vonna
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Post by vonna on Sept 27, 2012 8:08:23 GMT -5
And yes, portion sizes are out of whack. That's why I only eat two meals a day normally. I have no idea how some people manage to eat three meals a day and not gain weight. Well, I usually eat about 5 small meals/snacks a day -- which works for me. If I only ate two meals a day, I would probably overeat because I would be so hungry. I prefer to graze . . .
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 27, 2012 8:21:36 GMT -5
I have 2 kids. DD is considered obese. DS is normal. DS isn't really too interested in food. DD loves food, and I often have to limit what she eats to the point that it's a battle. She is more active than DS. I try to focus her on different activities other than food, and I try to keep food out of sight, out of mind for her. It's tiring. And difficult. And I feel guilty and I'm trying very hard not to give her food issues, but I think she already has them. I really struggle with trying to make my daughter healthy but not give her a complex about it. I'm not sure it worked. I did do the best I could and she did get a good veriety of healthy food that she learned to love. She is much more active than me or DH was at her age, yet she is still overweight according to those charts. And not borderline either. You guys are right about how hard it is to try to teach healthy habits without creating other issues. My 8 year old is over 4' tall and weighs a little under 50 lbs - you can actually see his ribs. We don't buy any junk food to have in the house, but there are no limits on what they can eat at home. There's always a big supply of fresh fruit, dried fruit, assorted nuts, yogurts, grains, nut butters, etc. which everybody grazes from and anyone who wants a second helping at dinner is welcome to it. We don't talk about being fat or thin, we talk about being healthy and giving our body fuel. Nobody is allowed to leave for school without a big, healthy breakfast. Even with all that, a few weeks ago, DS grabbed his (nonexistant) thigh and sadly commented how he needed to lose some fat. Part of the problem is that even if you don't say things like that in your house - 'cause I know he didn't hear that here - you can't control what they're hearing at school, from their friends, etc. All you can do is try your best.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Sept 27, 2012 8:22:46 GMT -5
And yes, portion sizes are out of whack. That's why I only eat two meals a day normally. I have no idea how some people manage to eat three meals a day and not gain weight. Well, I usually eat about 5 small meals/snacks a day -- which works for me. If I only ate two meals a day, I would probably overeat because I would be so hungry. I prefer to graze . . . While that may actually be healthier for most people it isn't an option for the vast majority of kids. The schools have a set time for lunch and that is normally the only time they can eat anything during the day. So my kids go to school at 8:30 and eat lunch at 11 in the morning. Sounds fine so far but they don't get home until at least 4. they are starving but if they have a snack then when do we eat dinner? I don't want to eat at 7 at night. They also, DD's school changed this year, get 17 minutes to eat lunch including getting it and sitting down if they buy. It teaches them a stuff their face as fast as possible mentality. Gym is getting cut out/down and then we wonder why more of them are overweight.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 8:29:22 GMT -5
Study after study shows that people consistently underestimate the amount of food and calories they eat and whatever they eat for a few days becomes the new "normal" to them. <snip> While not evidence since it's not a large enough sample, I've never known an overweight person who didn't hugely underestimate what they were eating or selectively ignored/didn't remember the daily treats or binges. Even for people that are fairly conscientious what they eat, it's usually a big surprise when they start keeping a food journal and seeing how it all adds up. I've heard the same thing from a doctor- he says that once people actually record what they eat and add up the calories, they cut back and the weight comes off. He said that his own wife, who's average weight and runs a few miles a day, swore she couldn't lose weight until he had her record what she ate. He uses an app - it may be MyFitnessPal. In addition to restaurant serving sizes, take a look at how meat is packaged. The size of an average pork chop has doubled since I was a kid. That doesn't mean you need to eat it all. DH and I split one and we're happy. Same with a chicken breast- way too much for one person at one sitting. Snacking is way out of hand. I snack a lot but it's usually fruits and vegetables. When I was a kid (comfortable middle class, 1950s/1960s) potato chips and Fritos were a rare treat- so was McDonald's. They were not an everyday or weekly occurrence. Heck, my mother actually baked cookies and cakes but somehow we all stayed skinny. I do think the additives and the processing of packaged food compound the problem. With some of the sweet stuff, I practically can't stop eating once I start and I swear it's engineered that way So I don't start. Finally- many people don't know how to cook nutritious food from scratch. If Mom bought Tater Tots and took them to McD's, that's all they know. It's MUCH easier to eat healthy if you do your own cooking and it doesn't have to take that much longer than it does to detour through the Drive-Through lane for dinner.
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vonna
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Post by vonna on Sept 27, 2012 8:30:28 GMT -5
Well, I usually eat about 5 small meals/snacks a day -- which works for me. If I only ate two meals a day, I would probably overeat because I would be so hungry. I prefer to graze . . . While that may actually be healthier for most people it isn't an option for the vast majority of kids. The schools have a set time for lunch and that is normally the only time they can eat anything during the day. So my kids go to school at 8:30 and eat lunch at 11 in the morning. Sounds fine so far but they don't get home until at least 4. they are starving but if they have a snack then when do we eat dinner? I don't want to eat at 7 at night. They also, DD's school changed this year, get 17 minutes to eat lunch including getting it and sitting down if they buy. It teaches them a stuff their face as fast as possible mentality. Gym is getting cut out/down and then we wonder why more of them are overweight. For us, the school schedule makes mini-meals even more important. My daughter's school schedule is similar, though she gets snack time around 10:30 am and her lunch isn't until 12:30. She comes home hungry at 4 as well, and we have another "snack/mini-meal" and then usually another one around 6 or 6:30. I realize this doesn't fit for the traditional "3 meals a day" family. But, it works for us.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Sept 27, 2012 8:31:29 GMT -5
Part of the problem is that even if you don't say things like that in your house - 'cause I know he didn't hear that here - you can't control what they're hearing at school, from their friends, etc. I get pissed off when people make comments about Gwen's weight. She's actually in the bottom 10% (barely on the chart) but she's short and squat like daddy. I joke she grows sideways before she grows upwards, but she always evens out and has coasted along at the bottom of the chart since day one. It doesn't stop people who meet her though from commenting that she is a "chunk". WTF? Fortunately she is not old enough yet to understand people are incapable of having a thought and letting it go. I, however, do and they should count themselves lucky I don't beat them to death.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 8:37:13 GMT -5
Drama, If you are worried about Gwen's chunk you can get spanx for her.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 8:37:45 GMT -5
One of my sisters married a heavier guy and her 13 year old son is struggling with weight issues. The other sister married a lanky guy and their 12 year old is lanky just like his Dad, so I think genetics plays factor. My parents were skinny people who had skinny kids (although age is starting to change that descriptor for ALL of us ).
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 27, 2012 8:46:36 GMT -5
Genetics does definitely play a factor.
But it's a factor you can overcome with work. The grownups in my family were all obese when I was a child. My sisters and I were skinny kids just because we were active and frankly, weren't always fed. Now that we're grown, I'm very active and have to watch what I eat to stay a normal weight. My sisters who are obese are mostly fairly active (I even have one obese sister who's a spin class instructor and very fit cardiovascularly, but still over weight), but just eat too much. It is tougher for some people. Stinks and is unfair, but is what it is.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Sept 27, 2012 8:49:18 GMT -5
Ummmmm, are you going to lock your kids in your house until they are 21?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 8:50:39 GMT -5
Ummmmm, are you going to lock your kids in your house until they are 21? No. She let's her kids out. It is other kids she worries about. just like a typical liberal.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 8:51:06 GMT -5
According to the pedophile thread it would only have to be until they're 16.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 8:52:40 GMT -5
Tell him I think that adults who drink milk are weird.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 8:53:47 GMT -5
You're weird! And not in the good way....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 8:54:47 GMT -5
Tell him I think that adults who drink milk are weird. I tell him ALL THE TIME. When we go places and the host says "can I get you something to drink?", he asks for milk! Who does that? 4 year olds.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 8:55:04 GMT -5
You're weird! And not in the good way.... : )
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Sept 27, 2012 8:58:31 GMT -5
Drama, If you are worried about Gwen's chunk you can get spanx for her. Nope not worried at all. She's actually underweight. Pedi has said it woud be nice if she developes more body fat than her mamma has. Do they make those spanx body suits in adult size? DH might be interested in one.
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Formerly SK
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Post by Formerly SK on Sept 27, 2012 8:58:50 GMT -5
One book that profoundly changed how I view food (for the better) was this one: www.amazon.com/The-End-Overeating-Insatiable-American/dp/1605294578/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348753837&sr=8-1&keywords=the+end+of+overeatingIt explained really well how sugar, fat, and salt affect our brain chemistry similar to drugs like heroin etc and that yes, eating some makes you want to eat more. And for some people with certain brain chemistry (I'm one of them) you really can't just eat "a little" because the detox process is so difficult. I highly recommend it. This makes me so sad. My 8yo has autism so is pretty clueless to being smaller/thinner than everyone else, but my 6yo DD is getting pretty aware. And while most people have common sense enough to not say aloud how fat a child is, they have no problem commenting on how small/skinny a child is. Plus kids keep picking her up against her will at school. I've got DD doing gymnastics since her body type is excellent for it, and we do a lot of what Milee spoke about - talk about healthy foods and getting energy to grow from them. It sucks, though, that it seems no matter what you do at home kids seem to pick up on body image issues anyway.
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PK Bucko
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Post by PK Bucko on Sept 27, 2012 9:00:53 GMT -5
DS is in good shape. And if he's like me, (so far it seems that way) he won't encounter weight problems until he's in his 30's.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Sept 27, 2012 9:04:21 GMT -5
Poor DD. BTDT, got the t-shirt... I try not to comment on anyone's weight, fat or thin. I agree that people seem to think it's fine to say things to a thin person they'd never dream of saying to an overweight person. Although it's a bit like arguing reverse racism (since thin people do have more societal advantages than overweight people). DH (a former fat kid) and I have had some very interesting debates on the subject
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on Sept 27, 2012 9:07:51 GMT -5
Poor DD. BTDT, got the t-shirt... I try not to comment on anyone's weight, fat or thin. I agree that people seem to think it's fine to say things to a thin person they'd never dream of saying to an overweight person. Although it's a bit like arguing reverse racism (since thin people do have more societal advantages than overweight people). DH (a former fat kid) and I have had some very interesting debates on the subject I feel the same way - I get comments all the time on how skinny I am, how lucky I am (genetics/metabolism does play a part, but I also run a lot), and after a while, it gives you a complex. It puts pressure on you (well, for me at least) to always stay the same size. FWIW, my brother and I were both skinny kids. My parents were skinny when they were young - my dad is still thin, though my mom never quite dropped those 50 pounds she gained with my brother.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Sept 27, 2012 9:09:54 GMT -5
And while most people have common sense enough to not say aloud how fat a child is, they have no problem commenting on how small/skinny a child is. Plus kids keep picking her up against her will at school
I sympathsize with your daughter.
I also get constant back handed compliments about my weight. Just the other day I was eating a crossiant I got from the cafteria and a random chick walking by goes "You are so lucky to be able to eat stuff like that and get away with it".
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Sept 27, 2012 9:10:44 GMT -5
I sometimes wonder if this is not as big of a problem as the portion sizes, quality of food, etc. The amount of time that we spend paying attention to food is insane. From the very 1st second a child is born, the "food" conversation is non-stop. How much food, what kind of food, when to eat and it goes on and never seem to stop. I can't recall one event that didn't have food - children's gatherings, work meeting, social adult gatherings, sporting events, classes - you name it, there is food involved somehow. I HATE the word "snack". It seems that every time I turn around, it's time for a "snack". WTF? Can we not go two hours without food???
It's almost like we are living our life in between our food routines.
Lena
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Sept 27, 2012 9:12:26 GMT -5
No kids myself, but both brothers do; five between them. Three of the five have weight issues. My brothers were always the thin, starved-looking kids and I was the fat kid in the family. Our parents had weight issues: mom always carried a few extra pounds, but dad ranged from overweight to obese, depending on whatever fad diet he was following. I think it's a combination of heredity and environment. As nutritionist and author Dr. Paula Peek has said, "Heredity loads the gun, but environment pulls the trigger." What she was referring to in that statement is that your family history does play some role, such as the number of fat cells you have. But she was adamant in pointing out that it's the environment you live in that determines whether or not those fat cells get filled or not.
Kids probably do play less, not only at home but at school, where Phys. Ed has either been curtailed or dropped completely due to budge considerations. Social media/technology has also been faulted, along with the fact that kids are busy with other non-athletic activities these days: music lessons, camps, clubs, tutoring. Sports clubs, particularly community-based groups, are losing ground due to budget cuts. Pools are closing, baseball diamonds and soccer fields are not being maintained. Fewer parents can, or are willing or able to spend time volunteering their time for Little League when their jobs are at stake, or they have to cobble together a few part-time jobs to keep their families fed while looking for full-time work.
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PK Bucko
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Post by PK Bucko on Sept 27, 2012 9:14:29 GMT -5
Unplug the TV and watch the pounds melt off of not only the kids, but the parents as well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 9:16:19 GMT -5
You don't mess with my TV watching PK!!!!
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PK Bucko
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Post by PK Bucko on Sept 27, 2012 9:17:12 GMT -5
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Formerly SK
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Post by Formerly SK on Sept 27, 2012 9:17:13 GMT -5
Whenever dh and I watch older movies from like the 80's, it's always striking how skinny EVERYBODY is. Not just the main characters, but all of the extra's and all of the children. I watched the original "Flipper" movie recently with the kids and the main character (boy of 13ish) looked like he belonged in a concentration camp. You could practically see his entire musculatory system. I laugh at the old Norman Rockwell prints from the Saturday Evening Post. All his drawings were SO skinny!
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Sept 27, 2012 9:17:57 GMT -5
PK, you must have been in my older brother's house. TV there is on nonstop. When I visit them, I have to stay in a hotel just to get away from it. I cannot stand the background noise, and I don't get it at all. All the kids have their own TV, too, so that's five sets in a four-bedroom house. You should try going in there when all the sets are on and tuned to a different station, and all the bedroom doors are open. It sounds like an insane asylum after the meth delivery.
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Formerly SK
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Post by Formerly SK on Sept 27, 2012 9:20:44 GMT -5
Unplug the TV and watch the pounds melt off of not only the kids, but the parents as well. I think is not the main issue. Yes, too much TV is bad, but we're supposed to have our kids do about an hour of reading and homework every night which is just as sedentary. I know I read A LOT as a kid. I guess I should blame Nancy Drew for my fat.
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