Daughter 16 weight isses

[DaisyChain68]

My DD 16 is increasingly putting on weight. No matter how much she exercises, (sometimes 5/6 times a week) and has cut down portions, snacks, carbs, etc. We've even cut high sugar fruit and eating more vegetables. We are trying to be sensible but I know it's getting her down as buying clothes isn't fun for her and as she's working hard and getting bigger is miserable.

We've had her thyroid checked, her stomach checked for candida and all sorts of allergies tested. Sometimes her stomach looks so huge and bloated and also her face and neck can look big and puffy. Then other days not so much. She takes probiotics and vitamins

Since school started this term she's almost bursting out of her school uniform and I think I'm going to have to buy a bigger size. She says she's not snacking as she's now tearful and I'm at a loss as to what to do or think - but there's defiantly something going on with her and we can't get to the bottom if it.

[cupofchai]

I read somewhere about gut flora and eating an apple a day can help this?

[TimbuktuTimbuktu]

I'd get her to keep a totally honest food diary for two weeks. Then if genuinely she is gaining whilst not overeating go back to the doctors.

What are her thyroid levels. Some people think the normal range set by the NHS is to wide and that some people benefit from treatment if they are at the far end of normal.

[hairypaws]

I hate to put it out there but could she be pregnant? How old is she?

[hairypaws]

Sorry, I see she's 16. A gentle conversation may be needed.

[CuckooClockChimes]

Could she be eating secretly?

[RavingRoo]

Get her tested for pcos.

[DaisyChain68]

Thanks for all your suggestions but she eats an apple a day, we've been keeping a diary for weeks and this problem has been going on for months. Her periods are also very heavy as on the first day we need to change the bed clothes .

The bloated tummy for a few years which is why we've had so many tests done including a scope. She drinks apple cider vinegar in the mornings. I've trawled google for answers as you can see. We are at a loss. She is looking very bloated some days and other days not so bad. But her diet and exercise should be helping. I'd have given up long ago, she has more stamina than me!

[SuperStormborn]

She eats one apple a day ??

[hairypaws]

Poor girl her periods sound bad. Would be worth going down that avenue for investigations with GP. Could well be a hormonal issue.

[Orangeplastic]

Some food allergies do not show up on standard tests. I'd try eliminating foods like wheat and dairy one at a time for a month and see if that helps. Has she been tested for polycystic ovaries?

[Tanaqui]

Has she been tested for coeliac? I was very bloated and uncomfortable, and then actually quite ill- am so much better now gluten free (don't try gluten free before the test or the test won't work, but if the test comes back negative it might still be worth trying)

[Melony6]

Bimuno is the gut flora stuff which Michael Mosley recommended (for sleep rather than directly for gut flora) on Trust me I'm a Doctor.
It is very easy to take.
I also have bought Bioglan from health food store, it doesn't taste very nice but appears to have everything in it, or just eat the yoghurts.
Read up on gut flora, it can affect all aspects of health.

[IveGotBillsTheyreMultiplying]

Is she actually overweight? Or just gaining weight? As a girl grows up hormones will tend to trigger some fat deposition as part of development. Water retention can be marked premenstrually, too.

Has she got excess body hair, acne or any other PCOS signs?

[3luckystars]

Is she very constipated?

Long term constipation can cause bloated looking face, weight gain and swollen stomach.

Even if she is going to the toilet every day, she could still be blocked up.

[DaisyChain68]

I've just googled PCOS and it's not something that we've looked at but it does sound possible. Very heavy and irregular periods and awful PMT but she doesn't have acne or hair on her face. But ti's worth looking at as we're at a loss with everything else.
She was tested for coeliac - thanks, and lactose
Thanks very much for your suggestions.

[lljkk]

cider vinegar is bad for your teeth.

Sorry, I'm thinking secret eating or you guys aren't good at judging portions/calorie content.

[specialsubject]

Bimuno had an advertising complaint against them upheld - as most scammy supplement packs lie, they must have been pretty extreme.

What is the apple cider vinegar for? Evidence?

She needs real medical treatment to help with periods, and as you've had no pcos test push for that. Hope help is found.

[ggirl]

I would agree ..get her tested for PCOS

[silkpyjamasallday]

It's sounds as if there is a great deal of time and thought put into her diet by both of you, obsessive exercise and add in the apple cider vinegar which is part of the clean eating fad (which in many cases is a cover up for disordered eating) there could be issues surrounding how your daughter sees food. I had a friend like your DD, she was always seemed to eat nothing but salad/very healthy food, exercising in the school gym at lunch time, but she was binging on cakes and sweets and purging in secret. It's a misconception that bulimic people get thinner, they often gain weight. Is there any evidence that your dd could be binge eating in secret?

[RavingRoo]

I have severe pcos, doctors think i must have had it from 9 or so as my symptoms started with my periods. I don’t have acne or hair on my face- the hair on my breasts developed after I turned 30. Get her tested. She needs a pelvic transvag ultrasound to get a proper diagnosis.

[OliviaBonas]

Are her periods painful? It could be endometriosis. Either way she needs a gynae referral as other have said.