A lot of calories may be coming from what she drinks. We don't drink soda and limit 1 serving of juice a day.

If there is no junk food in the house then she can't eat it.

Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.

Family exercise is awesome if possible.

Jennifer, that was ME at 11. I was not that tall, but I was that same proportion. If I could go back and do things differently, I would not come home and snack. Maybe you can have snacks ready for the kids when they get home. That way you are in control of portion sizes. And, Christy is right, if it isn't healthy for you, it isn't healthy for them. I don't buy chips, for example. They are not good for me, so why give them to the kids?

Here is what I would do. Start out slow and wean everybody off the junk food as much as possible. Limit their servings at dinner. If they are still hungry, maybe have them weight half an hour and THEN give them some grapes or something.

That is such a hard age to be at! Trust me, I soooo feel for her. I think I hated middle school because of it. I just had horrible eating habits.

I actually talked to our dr. last year, when this first started being noticeable, and she told me it was a pre-puberty thing that a lot of girls go through. Well, Emily did hit puberty early...so maybe that is part of it. I think that I am going to wait for school to start back next week and then for preschool to start back in a few weeks after that. Then, I will take Emily in just me and her to see if the dr. thinks tests are warranted. I already told dh to get ready for higher grocery bills, too!! I am going to switch over to all low fat/cal foods, including cheeses, chips, breads, etc. It can't hurt any of us...and the difference it could make in HER just makes it worth it.

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My Sarah is the same age. She is 5'4" and weighs about 130lbs. She also hit puberty early. I will say that since she hit puberty, she is starting to slim back down. It is a little scary in fact (the fluff going away and leaving behind curves )

I am overweight too. When we got concerned about Sarah's weight, I thought about my own example for her. I sat the family down and told them that we were all making changes so that we would ALL be healthier. (That included my 8 yr old who only weighs 50lbs. lol) And I asked them to help me. I told them that I need them to make the changes with me to keep me motivated.

Anyway, I told them that we all need to make healthier choices. We got rid of most of the processed foods in the house. If it comes in a package, we try not to eat it. (We still have frozen and canned veggies of course.) I give each of us 4-6 oz of lean protein at each meal and as much veggies as we want. We each have 2 servings of GOOD carbohydrates each day and I try to make sure each of us has at least one serving of fruit every day to keep the plumbing working properly. We don't use butter or oil- replaced by butter spray and non-stick spray. We still have a treat now and then, because everyone deserves a treat now and then. (Sugar-free popcicles, jello, and fat free pudding are lifesavers!)

This has made such a difference for us. Even our skin looks clearer. She has lost 12 lbs and I have lost 30. Even my son has lost 4 lbs. We are on our way. Hope that helps.

I agree...our ped told us the same thing. My son was convinced he was 'fat'...he's not. We couldn't convince him and our ped couldn't either!

Physical activity is great. Do things as a family or a few of you at a time. Go on bike rides, go swimming, go for walks etc You can do a 'mother/daughter' walk a few times a week. What a great opportunity that would be for you two to talk!

I would try to get the whole family to eat healthier, buy a lot more fruits and veggies if you don't already do that. We have a little routine in our house that we've been doing for a few years now, "2 Fruits and 2 Veggies" and everyone has to eat 2 fruits and 2 veggies every day (not including dinner). The kids are really good about it and like to choose their fruits and veggies at the farmer's market or grocery store.

I would try to cook from scratch and try not to use processed foods...don't buy junk foods. If there are only healthy snacks in the house, that's what she'll eat.

What do you drink in your family? My kids usually drink skim milk with dinner and the rest of the day they drink water. Sometimes I'll make Crystal Light...which has IIRC 5 calories per serving. I'm not a fan of it though because I don't like artifical sweeteners.

I was an overweight child because I ate too much. There is no other reason I was overweight. After starting 6th grade at 4' 10" and 130 pounds, I got a major crush on a boy at church who was in 8th grade. I knew he'd never notice me as I was, so I decided to lose weight. I ate three decent meals a day, (almost) no snacks, no desserts. I stopped eating when I was full. I lost 20 pounds in 3 months. I also grew 4 inches in those 3 months. By early spring, I was 5' 2" and 110 pounds. I grew two more inches by the time school started and gained back only 2 pounds to start 7th grade 5' 4" and 112 pounds. I started eating some snacks and desserts after losing the 20 pounds, but didn't go back to eating, eating, eating like I had before.

I can't tell you if it was healthy for me to do it that way at age 11 1/2 or not. I do know that I continued growing QUICKLY even while eating only three meals a day for those three months. I kept drinking milk. It was snacks, second helpings, and sweets/desserts that I cut out. If I was absolutely starving, I ate a piece of fruit as a snack. I did not count calories. This was my own diet, devised by an 11 1/2 year old's mind. Regular meals in a normal amount didn't seem like they were my problem. I knew what my problem was, non-stop eating after school and eating too much after dinner.

There is one thing I can tell you. I decided that I wanted to lose weight. I was unhappy the way I was. I would never have done it because my mom wanted me to do it. What does your daughter want? How does she feel about herself? Specifically, how does she feel about her weight and the way she looks? Do you think her feelings are strong enough for her to really WANT to be thinner for herself? No one had to tell me I was fat, I knew I was fat. The kids at school told me often enough; I knew. She already knows she is overweight; trust me, she knows. But, how does she feel about it? Kids are just like adults. Kids must also want to lose weight just like adults do.

You can consult with a dietician about what her diet is like now vs what almost painless changes can be made to her diet without sacrificing nutrition. This will only work if she is self-motivated. My mom didn't stop me from doing my three meals a day thing. She didn't really encourage me either. I was eating regularly, so she didn't have to worry. She basically did nothing but not interfere. She bought me new clothes after I grew the four inches and lost the 20 pounds and seemed pleased for me and proud of me then. That's about it.

When my daughter was in HS she put on about 40lbs. I tried to be subtle and tell her she was gaining but she would not listen. When we went shopping for school clothes and she had to buy her clothes in the plus size it finally affected her.

We went to Weight Watchers together for about 3 weeks and then followed it on our own. I think it is the best plan for weight loss and maintenance because it teaches you how to eat healthy and portion control. It also allows you to have snacks and treats which is important to kids.

I think kids have an easier time losing weight if it is a family change - it never hurts anyone to have a healthier diet. Start walking or biking daily, eliminate high sugar high carb snacks, exercise some portion control, better to teach them while they are young especially if they are predisposed to weight gain.

Ditto on the family change - much easier if everyone else is involved. Also, my kids are huge "dippers". I have one salad dressing that I buy by the gallon and they will eat just about anything that is dipped in it!! They think it is a treat to have celery, carrots, lettuce, etc. dipped in this (low-cal) dressing. Also, dipping apple slices in peanut butter - healthy and with protein. Also, my kids now prefer whole wheat bread after I kept sneaking it in on them. Before they liked it, I always made their toast with it cause you can't tell the color of the bread is different when it is toasted!! Good luck!

I found this website that was very informative yet simple to understand! We don't drink sodas here but the older kids are bad about juice or milk instead of water. To meet them half way, I am going to buy S/F, low cal koolaid mixes today. I am also stocking up on fruit and veggies (with ow fat salad dressing...great idea!). We keep a snack basket of not so bad for you things...but I am going to look for even better not so bad for you things!! Things like peanut butter or cheese crackers....switch to the low fat ones. I am also going to buy a package or two of bean burritos. They are low fat, high fiber, and they are filling. If she comes in starving from school, this might be a better alternative than junk! It is just too hot to take up exercise right now, but soccer will start shortly, so that will help there. We also intend to start family walking when it cools down some. Anyhow, thanks for all the advice. I so appreciate it.

Healthy Food Choices

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We are fighting the same battle here and as much as I try to get my dd to be more active, eat better she just doesn't seem to care. I am so frustrated about it. It just breaks my heart! How do I get her to care? What can I do to get her to care about her self and her look and to want to be healthy?

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~Jill~