How can I help my teen daughter lose weight

Yeah, but you have to eat a lot of them to get enough protein. They aren’t very calorie efficient providing protein unless you’re incorporating things like tofu.

So far you haven’t mentioned any high protein sources or any healthy fats.
Your instinct was to tell her to eat less cheese- when that is currently her only source of protein and calcium. Not a good idea.

You can be hungry for these nutrients and no amount of carbs and sugars from veg and fruit will satisfy your hunger.

I would advise the food diary and seeing a dietician.

In the UK peas are a vegetable and a protein source. Beans are a protein source along with lentils and pulses and legumes.

Yep

What has driven the weight gain? And how much has she actually gained?
ie was she already a little big and has put on 5kgs so now really feeling it? Or has she put on 11kgs in 6 months and really doesn’t know why?

if it is the latter I would check your family health history and consider a full MOT (use Medichecks for blood tests) and check thyroid and other nutrition markers. To identify if there is an underlying reason for the weight gain otherwise she is beating herself up whilst doing battle with her own hormones and chemistry.

if the former then yes by all means speak to chat gpt and come up with a plan about how to lose weight sustainably by July 2026. But please review it with her and make sure it is sensible.

Yes, I agree and eat similarly (not a dietician either but it works for me)
I don’t eat meat every day but a chilli sin carne is a complete meal for me as long as there are added vegetables. On the other hand I wouldn’t eat jacked potato with beans, that would be two carby things and not much else. I don’t recommend low carb but a meal that’s mostly carbs is not balanced.

To me personally beans are basically a “bonus” carb. Aka complex, healthy carbohydrates with protein and fibre.

chili con carne with lots of beans and vegetables is therefore a complete meal for me (no need to serve with rice or other kinds of additional carbs / starchy foods).

My dietician recommends this approach as well btw. But I’m not a medical professional (so this isn’t meant to be advice, I’m just sharing what works for me).

It's all about protein.

Have porridge oats with yoghurt and nuts, keeps you fuller for longer.

Increase walking.

They are a good source of fibre, are minimally/not at all processed and so filling. I have PCOS and have fully re embraced potatoes recently and have lost 30lbs which I am maintaining well. The absolute worst thing for me is a very low carb diet as it's completely unsustainable and unrealistic.

Is she actually overweight? How tall is she and what does she way? I'd be wary of calorie counting at her age as it sets her up for a lifetime of dieting (as opposed to healthy eating). Checking the balance of her macros is a good idea. Maybe swap out cheese for tuna or chicken with the jacket for example

@Solentsolo this may be a useful calculator as a guide.

You can look at macros and various other health and fitness calculators, at least may offer a starting point?

Ask her to ask chat gpt - tell her to input her measurements and daily food and ask chat CGT to advise her on a step by step plan of what she needs to be a healthy weight by September 2026 when she starts uni

That might work as it’s not coming directly from you, and she can keep refining it with chat GPT.

That’s interesting because they contain more carbs than protein. In my country’s guidelines (very good ones IMO) they are listed sources of protein but don’t belong to the vegetables category on the model plate. It’s probably to discourage people from having completely beige diet disguised as healthy beans & lentils.

I think if it’s only 11kg and she’s 17 which means she’s finishing school and thinking about how she wants to be then o would be fairly comforting and gentle. She’s taking tons of exercise which assuming she’s getting sweaty is very positive. Lots of people have mentioned drinking and I think she will see an improvement if she ups her water intake. But a 2litre bottle fill it with water and see how much she is really drinking in a day. Another easy way to reduce portion size and feel fuller is to drink a glass of water before every meal and every snack.

Sorry if I have missed it but exactly how much has her weight increased by ?

Don't tell her what she shouldn't eat. Guide her as to what she should. "How about tuna in your jacket DD, good protein source to fill you up, but less fat" "How about some fruit/yoghurt/veg sticks before you have your snacks? You'll probably have less appetite for them if you take the edge off with some nutritious stuff"
This is of course assuming she's asked for your help. If you start this unsolicited you'll drive her potty.

When I wanted to lose weight I found the MyFitnessPal app really helpful. You put in all the food you're eating and exercise you're doing and it can help highlight where you're over/under certain food types or activity levels.

I found it helpful to add literally everything down to the last glass of water or step on my step tracker when I first started and it showed me I wasn't having enough protein or fats compared to carbs and I needed to get into calorie deficit one way or the other.

Once I got into the routine I found I didn't need it anymore to maintain the lost weight, but it was a great starting point.

It could be as simple as tweaking what she eats as much as now much. I can’t eat Weetabix at all as it leaves me starving through the day. Porridge is the same for me unless I add in protein in the form of cottage cheese or something.

So instead of four Weetabix in the morning she could switch to porridge and mix in some cottage cheese and milled nuts and seeds and some berries. Or have eggs on sourdough toast. Or even beans on toast.

Concentrate on protein with each meal and snack and change any carbs to more slow release carbs.

This, if you look at the glycaemic index (I loosely follow this as I have PCOS and gain weight very easily) jacket potatoes are on the high index.

Me too, and I've have loved something like Nutracheck and finding out the nutritional balance of what I'm eating. It's not "toxic diet culture" to be a bit more careful about what you eat and try to balance food and exercise, and it doesn't mean someone is going to go headlong into an eating disorder either.

Eat less, move more. At that age it shouldn't
be a problem.
I would suggest a full blood test, due to thyroid, lack of vitamins, certain hormones.

What is her BMI? Is she actually overweight?

Is she on the pill? Or any other medication that can lead to weight gain?

Is she stressed? Is she eating for comfort?

Is PCOS a possibility?

What would've helped me as an overweight teen would have been someone sitting with me and explaining calories, proteins, fats and carbs. I had absolutely no clue about calories, and food groups and how much I roughly needed a day.

From the perspective of someone who knows a lot about eating disorders, there is a LOT of incredibly unhelpful advice on this thread.
She doesn't need to do ANYTHING to lose weight. She eats healthily and is active. 5kg is not a priority.
At 17 she absolutely shouldn't be dieting or messing with what her natural hunger signals are saying to her, unless she is actually very overweight or obese.
I agree with those saying she should see the GP. There might be something going on. If there isn't, it is VERY normal to gain weight at this stage in the teens. Encourage positive body image and wait it out. She will likely lose it in her twenties. I know lots of people who had a 'chubby' (I use that word very carefully) phase in their late teens and were very slender in their twenties.
Be really gentle with her OP. Make her feel good about herself. Don't let her obsess about food, calories and weight at this vulnerable age please.

She needs a high protein breakfast, not weetabix