Does anyone have weight loss or meal plan suggestions for children?

Question

My son is 11 years old and weighs approx 125 pounds. He is the heaviest boy in his class and it has really impacted his self-esteem. Besides improving his lifestyle to be more active, I'd like to give him a food plan that teaches him how to make choices and eat in moderation. I've searched Weight Watchers with no luck. I'm looking for some type of list that will give him bfast/lunch/dinner/snack options that he can pick from daily/weekly. If you have something you can share or a similar story w/success please share!

Thanks!

Answer 1

Here are a few suggestions but realize from the start, your entire family will take on a new healthy pattern of eating if he is to benefit.



Here are a few important suggestions:



1) Do your research by going to www.pyramid.gov. This site will tell you what his daily intake should be in the form of healthy foods according to his age and height. It will also provide a list of what is needed and the many choices of healthy items will be listed in each category.



2) Remove all unhealthy items from your home and don’t buy them.



3) Do not treat foods, or stops at fast food places as a reward at any time but realize even fast foods present healthy choices.



4) Take on the attitude that we need to eat to live, not eat to live. Drop the fascination given to unhealthy items.



5) Walk with him in the afternoon or any opportunity you can. It is important that everyone in your family mentally knows the importance of daily exercise as a way of life along with making the best choices from a healthy viewpoint when it comes to choosing what passes through out mouths and into our bodies.



6) You set the example, so don’t ask him to change if no one else has made this change in your household.



7) Do not look at any of this as a "diet" which to most represents denial, depriving oneself or temporary. Look at this is as a new way of life for all of you and one that will benefit everyone.



8) He will learn by not having options that were once in the home and learn to appreciate good food and fruit for snacks.



9) Research, come up with your own plan for him and your family from the food pyramid.



10) Watch the area of portions and servings according to his age and make sure you are aware of how much his body needs from a nutritional standpoint versus a stuffed standpoint.



If you do all of these things, he will lose weight and his self esteem will rise and all of you will be healthier for life. If you would like to get him more involved, go to www.caloriecount.about.com and set up a chart for him or anyone else and he can watch as his present weight changes towards his goal weight. You will also find out how many calories he is actually consuming each day by charting them on a daily basis. You can also input in his exercise activity each day and all of you will become more educated on what he is actually eating each day. It’s wonderful, both of the sites has everything anyone needs in order to lose weight. I have lost 24 pounds in less than 3 months doing exactly what I am recommending to you. I only have 6 pounds left and my husband and son have each lost 10 and neither one of them had any type of weight problem but feel better overall since we implemented these changes in our healthy pattern of eating.



Remember one major thing, this is all about the proper mindset; it’s not to be referred to as a "diet" because diet sounds temporary and this is a healthy pattern of eating for life for everyone which includes daily exercise as a priority.



Best Wishes!

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I would try to get your son to eat more fruit and vegetables and staying away from fried and fast food. Don't have a specific weight loss or meal plan, but you want to try to have him eat 5-6 small meals a day. Physical activity is just as important for weight loss as what you eat. See if he would be interested in a sport and going on walks. The more muscle he builds the better his metabolism will get. Know this was all pretty general, but hope it still helps in some way.

Answer 4

Take your son to a doctor for a complete physical to rule out the possibility of an undiagnosed medical problem. While this is rare, it is frequent enough that it must be considered.



By itself, 11 yrs old & 125 pounds means very little. This must be compared to his height.



Experts say that children should never be put on a diet, except for rare occasions. Here's where the doctor comes in. The recommendation usually is good nutritionally balanced meals.



It should be safe to start a walking program while waiting for the physical. He should be able to carry-on a conversation while walking. If a conversation is too difficult, so down.



Odds do not favor him wanting to engage in this alone & depending on the neighborhood, it may not be safe. Here is where you come in & it will be a good chance for time with him. Start out with 5 minutes & work up from there. As things improve, you will naturally increase the time & intensity of the walk.



Again, if safe, park at the other side of a parking lot to go to a store. This type of walking is just a bonus for the scheduled walk.



Your doctor will provide better ideas on a workout or recommend a physical or occupational therapist or fitness trainer to get your son a good start.



Good Luck.

Answer 5

OK the FITT principle states that u should be exercising 3-4 times a week, minimum. I suggest adding in another session of exercise. Try and intergrate study and exercise. This is for fitness not weight loss but it should be the same. It also states that you should exercise for 30-40 minutes. Your weight is not really relevant, compared to say ur body mass index or the amount of excess fat. Situps arent really great for losing weight, cardiovascular exercise (basically exercise that involves a lot of movement) is best. Don't cut down on your proportions of vegetable too much, just don't get too close to the 3 prime evils, sugar, fat and carbohydrates. (obviously u need some or u will starve, but dont overdose). Don't go too far or put out a number you have to meet. If you lose 3 kilos and your gut is gone, you can stop dieting so restrictively.

Answer 6

Figure out a bunch (30+) of nutritious meals in the 250-300 calorie range. Allow your son to choose 4 of them every day. This will work out to around 1200 calories, more than enough for a gradual 0.5lb-1lb/wk weight loss, provided he's fairly active... And 4 meals a day will be enough to satisfy even a picky eater.



As always, vegetables are low in calories, and high in bulk. Learn to cook without butter or oil (9/10 times) it's not necessary in a recipe! No male will complain about a diet higher in lean protein... Skinless chicken breasts (microwave for 4m from frozen, then pan fry covered with a lid) and steamed veggies are a great option, high in essential protein and low in calories. Eggs and toast for breakfast. Stay away from sandwiches (pbnj for example) as they're very dense with calories and fat, and low in overall nutrient content.



Switch to skim or 1% milk, or cut a daily glass out alltogether and provide a calcium supplement such as an extra strength tums, that alone will amount to a 1lb loss every month, just by removing a single glass of milk every day.



Good luck... :)

Answer 7

The first thing you can do is have him cut out all the sweets. Sugar content in foods is one of the biggest culprits in childhood obesity. Common foods with a lot of sugar that parents allow their kids to eat are cookies, processed breads (enriched), fruit juices, and ice cream. While you are at it, ban any and all fried fast foods. Opt for healthier choices on a Wendy's menu for example, by letting him eat a grilled chicken sandwich with a plain baked potato instead of a fried chicken sandwich with fries.



Diets for children should always be medically supervised; don't even consider Weight Watchers or others like Nutrisystem for kids no matter how tempting it is. Your son needs a lifestyle change instead of a quick weight loss diet which will probably cause him to gain the weight right back. Have him eat healthier foods which include natural fruits, vegetables, and lean protein meats instead of all that processed garbage these companies keep tempting us with.

Answer 8

but be very careful about how you do it, you don't want him to feel badly about himself. A good way to do it would be to have him help you cook dinner and pick out his own lunch to make. Check out this site they have some really good ideas and recipes http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/habits.html

And limit the snacks, you have complete control over what comes into the house. Don't bring him grocery shopping with you and buy mostly healthy snacks and one bad snack for the week. When the bad one is gone he will have no other options.



http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/collections/healthy_eating_kids.html



http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/resources/mpk_worksheet.pdf



http://adisney.go.com/healthykids/



http://www.healthychoices.org/index.php?page_id=28



Alot of these site have a menu planning guide that you and he can do together. Be sure to make it a family thing, like the whole family is going to start eating better and start learning about it together. Don't single him out as the only one.

Answer 9

Walk at least 15 mins after your meals

Answer 10

degrease by scrubbing in the shower for 15 minutes then spend 7 minutes shaving 3 minutes toweling off 4 minutes moisturizing and 20 minutes blow drying and styling your hair

Answer 11

if you re having trouble getting started make a small move such as starting an eating log or buying walking shoes you re three times more likely to follow through if you start with small gestures such as these

Answer 12

Eat a diet filled with all natural healthy whole foods

Answer 13

do 250 breaststrokes about 10 minutes

Answer 14

Walk in the morning and eat breakfast within an hour of waking

Answer 15

save time and money during the week by buying lean protein such as chicken breasts in bulk and cooking a weeks worth on sunday night

Answer 16

fly a kite for 20 minutes

Answer 17

love the starbucks grande caramel frappuccino skip the whole milk and whipped cream which packs in 410 calories total and order the starbucks grande caramel frappuccino light which is only 140 calories

Answer 18

swing a lasso over your head 375 times

Answer 19

savory umami ingredients such as mushrooms low sodium soy asparagus and olives can help you feel full and add an earthy home y quality to your healthy dishes

Answer 20

land in the taupo volcanic zone and climb 26 percent of the way up in 18 minutes

Answer 21

Set new goals even you lose 10 pounds

Answer 22

a 50 minute beach volleyball game

Answer 23

replace your regular pasta noodles with whole wheat pasta for a more filling meal

Answer 24

Stop hunger pangs while dieting by eating foods that keep you full

Answer 25

keep a small water glass which you must refill often instead of a large water bottle on your desk

Answer 26

Go for kettlebell workouts to burn more calories in less time

Answer 27

schedule meetings to take place in far off conference rooms

Answer 28

if you re buying only a few items skip the cart and carry a basket

Answer 29

Use a bathroom on a different floor and use the stairs

Answer 30

tour a winery instead of just buying another bottle

Answer 31

dont eat with a large group

Answer 32

snack on a small handful of nuts

Answer 33

bulk up your meals with veggies

Answer 34

get coffee with friends to go walk as you talk and sip

Answer 35

don t save calories up to splurge on junk

Answer 36

invest in quality pots and pans the heavier they are the more energy it ll take to use them

Answer 37

wear comfortable clothes during exercise so you can feel good also you can do more

Answer 38

ditch half of your spaghetti for spaghetti squash

Answer 39

prepare lunch at your home and bring it to your work

Answer 40

eat more protein

Answer 41

chew more