SD7 Diet This Summer
So my SD is 7 and weighs roughly 80 pounds. We have her and her sisters full time for summer break. Its not technacally a diet but i am making her cut back on sweets, pop ect. Ive been TRYING all winter when we have them every other weekend but she just goes home and BM lets her stuff her face. Well when she got here today, she told me about these mean kids in school and how they made fun of her and called her fatso, Miss Piggy and jumbo butt. It pissed me off. One that these kids got away with it. Two, BM dont care or she would be more concerned about her childs feelings AND health! I told her to cheer her up that we will prove them lil turds wrong and im gunna help her look great before she returns to school. She is excited lol... But really, whats the point in helping her loose afew pounds this summer if she is just gunna go back to her mothers and gain it all back!?
It is not the occasional
It is not the occasional sweet that make a kid overweight. It is hours of inactivity. Give her a daily 2 hour screen time limit (TV, computer, video games, ipod included). Then have lots of outside time. Does she have a bike at your house? If she is out and moving away from TV and fridge she will lose weight naturally. We live in the south so mine are out in the morning and evening hours with a inside break in the mid afternoon when the heat is the worst. Thankfully we have lots of kids int he neighborhood so they all play together.
Also you might check into some tennis, golf or swimming lessons for her. Many clubs offer inexpensive lessons in summer. My kids took tennis lessons for $40 and golf lessons at a local course for $30 for 6 lessons once a week. Cheap and they now know enough to golf with grandpa when he visits. Hope this helps you help her. It is not just being made fun of but a lifetime of health issues that you want her to avoid.
Don't "cut back" on sweets
Don't "cut back" on sweets and pop. Cut them out completely. When did pop become a staple in our homes? If she wants sweets...watermelon, oranges, apples, etc. Most kids love fruit, especially if they don't have a choice.
Exercise is good for the body
Exercise is good for the body and mind but does little to reduce weight. It takes about 4 hours on a treadmill to get rid of the calories of one standard size muffin.
It's what goes in the mouth that counts. It's worth trying since you have the whole summer but if she slides back to her old habits during the school year you'll find it almost impossible to influence her diet. Keep trying if the girl is willing but don't turn it into a war of wills.