How do you get a child to lose weight? My daughter is four and a little thick. People make comments like you've been eating well. It's not as if I feed her all day, she eats regular balanced meals and loves fruits and vegetables. I don't know what to do because she's not over-eating. She has been gaining this weight since she was little. She is 55 pounds.
We do go to the park (alot) I practically have to drag her away from the park. We do alot of playing and running around. I have started us doing some exercising together everyday, and hopefully that will help, I just hate the comments people say sometimes and they just say it right in front of her or to her!
She does love potatoes! I will limit her intake on those definitely then. She does have ice cream and snacks, but thats not over-done with me. I found one thing out though on the snacking--her dad (he'll give her anything she asks for--what she says goes) gives her extra snacks when they go out. I had to get on him about that (she had a little ice cream stain on her shirt). Then she told me, " I told him I had to have a healthy snack!) Only after she ate the ice cream. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
If you find out I wish you would let me know. I have a two year old little girl, born at 9 pounds and has slowed down since. She also doesn't overeat but she does have a healthy appetite. She's not "fat" but she is "healthy". I wish I knew how to slow this down.
B.
This is something you need to discuss with your daughters doctor. If she really is eating well portioned, balanced meals, then likely it's too early to worry about it. Your dr can help you work this out. And then you can tell the "people" that "the dr said he's not concerned" or something along those lines when they make negative (RUDE) comments.
I had the same problem. My daughter is also 4 and got the same comments. I took her to the pediatrician and had her weighed and her BMI was a little high for her age; as was her cholesterol. The cholesterol was 202. I cut out butter, went to whole grains and wheat bread. No sugary drinks; just water, diet soda and limit the fruit juices. Her cholesterol has dropped to 160 and her weight dropped a little. Make small changes and she will catch up.
Hello P., so your daughter is only 4 and you say she is thick! well how much does she weigh? If she is eating good and not junk all the time then she should be healthy! People are mean and make comments that can really hurt kids but don't let anyone call her fat!! My oldest daughter was always a big girl and she still is and is 24! some people are just big and you can't help that. mine is really big boned and can't be little and skinny but she tried because of mean comments from people!! Does she stay inside alot? I would just make sure she plays outside everyday that way she is getting exercise and if you really want to you could do some fun little exercises with her that the gym/pe teacher would do at school! But if she is active and plays outside alot and does not eat abunch of junk then don't worry about it because you want to make sure her imagine of herself stays good and that she always knows that you love her just the way she is!! So just play with her alot and go to the park so she can run around and have fun while she is getting some exercise! Good luck D.
A lot of people think they are feeding their child healthy well balanced meals, but when it comes down to it what you put into your body (or your child's) may not be as healthy as you think.
I went to a nutritionist to help get me started losing weight and some of the foods I thought were "healthy" turned out to be just as bad as junk food. Potatoes, corn, and other starchy veggies are not good for you, they raise sugar levels and make your body store fat. Unfortunately corn and potatoes were major veggie staples in our house, we ate one or the other every week sometimes we had both in the same meal. So now I limit it to either corn or potatoes once a week at most.
If you give her juice, make sure it is no sugar added and keep to the serving size indicated on the box. If you give her whole milk you can switch to 2% to lower the fat intake she gets from the milk. I am blessed with kids who LOVE vegetables, so I give mine raw broccoli, colliflower, carrots, and leafy green salads as side dishes.
Sugary cereals were a culprit in our house too. I still let them have it but only a couple time a week and only when they ask. They get breakfast at daycare so I normally don't have to worry with breakfast except on weekends.
Talk to a nutritionist. We have one at the hospital that is free as well as where I work (at a university) but you can probably even correspond with one of them by email if there is not one near you. Just Private message me and I'll give you an email address for them.
I learned so much from the nutritionist and my kids do not have weight issues, but since my state has the largest childhood obesity rate, and since being pregnant with the twins I gained 80 pounds and am having trouble losing the weight (I still have 50 pounds to lose for my pre baby weight). I wanted to start making better choices for them and fostering good eating habits.
I am not saying I never let my kids have soda, or junk food, or ice cream, just not everyday and not in excess. They don't seem to mind too much, they don't really know the difference.
Try to get he more active its getting to be warm outside, if you go to the park during the day a few times a week or take he to the pool and let her swim around! Let her find fun activities she likes to do out side and do them on a regualr basis! ALso maybe you should have her thyroid checked! If her hormones are out of whack that may be why shes gaining weight! I had that right after my daighter was born, i couldnt lose weight no matter what i did and i was tired all the time but as soon as they did the blood test and found out what was going on they gave me some medication i took for a little while and i started losing weight and feeling so much better! So good luck and dont let her ever think shes fat or ugly even when others say things make sure you tell your daughter she is beautiful and smart and wonderful!
i don't know if you got the answer you needed since this was posted last year but I thought I would let you know I have the same problem all my life no matter what I ate ar how active i have always been overweight. Turns out (after 30 years) it was my thyroid so if you haven't done so I would get her thyroid checked.. Hope this helps
Hi, P.
I'm in the same boat. I have a 9 year old a daughter who needs to lose some weight. I cook well balanced meals and she has snacks between meals. I've stop buying unhealth snacks and hardly ever fry food anymore. She is very active(softball,dance). We have started exercising toghter now. I want her to get some weight off before she starts the 5th grade. I don't know what else to do. If you have any ideas that have worked for you and your daughter please let me know.
First of all, have you ask her pediactric dr? They may know what would be best, but encourage her to get outside as much as possible and play. My sister-n-law has a child with that same problem but he isn't very active. If she is very active then I would ask her dr. If she is not very active, I would encourage her to do things outside. You could play ball with her, walk while she rides her bike, go on short hiking trips and look for neat things such as rocks and things, go swimming or anything else you guys love to do! I hope this helps and good luck.
Tammy has good advice. Go to your Dr and have her weighed. If her BMI is higher than it should be, small changes in she eats will make a big difference. Really examine what you are feeding her. When it comes down to it, it's what the DR says that counts and everyone else can go... you get the pictures. :-)
OKAY but you say she's 4!!! Some are chubby now some are chubby later.. please don't make her diet YET! Ask your pediatrician about her height and weight percentile and ask him for nutrition advice. What are her genes she inherited are the rest of you stick figures and she's the only "thick" one??? Or is everyone a little "thick"? Or were you when you were little or was your husband????Please do not start telling your daughter she is FAT at this age for goodness gracious! Please! I am not saying you are using that word but that's the message she'll get! Trust me I know!
Sorry ... soapbox #299! Had to get on it! (I want to add and we wonder why kids are anorexic and bullemic as teens! I am not saying this about you....I do not mean to offend!)
Blessings,
D.
You might want to have her sugar checked. Does anyone in you family have diabetes? I have a friend who's little girl is doing the same thing and she is also four. It also may just be baby fat that she may lose the more she grows and the more exercise she gets. They have some cute exercise videos for children that parents can do with them. Take her on sight seeing walks,but I would really have her sugar checked with so much diabetes in children now of days. Hope this helps. Give her a hug from me and you try not to worry.
