Getting 5 Year Old's Weight Back on Track??

Can you take walks in the afternoon? I would also look into getting a kid exercise video so that it will be fun for her, they are low impact so you can do it together. I think the best thing we have is the Xbox with the sporting games. You really have to move around a lot and that is fun exercise for her (and me). My daughter is chunky and tall and always will be (genetics, she has her dads build) but she slimmed down quite a bit in her first year of kindergarten. Living in Florida we don’t go outside too often in the summer except in the pool, but we don’t go swimming every day.

My daughter eats a lot of fruits and veggies and doesn’t eat large portions at meal times. I do not buy junk food like chips, cookies or candy. She does have them once in a while but that is usually when we are out. She also doesn’t drink soda and I limit her juice. Try to stay away from artificial sweeteners, foods with preservatives and if you can get organic fruits and veggies (no pesticides). I also stay away from High Fructose Corn Syrup, they say it’s safe but with so many people having type 2 diabetes I don’t doubt that this is a contributor. I stopped eating foods with it and my blood sugar has made a drastic drop.

I am not trying to be rude and I am doing my best to word this in a way not to offend you since you already mentioned 2 times in your post regarding rude remarks. Try not to be hypersensitive to any remarks... all of the responses are to help, not hurt you.

It is just as easy to purchase whole grains, fruits and veggies at the market instead of junk.

Get rid of the junk and don't buy it. If junk is out of your house, then she can't eat it. No fruit juice and only lowfat milk.

I would not switch everything to fat free, etc... Moderation is key. Make sure she has a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Snack on fruits.

Why can't she listen to music and dance? Go to an indoor pool at the rec center and let her swim. Enroll her in dance, gymnastics or something that involves physical activity. Encourage her to be active and live an active lifestyle. Turn the TV OFF. We are in TX where it is hot but I still see children on bikes, rollerblades, scooters, at our community park all the time. Just because it is hot is not an excuse to not go outside. Load up with plenty of water and let her play outside.

Has she started school? If so, she should have a PE period and also have 1-2 recess periods to run and play.

What is done is done... now it is time to get back on track.

Best wishes for a healthy baby boy!

Boy can I relate. My 8-year-old has struggled so much with her weight, it has become a huge stress on my life. My 5-year-old is now too (she was in the 99% for her weight at her last appointment too). I have been overweight since I was 9 years old. I recognize my responsibility (my TOTAL responsibility), but unless someone has been where WE are, they just don't understand how difficult it is.

I'm 6 months pregnant, have had nerve pain for the duration of my pregnancy, and Texas summer is killer. We also have the threat of West Nile virus in our area, so outdoors activities aren't really in the cards right now. That said, my daughters both get PLENTY of exercise. They are both in extra-curriculars. They are in a Taekwondo program that combines martial arts with a cardio fitness program. They go 5 times/week after school, and work out for two hours. They are also both in soccer, and play with their team 2-3 times/week.

It's the food front that we struggle with. Before I got pregnant, I had it well under control. I was seeing a nutritionist, and my 8-year-old was approaching a healthy weight (and I had lost over 90 pounds myself). Only reason I fell out of those good habits is because I let myself succumb to the hormones, cravings, heat of the summer, etc. It's totally up to me to get back on track.

My main suggestion would be to see a nutritionist. My health insurance plan actually covers 'nutritional counseling' at 100%, so it didn't cost us a dime. Our nutritionist is fabulous, gives us lots of useful tips, and works with our lifestyle. My 8-year-old loved going, it gave her a sense of pride and control over her choices.

If you can't see one, for cost or whatever, maybe get some books about child nutrition? Whatever you can use in your arsenal to fight this, it's going to help. It's up to us to get this under control.

Also, PM me ANY time. I'd love to network with someone who knows what I'M going through with these struggles as well. There is a lot of negativity and judgment that surrounds parents of overweight children. It's a tough road. But we can do it!

It sounds like your are back on track with your daughter now that you are feeling better. My only suggestion would be to cut out the juice totally since it's extra calories that aren't needed. More veggies than fruit since veggies are less calories and try to stay away from processed food since it's loaded with sodium and sugars.

Your daughter may not lose much weight however since she's a growing girl she'll gain height so she'll start to grow into her weight.

Best of luck with this ending part of your pregnancy. When you hold a happy, healthy baby in your arms it makes all the bad parts worth while.

I recently read where it only take children a deficit of 65 calories a day to lose weight whereas it takes us 500. I would keep a food diary of what she eats for a whole week. Then figure out the calories for each day and compare with the normal calories for a child of her ht&wt and then the suggested diet caloires for her ht & wt. See where you can pare off 65. That is about one cookie so it shouldn't be that tough.

Some more tips:
Little or no processed foods. This means breakfast bars, 100 calorie snack packs, most cereal , most kids yogurts etc.

Fresh fruit not fruit cups if you can help it. Limit high sugar fruit such as watermelon, pineapple and banana.

No white pasta, bread or rice. There are so many good whole grain alternatives now this should not be that hard.

Take a look at your family meals. Traditional familly meals such as mac and cheese, meatloaf and casseroles should all be changed to healthier versions. There are so many recipes out there to follow it should not be hard.

You need 'some' fat for your body to get all of the nutrients from vegetables so no fat free. Low fat is ok.

Soccer is a great sport if you can get her in it. Kids run like crazy the whole time.

The most important thing to remember is that you are setting up great eating habits for the rest of her life. The changes that you make will benefit your whole family.

If you have a local mall, and you're feeling up to it, take a few laps with her(our local mall is 1 mile around) This is great when it's hot.

Enroll her in gymnastics 1-2 times per week. They usually keep them moving pretty good.

Have your dd eat the vegetables and fruits BEFORE the main meal. This really fills them up and they don't eat as much. When she eats bread, only give her 100% whole wheat.

NO juice...this is just empty calories.

Non-fat milk only

Get rid of the junk in your pantry...if it's not there, they can't eat it.

Is she starting kindergarten this fall? If so, one thing my daughter (who is older) loves is going to school outside school hours and running around on the field there like they do in gym -- she likes for me to time her! She finds it very cool to be at school outside hours and doing something like they do in gym.

Another option: Most libraries have kids' videos including exercise videos! There are some really fun ones and they are not hardcore workouts, just fun movement for kids. Our library has lots of different ones. She might enjoy this especially if the weather is hot (I know exactly what you mean about the weather keeping kids inside-- same thing here, dangerously hot outside all summer, so I really understand). Ask a friend of hers over to do it with her and give them a reward -- make it a homemade popsicle of 1/2 water and 1/2 juice.

You can enroll her in dance or gymnastics or tumbling or other classes through your local county or city or town parks and recreation department. Look online for catalogs of kids' classes.

Does she ride a bike yet? You can set up obstacle courses at the park --"Now ride to the end of that walkway, back up here, around those three bushes three times, etc." Used to do that with my girl.

If she is in school, see if the school has the "Girls on the Run" program and if so, whether it's open to kids as young as kindergarten. This is an extracurricular program run by parents (who get paid to coach it) and it's about girls' self-esteem and positive body image, and the girls...run. We have not participated but I know a lot of kids who have and often it's motivated by the parents wanting the girl to lose some weight (though that is not the advertised focus of the program!). I'd advise you to start a program and coach it if you really want to get it going but with a new baby that's not going to happen....maybe some other mom you know well would be interested?

Everyone is born with a different body type and some people just put on weight easily. It sounds like you are on the right track - keep on having her drink water and not sweet drinks. Feed her regular foods like yogurt, fruits and veggies, whole grain toast, oatmeal, turkey sandwiches, soup, etc. Avoid processed foods like chewy bars, sweet snacks, boxed foods, etc. If it is hot outside you can take her to the pool (indoor or outdoor)...go two or three times a week with her. You can also take her to an indoor play area twice a week or to free child programs you have in your area at museums, the library, etc. You can also enroll her in an activity that gives her exercise. My daughter LOVES gymnastics. My son loves soccer and swim lessons. You just sit and watch, so if you are not feeling good it's ok for you. It sounds like you know you have been letting her sit and watch TV too much...so you know what to do! Allow one hour or less of tv a day. I take my kids out almost every morning to do something. After lunch we are more mellow at home. In the evenings my son has soccer 3x a week. My daughter and I walk around the soccer field or I watch her as she plays on the playground. You can do it! Make a lifestyle change and try to be a bit more active. :)

Sorry to hear of your difficult pregnancy. It has been very hot in the Midwest this summer so I sympathize. My kids love to play catch outside, jump on the trampoline and have races. This may be difficult if she is your only one. My daughter just turned 5 & loves to jump rope. If its too hot, she can do it in the basement or even in the living room if you have the space.

Some snacks we like are yogurt, string cheese, graham cracker sticks, carrot sticks. Wraps are quick and easy to make as well. I have found with my daughter, if I let her "help" she is more liable to eat more creatively. Also, get skewers and put fruit and cube cheese on them. More fun to eat off of a stick. You can also do this with veggies with a dip...always fun to dip your food! Good luck on the rest of your pregnancy!

First, I'm sorry you have had a difficult pregnancy. My oldest was 6 when I was pregnant with my second, and I was on bed rest for much of that pregnancy. It was a rough time.

It sounds like you are on the right track. I have one suggestion. I know that in our house we found that breakfast had many empty calories, so we all started drinking "No Sugar Added Carnation Instant Breakfast Drinks" with skim milk. We all love them, and they are packed with vitamins without all of the calories.

Turning off the TV is a great plan, too. :)

I had a chubby kid too...I'm happy to report she's now 15 and a good healthy weight. I say chubby, her doctor said obese. What I learned....kids don't "lose"weight.....they grow into it. So don't expect a weight loss, expect a contestant and she'll grow (although I do remember some losses).
No juice -its just sugar, fruit is better.
Snack on veggies instead of fruit (too much fruit can beer bad as well). Celery and corporation peanut butter. Hummus its a great veggie dip my kids love.

No processed foods -don't even have in the house.

Don't do sugar free or low/no fat..moderation is better.

I also didn't completely deprive her of goodness, she learned about calories and exercise...today if she wants a sugary goodness she gets on the treadmill.
Sports have helped her stay active and we try to go on family walks, trips to the park.
Good luck

Do not do anything sugar free, you may start seeing behavior issues and the body can't really tell the difference. They are basically artificial poison. They are really bad for anyone to use.

Eating healthier and getting out to get some exercise will make a lot of difference. Consider letting her start some activities too. She could do soccer, T-Ball if they have it for kids as old as she is...softball could be the next step up, doing an activity at the local YMCA, riding her bike, etc...

Now that it's cooling off it will make a huge difference. It's just been too hot to do anything for most of us in this area. My grand kids have not been out much either. They are just starting to go out early in the mornings and then after dinner. The equipment doesn't blister then so much now...lol.

My kids never watched more TV or ate more junk food in their lives than when I was pregnant. I was pretty useless and spent much of my pregnancy lying on the couch while they watched TV. So I can definitely sympathize!

I'd say you're on the right track to getting your daughter back to a healthy BMI. If you are giving her fruits as snacks or with meals, I would cut out the juice completely.

Is she starting school soon? If so, she will most likely slim down in the next few months from playing at recess. In the meantime, I don't know how big your house is, but my kids love hippity hops. If you don't mind the noise, maybe you can give her one of those and let her bounce to her heart's content. It is actually quite a calorie burner! There is also the Rody. It is like a bouncing donkey. Same concept, but it might be a little easier to ride.

There is also Dance Dance Revolution or any of those dance mats that can be hooked up to the TV. Or the Wii, but my kids can't work the controls by themselves yet, so it might end up driving you crazy having to play it with your daughter. Or get her a big wheel tricycle or plasma car and let her ride it in the house. You'll want to make sure it is a new one so it doesn't damage your floors.

Good luck to you! You're almost there!

We either added preschool hours or did the after-school program in kindergarten, as long as it was an active program! Snacks were controlled, exercise was a given (even in winter in the gym), and I could be on the couch pregnant. It's rough, good luck!