I've not had the best week food wise but I'm back on it today. Never giving up so a few days blip here and there will be part and parcel im sure.
Last night (before tea) I found 2 empty boxes of 8 pack pop tarts in Duncans room. He had saved his lunch money and gone to pound world and bought them. He said he shared them out but ate 10 of them!! 10 pop tarts @ 200 cals each is 2000 calories, 180g sugar and 50g of fat!
He was of course very embarrassed and upset but I don't think he realised just how bad it was.
He is over weight and he has gotten bullied about it but he doesn't seem to want to do anything about it. We generally feed him good food and limit his intake of bad stuff but obviously if he's eating like that then no wonder he's overweight.
We hadn't had tea at that point last night, so we made him some grilled bacon and salad wholemeal wraps to have, I didn't want him having loads more calories.
I know he's a growing boy but he's also a gamer so he's just simply not burning enough energy to justify that many calories in a day! Joe who climbs trees and carries chainsaws all day long can have 3050 (according to mfp) a day as he works so hard! Dunc had way over that yesterday!
He did get upset and I said I wasn't cross at him and I said I totally know that eating can make you feel better (he's very shy and awkward and gets down very easily) but also you don't want to end up like me! I think he is depressed, he thinks no one likes him and is definitely a glass half empty kinda boy which is difficult to deal with as trying to persuade him otherwise is hard.
I tell him that he doesn't have to have loads of friends to feel better, he has 3 good friends at school and that's all he needs. He says no one likes him at youth club but there are boys who make an effort with him but he doesn't reciprocate. I told him he can't expect the world to come to him, he has to make some sort of effort back.
We decided that he's to have packed lunches from now on and no money. He has pocket money but it goes in his bank so he can buy things for his xbox and not junk food.
That way I know what he's eating and what he's not eating and hopefully it'll put a stop to this.
Joe's said he's found loads of wrappers in Duncs pockets and in his school bag. I think he's been doing it a while. All that junk food surely must be making him feel depressed also.
I've ordered some nakd bars and we are going to sit down together and work out what stuff he likes for lunches. It's easy to slap a sarnie together, shove sons crisps and choc in the box and be done. I don't want to do that. I understand he's at a sensitive age and little things like what you take to school can be a big thing to teens so I don't want to send him with sticks of celery etc. He does really like melon and grapes and clementines so I'll get some of them. I'm wondering if anyone can give me suggestions for alternatives to crisps. Something that's easily packed in a lunch box. I was thinking crackers or something.
He doesn't like fish but he likes chicken so I can do various things with chicken for him. Wraps and sandwiches or I guess I could do baked chicken with that crispy coating on and some dip of something.
I really don't want him to end up like me. If I let him, he would stay in his bedroom and play games until the end of time. I know that makes him happy but I also think it's making him unhappy.
His nana text him the other day asking to do something with him and he ignored her so I text from his phone to arrange to meet up. He's going to catch the bus to hers (he has a weekly ticket for school so it's free) and she's going to take him to her caravan which is by the beach and hopefully they'll have a walk or something.
Tomorrow my sister is picking him up and taking him with her to walk her dog who he loves and she loves him.
I've looked at clubs after school but he's not interested so I've suggested asking his friends at the youth club if they want to meet up outside of club hours on other days. He says they probably won't want to but I said it's worth a go.
Poor old duncy
I feel partly to blame. He's grown up with me and my depression and eating disorder and learned the bad ways from me
it's made me realise that I can't scoff and eat junk and then demand that he doesn't.
I've asked my sister who is a nutritionist to have a talk with dunc about what all that sugar and fat does to our bodies and maybe he'll understand why it's so bad.
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As for me, my sleeping is improving. I've been putting on my rain sounds app and I'm usually asleep with in 20 mins. I woke at 7:30 today but didn't sleep until 3. I don't intend on sleeping today so hopefully tonight I can sleep all night.
Busy day doing housework today. Moving the big rug and sofas and having a bit of a spring clean. Just have to persuade Joe out of bed! Xx
