Thread: Advice Needed Please

And the 'full on barneys' might well be helped by a healthy diet with less additives and sugar too!

Does SHE want to lose weight, or is it someone elses idea? I only ask because obviously that will have a bearing on her attitude to how to go about it.

I'm not much of a Jamie Oliver fan particularly, but he is right when he talks about kids being far more likely to try foods when they've had a part in making them. Maybe enlist your daughters help in prepping the healthy food she eats so she feels a little more involved and therefore in control?

Being a teacher I know that healthy eating is taught all through primary school in PSHE, Science and DT, so she must have a good awareness of what she should / shouldn't eat and why. She IS old enough now to understand concequences. It's no good having a barney at mum! The only way she can lose the weight she wants is the same way as every other person of whatever age. By taking control. It may seem harsh but it's also reality!

Has she looked at the part of the Slimming World site aimed at young people? Maybe that will inspire her.

Good luck. x

It's was entirely her idea, she mentioned it to me last week, just wasn't sure how to tackle it.

I supposed she has seen me loose 3.5 stone and wearing size 12 clothes now and she is a size 14/16, so I suppose that may have something to do with it.

This may be a cry for help so I will try and help her and put her on the right tracks.

Lots of great advice here already and I just wanted to add a couple of things.

I think that getting kids involved in cooking their meals is a great way of teaching them about healthy eating and encouraging them to try new things.

Also, think about exercising. Is there something you could do together, something fun more than an organised exercise class like ice skating, dancing or aquafit. It would help you both with the weight loss and be a great way of bonding together.

Originally Posted by Circes

Lots of great advice here already and I just wanted to add a couple of things.

I think that getting kids involved in cooking their meals is a great way of teaching them about healthy eating and encouraging them to try new things.

Also, think about exercising. Is there something you could do together, something fun more than an organised exercise class like ice skating, dancing or aquafit. It would help you both with the weight loss and be a great way of bonding together.

That's a great idea.

A roller disco, Ice skating, dance classes such as Salsa-cise (think strictly or dirty dancing) or what about kick boxing or some other cool martial art. If my daughter was older I would definitely take her to one of these with me.

I do aqua fit once a week, while I am doing aqua fit my OH and son go swimming, but my daughter chooses not to come anymore, she has brought a friend along with her in the past but has since lost interest. All she seems interested in is Computers, TV and fighting with brother! so I think I will have to involve her in the kitchen first - then see where that leads us.

Lyn

Originally Posted by darkcookie

I do aqua fit once a week, while I am doing aqua fit my OH and son go swimming, but my daughter chooses not to come anymore, she has brought a friend along with her in the past but has since lost interest. All she seems interested in is Computers, TV and fighting with brother! so I think I will have to involve her in the kitchen first - then see where that leads us.

Lyn

Try asking her what she would like to do. Maybe if she likes fighting she'd enjoy a martial art. At least that will be great for her self defence as she turns into a young woman and one more weapon in her arsenal against her brother must be a bonus too....lol. Tell her there will be some fit guys there for her to meet as well.

Lyn, I just wanted to say I think its fab that you are looking for ways to help your daughter ...... just make sure she knows that she needs to want to help herself and do this for herself ! Maybe now is a good time to ask her to join you in the aquafit again ?

I second what gobolino just said, what you are trying to do for your daughter is fantastic! I was unhappy with my weight when I was your daughters age (although I was a size 12 and 5ft 8 so I think this was more to do with being surrounded by a load of size 8 bullies than actually needing to lose weight!) and I didnt know where to start other than hitting the diet pills and I'd hate to think of my little one doing that in future.

I sound like your daughter actually in terms of what I eat. My mum still dispairs of me, as did my old consultant when I went to group. I dont like fruit and veg, although Ive trained myself to eat quite a lot of veg and apples and pineapple now. I didnt eat yogurts with what I call bits in them for twenty years until recently. I couldnt stand wholemeal bread or pasta until I forced myself to eat it and now I actually quite like it, I cant eat fish or shellfish (unless its tuna from a can) - I sound like a child!! I'm getting better at long last though and luckiy it's having a knock on effect with my daughter because she has become rather fussy with her food and no doubt thats down to her watching me when she was younger. Because I was on my own for years after she was born I barely cooked a meal unless it was for her so she saw me munching through takeaways or packets of pork pies and sweets - no wonder her eating habits are just as bad as mine are! Luckily I seem to be correcting this slowly, she's actually eating meat that isnt processed, which believe me is an achievement and she's eating a small variety of fruit and veg now rather than none at all, but her eating habits do remain a constant worry and she does have a bit of a tummy on her - this is probably more to do with my mum feeding her treats at every possible opportunity and a bit of puppy fat though.

My daughter needs to get a bit more active too. We dont have a garden so she only really exercises at school during p.e. We go to the park at weekends, or she runs around my mums garden when she has her for me, but I keep encouraging her to switch of the tv, even if it's just to play in her room instead of sitting infront of the tv or at the table drawing. She used to like playing on a wii fit actually, maybe your daughter would benefit from using one of those if she likes computers. I know id certainly go on it after my daughter went to bed if she had one!

Good luck with helping your daughter, it sounds like you're doing a great job already and she'll appreciate it when she's older, even if she does throw a strop now!