. Has she been to the doctor to check her thyroid and other things that might be part of a weight issue? Once you figure out if this is medical or lifestyle, take it from there. If it's lifestyle, involve her in making the changes - help her realizes that her choices with food and exercise have consequences. Do what you can co help her change, but she's the only one who can do all of what she needs to be healthier.

No diet pills. She needs excersize. Lots of cardio, walking/running, and weight training. I am 6'0, however, at 13, I was your daughter's height, and I was a little on the heavy side at that age. My mother started an excersize program for me, and it really helped. I would take her to a nutritionist, and decide from there what an appropriate weight and size is for her. Protein is very important, as well as increasing veggies and fruits. If she sticks to this plan, she will feel better about herself, and maintain a healthy weight all through high school. That's how I did it.

No diet pills.

If I were you I would make a whole family change and take the focus away from it being just about her needing to loose the weight, how uncomfortable and embarrassing!

Yes, absolutely cut out all soda, up her water intake (that boosts metabolism) enroll her in a physical activity, start up a family activity as well, even if it is a family walk or bike ride every night after dinner. Make sure she is eating healthy food and about 6x a day (also to get metabolism going) 3 meals heavy on vegetables, light on starch & ideal portion of protein...and then 3 healthy snacks during the day.

It really is true, that to loose weight you kind of eat more...which is cool!
It is so easy to remember portion size, picture your dinner plate and half the plate is to be filled with the vegetable, then 1/4 by the starch, the last 1/4 by the protein. And then exercise and LOTS of water!!!

Good for you for helping her now, before it gets way out of control and even harder! Just make all the changes a new family routine and I am sure things will work out!

No pills! They don't work anyway for anyone.

No diets. Just healthy food and exercise. She needs to get used to eating well and being active.

1) Healthy breakfast with protein 300-400 claories (oatmeal and an egg and fruit)
2) Healthy snack with protein (100 cal) yogurt or nuts, fruit, whole mulit-grain slice of bread...
3) Healthy lunch with protein, big salad with pasta and protein in it (tuna, chicken strips) 9300-400ish calories olive oil and balsamic NOT store dressing...OR, sandwich on whole multigrain bread, very light on any mayo type stuff...
4) Healthy 3-4pm snack with protein (IMPORTANT helps prevent overeating at dinner and keeps metabolism working)
5) Light healthy dinner, big salad, small main course (I usually dump a little of whatever I'm feeding the kids on top of my huge salad).

6)Tell her not to get too hungry, eat wisely.
7)Plenty of sleep (10 hours is a major fat burner), plenty of water (splash of juice in water if you want).
8)Splurge SOMETIMES on treats so there isn't total deprivation going on.
9)Exercise. A little everyday is even better than hard work-outs once in a while. If you guys can fit in brisk after dinner walks a few times per week, it's AWESOME for keeping pounds off.
10)Keep busy so food isn't a focus.

Good luck. Don't start the "diet" habit of doing unrealistic things for a while and then piling the pounds back on when the "diet" is finished. Good work being concerned, and best wishes to your whole family!

"The Perfect Ten Diet" -the whole family should participate-it's 40% fats, 40% good carbs, and 20% protein. The diet brings the 10 essential hormones needed for good health back into balance. If you have a kindle-I bought it for $1.99. It is not about deprivation-it's about balance. The other component to weight loss is activity-I'm not talking about killing yourself in the gym-I'm talking about taking a walk, staying in motion, and doing something fun. Best of luck!

I'm 5'9" and weight almost that much. Sure I could stand to lose a few, but it's not that big of a deal. I'm sure she's just caving to teen pressure to be waif them. :(

You're on the right track with changing how you eat - eliminate anything white (white flour, white sugar, white creams, etc) and increase the activity level - an evening walk for example.

I think the above would be better that a diet. That is so hard. But I do think it's hard for a teen to realize know what's good, what's bad, what's too much unless they actually read the labels and track what they eat. This is where counting calories comes in. But not just counting the calories, count the protein, the carbs, and the fat. All three are needed, just in the right amounts.

I would strongly recommend http://www.sparkteens.com
I did the sparkpeople.com and loved it. I loved the app for my phone which allowed me to enter everything I ate and see at a glance how much I had left for the day. And, I could track my water intake and my exercise. My goal was always to keep everything at the low end of my recommended range, so that I'd have some left over at the end of the day for a reasonable treat. Lots of recipes and support too!

Good luck.

I think that teaching her at this age especially that she is fat is not a good idea. Yes, she may be overweight, but she has other options that are much more positive than saying go on a diet or take a diet pill.

Building her self image and self confidence is way way way more important than anything else.

my granddaughter's best friend would nearly make 2 of her. This girls mother and older sister are both on the not thin side but they are normal, large normal. They are not fat but do have larger bones structure and stuff. They don't have rolls of fat or flab. The older sister was a softball player and was being scouted so she was extremely athletic. So "getting more exercise" isn't always going to fix anything. Exercise builds muscles and muscles can often be larger than flab.

When I was in college I worked out at a local ladies gym and took weight training, tennis, swimming, aerobics, I didn't have a car for campus because I rode my bike everywhere I went, plus I played softball on their team too. So I was physically fit. I was 5'2" and weighed over 150 lbs. I wore size 11/12 to 13/14 Lee jeans and a large top. I had to get larger pants because of my muscular legs. My arms were also large so the larger size was needed there too.

I was physically fit and at the peak of my activity. I got tackled by the Center-fielder and my right leg was bent sideways. Tearing everything from the knee cap out in to shreds. I still have the staples and am now extremely overweight due to not being able to be active.

There is a huge difference in eating healthy, doing activities you love, accepting yourself for who and what you are, and still feeling good about that are so much more important than a weight or clothing size.

If she can stand to lose a few pounds then by all means, each evening take the family for a walk. On Saturday's take the family on a medium length bike ride, where walking the bike can be done too if needed. Build up slowly so that confidence can be built.

Fine some local activities where the girls are not stick thin. I see so many girls come to the gym/studio to start tumbling or gymnastics or dance and they are larger size. They look around at all the thin cheerleaders and other "cute" people there and often they don't come back. This has to be hard on them to look at all those people flipping and doing it with ease because they don't hardly weigh anything.

So some activities are going to be harder on her mentally than others, that's all I'm saying. Not that she shouldn't try but that some of them will naturally have a lot of thin/skinny people.

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This article has a lot of good solid advice about how to start a family physical fitness program. It is a good resource. If you don't like the religious part then please just skip over it but look at the core message of the talk. They share some extremely good advice.

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1990/09/focusing-on-family-fit...
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Here's a website that I did not know about until I googled the church fitness program. I think that they would not have anything that would misguide you on here. Of course you should decide what is best for your family but this site looks like it would have a ton of good resources for you.

http://www.ldsfitnessnetwork.com/2012/05/guest-post-make-...
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When I went to church and was the Activities Director I had families do this program. It is fun because it is competition within the family but it builds strong bonds between family members too. I thought it was totally imaginative and it could be adapted for any family and made to fit their interests.

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&local...
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Over all I think that building her self esteem and working on her self image is most important because if she doesn't like her body she may end up treating it badly in the future so she might lose some weight.

Teaching her that the whole family should exercise to be healthier is best.

Getting her involved with activities with people she can identify with and actually fit in with is a great idea too.

No diet pills! They are bad for you in so many ways, especially a growing girl, they will keep her from eating but they will also keep her awake at night. She needs nutrition and sleep.
Don't keep ANY junk food around the house. No chips, cookies, ice cream, fruit juice, processed/frozen/fried foods, etc. Make ice cream or french fries a treat that you go OUT for, not something you keep around every day. Read calorie labels on everything you buy. Just because it says low fat does not mean it is low calorie, and that packs on the pounds.
Make sure she gets plenty of protein, lean meat, beans, nuts, etc. and of course lots of fresh fruits and veges. If she likes salads make sure you have low calorie salad dressing. Some of my favorite salads have as many calories as a cheeseburger just because of the stupid dressing and crunchy toppings, grr!
And while I abhor counting calories it IS a good way to adjust your eating habits. Entering everything you eat into an online calorie counter (there are several free ones you can google) really helps you understand just how much you are consuming every day. Your daughter can enter her height, weight and age, and how much she wants to lose (start with a small amount, like ten pounds) and the counter will give her x amount of calories a day to reach her goal. She can also enter her daily activity (example, walking 30 minutes burns x calories.) I think as a teenager not only would this be kind of fun for her, but it is a great learning tool. I know it did a lot to change MY eating habits. I lost ten pounds two years ago and haven't gained any weight since then, and I only counted calories for a few months.

Exercise. Not diet pills.

At 5'9", if she's coordinated at all, she could be a great athlete. Has she ever tried volleyball, basketball, swimming...? If not, get her involved in a club sport. They work out almost every day, and she will get in shape very quickly. As an added bonus, she could be set up for athletic scholarships for college.

Also, if you have processed foods in your house, get rid of them. You don't need diet pills, just replace Oreo cookies with apples, and fruit juice with water. She's a teenager with a fast metabolism. Just remove the things that don't serve her well nutritionally, and get her exercising! She'll slim down before high school.

The body is like a bank account. You take some out everyday to live. You add something to it so you can live.

It takes a certain amount of calories to breathe and for the heart to function and for you to think. If you add too many calories from goodies like cake, soda, coookies or seconds of roast beef or chicken, the body adds those calories to the body bank on the legs or the hips or stomach.

If you want to loose weight you have to use more calories than you take in, like running or playing baseball, or walking or digging in the garden.

If you do enough exercise than you can eat almost as much as you want. When they intervied Michael Phelps, one of the questions they asked was what he ate when he was training/swimming 50 miles per week. (about 12,000 calories PER DAY)
http://www.michaelphelps.net/michael-phelps-diet/

When I was in the military, I ran, not jogged, 3 miles per day. (3 miles in 18 minutes or less in combat boots and fatigue pants.) I burned a lot of calories.

I lost weight and kept it off with "The 6-Week Body Makeover".

Good luck to you and yours.

A diet pill is definitely not the answer - good job Mama! You are right, it has to be a family change and not a diet. You have to educate yourself about healthy eating and keep only healthy foods in the house. Then you will have the tools to help her make the right decisions. (ps - many juices are just as bad as soda with calories and added sugars).

I recommend the book "You: On A Diet" by Mehmet Oz. It is a VERY good book that talks about food - how it works in your body and why things are good for you and why things are bad for you and it's all presented in an entertaining way.

If you have any junk food in the house, that is what they will eat, even with tons of fruits and veggies around. Believe me - I buy a ton of fruit and the first thing I go for is the one bag of chips I bought. Never fails.

The beginning of high school is a great time to start a sport. Is there anything she is interested in playing? Tennis, volleyball etc. She can begin to take lessons this year and over the summer, then join the sport as a freshman.

As everyone else said NO diet pills. You should try taking walks as a family after school, or dinner that really helps to get motivated to be healthier. Or You and she could take a walk alone, its great for bonding time with each other, and for talking about whatever, and that will help lose a bit of weight.

Good for your family that you are making changes. Diet pills just mess people up. Not what you want. I have slowly changed how we eat too. Try the the Hungry Girl books and site. Lots of food for lower calories. If you still tie a meal with desert, you have to untie that knot. Better a mint or fruit for a sweet taste after a meal. If your daughter takes some responsibility for changing meals she will be better at it for the rest of her life. Let her come up with a salad before every meal or taking a casserole and making it lighter. Good luck!

No diet pills for a middle school child. She's young enough that her/your focus should be on changing her eating and exercise habits. If you can afford to do so, I would have her join the gym and pay for a personal trainer. If you can join with her, even better! Allow that person to do what he/she does best... coach your daughter into a good exercise routine.

Changing eating behavior is very difficult. I strongly suggest that you work with her doctor to identify an appropriate calorie target and go from there. Weight loss is a simple equation... expend more calories than you take in. If it's starting to bother her, then now's the time to address the situation.

Remember too, that weight loss is as much about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and healthy heart as it is about body shape/size.

I would tell her that a diet pill is a prop and has its own side effects. If she really wants to do this thing, you'll work with her and figure some things out. Like would she like to know how to make better food choices and make good versions of her favorite things? Or is there an activity she'd like to try? Maybe make some Mom and Daughter time to go for hikes in the fall weather or swim at the local indoor pool or just walk or bike around the community together. Would you like to try Zumba with her? I think that you need to be her cheerleader in this and guide her to a long term change vs a quick fix. My SD was getting a little heavy and started taking dance class in HS for her phys ed credit. She loved it. If you are going to make full-family changes, that will benefit all of you.

My SD is always going to outweigh me, but she's significantly taller, too. Here is a BMI calculator for teens that will help you figure out what those numbers mean in terms of her body mass index. http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/

And also don't just focus on numbers. You can be 100 lbs of unhealthy, too. Numbers are a tool.

My daughter is 14 and is now nearly 5' 10". She was always a little overweight - carried it around her stomach. This past summer, she became more conscious of her eating habits and making healthier choices and eating less. She thinned during the summer, but the most significant was when she started volleyball this fall. She's a size 7 now at that height and feels really good about herself. I never wanted to push her as I didn't want to create body image issues for her. She didn't so much "diet" per se, but just made healthier choices. Even during the 4 hour pre-season volleyball practices, she would bring fruit for her snack. Once she made the choice, it was much easier for her.

I would take her to weight watchers. Their program is super healthy and I think they even have a teen program. It really teaches you how to eat healthy. You could into the meetings together.

You've gotten some great responses. Start tracking EVERY bit of food she takes in. You will probably find that she's eating/drinking more calories than she needs. I also agree with cutting out processed foods and limit carbs to the whole grain breads, quinoa, oatmeal, etc. She can still have a little dark chocolate to satisfy the sweet tooth. Is she active at all? Maybe you could start family walks a few nights a week. That will help too.

NO DIET PILLS. They're generally not good for anyone, and probably especially a growing child. That said, she is RIGHT on the border of being overweight based on her BMI which might be why the nutritionist didn't do much. They probably weren't terribly concerned. I agree with everyone else who has said healthier food in the home. Eat out less. AND... Find a way for her to be active that is fun. For my best friend and I, we LOVED playing Dance Dance Revolution when we were in high school. (Don't judge... it was fun! :) ) Something like this would require that you have a gaming system, and I don't know if this game is even still produced, but since the PS3, XBOX360 and the Wii all have wireless things that allow active participation, you might look into it. A lot of those games are a lot of fun!

physical activities....both individually & as a family

healthy eating habits.....again as a family

& positive influences, not learning to rely upon dieting &/or drugs.

give her the keys to a healthy long life!

Increase activity and decrease the sugar, both artificial (junk foods) and natural (large servings of breads/pastas/Carbs). Try and teach her about being healthy not just about weight control. At 5'9" she's always going to be heavier then someone 5'3", it's just a fact, she's supposed to "weight" more. So helping her know how to be healthy instead is key.

Good luck.

Have you checked her BMI? She is likely right on the border of being overweight.
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/weight/bm...

Improve your whole family's nutrition and do it in a positive, fun, way. This is not punishment! No diets, no pills. Encourage physical activity, and take part yourself as much as possible. Our children learn from watching us, not from listening to us.

Standard Process has an amazing purification program that lasts 3 weeks. Everyone I know who has done this feels AMAZING and keeps eating clean after it's done. My friends have lost between 5-18 pounds in the 3 weeks...AND kept it off.

http://www.standardprocess.com/Standard-Process/Purificat...

A pill will not fix this. Cleaning out the liver, which has over 500 functions, and eating right WILL.

She also needs to find a sport that she likes and stick with it. TaeKwonDo will give her skills to protect herself in college and beyond.

My SIL was overweight in 8th grade and 6' tall. She's 36 and has never been on a date. She is pretty but has NO confidence.

no diet pills that wont help her in life. exercise. join a gym with her.

my nephews got really into going to the gym...they never had a weight problem but loved seeing their bodies change...get her into going to the gym

also 180 for 5'9 is overwieght...obviously you and the nutrionist know that. i saw some women below saying it wasnt but they are comparing their weight post baby to a 13 year old ..big diference. as a 13 year old i weighed in at 100 at 5'11...(i was underwight, but when i went up to 115 when i was 15 i was healthy...13 year olds dont have the curves women do so there is a diference between a 30 year old woman weighing that and a 13 year old. thats J. my humble opinion.) i weigh 155 at 6foot tall post baby and need to lose 10 to be trim so yes she's not obese but this could lead to there

i vote exercise , and eating better. my neighbors had this problem with their son so they exercised together and all started eating healthy and never had junk food in the house

I wouldn't let her take diet pills at all. Do this together and if you want to get more information about how to help her go to this website www.sparkteens.com. It's a free website for teenagers from the age of 13-17. It is from the people who do www.sparkpeople.com. Have you both sit together to read what sparkteen has to say and then go from there.

I would not allow her to take diet pills, it sends the wrong message and they can be unsafe. I would take her shopping with you and let her read labels for nutritional facts. This teaches her the healthy way to eat. Let her pick out lots of fruits and vegetables and maybe even start to teach her how to cook them on her own. This allows her to experiment and feel like she accomplished something as well as spark an interest in culinary arts!

Learn proper portion sizes, a lot times we think we are eating a single portion and its really 3-4 portion size. I was shocked when I first started to do this.

Also keep in mind her stature and body type, don't encourage a shape or size she wasn't meant to have. Not everyone was created to be a size 4. Get her involved in sports, dance or another activity. IMO that is the best way. She can have fun and get in shape.

Good luck!!

Is she interested in any physical extra curriculars? I think getting involved in a fun, active, activity with other kids her age would be more fun than working out for a teenager.

Please look at this website and read about Bode. You will see Chris Powell's picture with it, for he endorses it. He, in fact, worked with the physicians in our company to create a shake to be used as a meal substitue. He was not impressed with any shakes out there, so he is thrilled to have exactly what he wants. Chris is the famous personal trainer who has his own show Extreme Weight Loss Ediition. The program used with Bode is his, and his wife, is our coach, texting us in the day telling it is time for this or that, (example: Enjoy a snack with one serving protein and veggies and the Bode Burn. Eating every three hours boosts your metabolism.) I lost 15 pounds with it, never feeling like i was on a diet. I had no cravings, and I really like the Bode Burn. It is 20 g of protein drink in a can. It is a healthy weight solution. Please read about it. If she would like to taste the Bode Burn, we can meet somewhere and I could bring one. You eat normal food, but at the right times, drink plenty of water, and exercise three times a week. You are coached thru all this. Amazing program. http://annnoblehealth.com
click on Bode and read about the Burn.

Yikes. I would start building healthy habits for her - eating a balanced diet and exercise. And I suggest that you do it with her, but not the whole family. Keep a positive attitude and maintain focus on feeling better, not looking better.

If you can afford it, meet with the nutritionist together and make a meal plan for both of you, and meet with a personal trainer together once a week. Keep each other accountable, factor in rewards for keeping to the plan like a weekend away, trip to the mall or movies - anything that doesn't involve food :) No longer make food a reward.

Good luck.

I really believe it would be a mistake to put her on a diet. Require physical activity,and enough of it to make a difference. Make it fun! Some of it on her own, some with school and of course some with the family. Lead by example and just be supportive through your actions as a family. Only have and serve healthy options at home.

I agree with no diet pills as her body is still developing.

Try to find some smaller dinner plates for the whole family to use. We Americans tend to fill up the plate with more food than we need. So if the plate is smaller we will have less. Make the eating inviting by color using veggies for color. Do the same with fruits. Now you know why restaurants use white plates so that the color does not take away from the presentation of the meal.

Good luck to you. I recall being a bit overweight at that age. The next summer I didn't want to eat much and the pounds melted off and the curves appeared. Excercise was a key factor as well. Also have her eat lettuce so that when she does lose the weight the skin will keep its elasticity. Should she become "Boy crazy" she may stop eating so be aware of that side of things as well.

Just don't make it the end all thing and nagging. Sometimes that does the opposite of what you are trying to do. My aunt used to ride us about our weight (my cousin and myself) and it was horrible.

The early teen years are so full of changes for the whole family. May you two go through the journey with much peace and not war.

The other S.

PS Having her help with meal planning is a good way for her to prepare to care for herself and her future family. Let her make some of the meals and you guys be the food critics -- make a game out of it. Help her to help herself. Always be a safety net for her.

The key to diet is cutting out as much sugar and processed foods and eating more lean protein and fruits and vegetables. Work on the diet and then as other suggested to increase physical activity. Thats all she should need.

I started losing weight the last few months, but not because I went on a diet. I just started eating until I was full. Even if that meant I only had a few bites. Example: I served myself 1 chicken taco, a side of rice & beans. I had a few bites of the sides and ate the taco, but I was done the last 2-3 bites of the taco. So I left everything on the plate and threw it out. I knew I would get hungry later but when I did, I sliced up a cucumber, squeezed some lemon on it, a few shakes of salt n pepper, n I probably ate about half of that before I got full again. I did that with every meal. Snacks remained healthy, fruit, salad, tomatoe salad. I went to my physical therapist 2x a week for 1 hr ea and he had me do lunges and light stretching. Nothing strenuous since I have a back injury. I ended up losing about 10-15 lbs. it was over a few months, but I feel great and can't wait to lose more.
Do you have a dog? If you do, have her walk the dog for exercise. Go with her to motivate her. If you don't but have a friendly neighbor who does, see if they'll let you walk their dog.
Another tip, have her drink a glass of cold water, with a squeeze of lemon juice, before every meal. The cold water will boost her metabolism and the lemon juice is a natural diuretic, and drinking a full glass before a meal will help her eat less by getting her full faster.
Buy other snack alternatives to have around the house. Planters has nutri-nuts?, I buy the ones that have cashews, almonds, and macadamias. I guess those nuts are better for you. Sometimes I get my fill between meals eating those. I also enjoy dried cranberries. Strawberries and avocados.
Sparkpeople is a good website. My cousin, who was very overweight, used that site and lost lots of weight. She also started running.
Slow & steady wins the race.

Good luck!