to think my dd eats a lot and worry about her weight?

[PinkHardHat]

My exH is morbidly obese. I had weight issues in my teens but have been a size 8-10 for the past nine years or so. Dd is 6, around 105cm tall and almost 4 stone. She looks fine from behind but has always had a big tummy that protrudes out of clothes. She does loads of exercise but her tummy seems to be growing bigger. We eat healthily but have McDonalds once per month, which we had at the weekend. She was sharing various things with her cousins and declared afterwards that she'd eaten ten chicken nuggets as well as a box of fries. That's more than I could eat! She's told me before that her dad has given her Pringles and she ate the entire tube

Today she had:

Two slices of brown toast with choc spread and banana and a yoghurt
Milk and Apple at snack time
Lunch consisting of three crackers, cheese, ham, peppers, cucumber, carrots, strawberries, melon, grapes, small cake
After school snacks of pineapple, cherries, popcorn and a bowl of cereal
Dinner of two Yorkshire puddings, broccoli, peas, cauliflower, five roast potatoes and four chipolata sausages
Pudding of jam sponge
An hour later was asking for yoghurt and fruit

If I reduce portion sizes she asks for more. She isn't eating due to boredom as she is always busy but she eats loads more than me and weighs almost half what I do. Aibu to worry about her eating and weight at this stage?

[Ubik1]

Surely we aren't suggesting she low carbs a six year old, are we?

It seems like a case of giving her smaller portions of simple food ie: boiled potatoes instead of roast. no yorkshires. Chipolatas and boiled potatoes and veg seems like a reasonable meal and a yoghurt or a couple of squares of chock afterward.

[EasterHoliday]

no, nobody is suggesting low carbs. They are suggesting a readjustment of the balance of protein to carbs and a shift in the balance of complex: simple carbs.

[Dontletthemgetyoudown]

That sounds a lot for a 6 year old in one day.

Dd is 7 typical day would be cereal such as shreddies or wetabix with milk or toast with peanut butter (50/50 bread) and a banana.

Packed lunch at school is either a sandwich made with one piece of bread and a filling of chicken or ham with cucumber and tomato or cheese. Sometime hummus with grated carrot. Or will do pot of pasta salad or couscous. Along with that raisins or dried fruit, yogurt.

She's usually complaining she's starving when in from school so we've stopped having crisps and chocolates or more bread and have cheese and crackers or veggie sticks and a dip or a yogurt.

Dinner is mainly things like stew, casserole, bolognaise etc but we do have oven chips and nuggets/fish fingers.

For a roast she'd have 2 roast potatoes, 1 Yorkshire, 2-3 slices of meat. Sausages she'd have a maximum of 2.

Younger dc is 4 and eats less than that but if I let her she'd eat and eat. She doesn't seem to have an off switch. Her breakfast and lunch are eaten at nursery though.

Smaller plates? I'd moved the dd's up to normal dinner plates and noticed that there portions were much bigger so back to child plates and no complaints of not enough at meal times.

They both snack on fruit and veg and the odd biscuit.

[Shakshuka]

I really get where you're coming from pink.

My 7 year old is overweight (down from obese which she was a couple of years ago so moving in the right direction). She has a healthy diet and is active but does not have a 'stop' switch. She'll eat what's put in front of her and nearly always clears her plate. If there's junk food around, like at parties, she'll eat it. I could see her easily finishing a tub of pringles or ten nuggets if I let her.

And I know the frustration with other children who are skinny and eat loads of junk. But if you look at how much they eat, you'll see that they often don't eat all that much (not to say their diets are healthy, they eat far less good stuff but also fewer calories). I remember getting a lift home once with another mum and her kids and she had bags of sweets and crisps to hand out as an afterschool snack! My kids were delighted!! But if my two, especially the 7 year old, ate like that, they'd both be hugely overweight. Some kids can get away with it, some can't.

But you are feeding her a lot. My daughter can eat for Britain and I have to say no to her sometimes and tell her that it's enough - her body doesn't do it for her so she has to learn. The diet is mostly healthy but the calories can and do add up. I agree that there's places you could easily cut or make swaps to reduce calories and make it healthier. I'd definitely get rid of chocolate spread and keep cakes and desserts for weekends. Also, it's not clear if the yoghurt and the popcorn are just plain or with sugar/flavoured (yoghurt) and microwave/flavoured (popcorn). Microwave popcorn is full of bad fats, I airpop popcorn and add a tiny bit of butter and salt and my kids still love it. I'd also cut back on the afterschool snack and maybe give a little protein (so give her an apple and some cubed cheese for eg) if she's hungry.

Also, try giving meals on small side plates. So when she has her main meal, give her a couple of sausages, a couple of potatoes, one yorkie and try and fill half the plate with the veggies. If she finishes all of that and then ASKS for more, give her a little more plus veggies. Then say no after seconds of the smaller portion. That way you're giving her a signal about appropriate portion size. You can reduce portion sizes slowly so her tummy adjusts and she'll feel fuller.

Unfortunately, it sounds like you're going to have to be extra careful at home if she's having junk with her Dad. That's frustrating for you because it's nice to share treats but if he won't listen, you'll have to try to account for the food she's having there.

[CaramelisedOnion]

I inputted the food in the OP and that comes to nearly 3000 calories...which is obviously far far too much for anyone (with the possible exception of serious endurance athletes) let alone a child..
.I also inputted conservatively (skinny popcorn not toffee, low fat yoghurts etc). I agree with others that more protein is the way forward...cut out puddings ...fruit can be pudding etc.

While obviously it's important not to give her a complex....I think you are right to want to change things. Good luck....it sounds tough

[CaramelisedOnion]

Sorry should read inputted into myfitnesspal

[MrsBungle]

I think the sweet things are problematic. Chocolate spread, a cake, popcorn and jam sponge pudding really is a lot for one day.

I also think portion size is an issue, 4 chipolatas and 5 roast potatoes also seems a lot for a small child.

It sounds like she gets a lot of good exercise, I would just ensure child-sized portions and far fewer sweet foods/puddings.

[sherazade]

My dd who has just turned seven weighs four stones and is skinny but about twenty cm taller than yours. I would omit the two slices of toast , cake, yorkshire puds, popcorn and pudding. Healthy alternatives to those could be carrot, hummus, sliced roast meat, avocado, cheeses, think food that is lower in sugar but still filling,

[frogwatcher42]

I don't think that seems a lot as it is so heavy on fruit. Fruit is not filling at all and you are hungry very quickly after eating (to be honest if I am due to eat yet feel full, I eat some fruit and it makes me hungry by the meal time).

I think the lunch seems very little to be honest - nothing substantial and filling. That probably makes her hungrier later.

[frogwatcher42]

Why don't you just do three decent meals a day with less fruit and more substantial meals with more protein to fill her up. With one snack of fruit somewhere.

Do you think you are over-thinking it. For example, are you assuming she ate a large tube of pringles. It may have been a snack tube. And most kids, if let loose, will once in a while binge on Maccy Ds and 10 chicken nuggets wouldn't be beyond the intake of a lot of kids (if you think about it 10 chicken nuggets and a small box of fries as a pulped mass of food is probably well less than a burger).

[FloozeyLoozey]

That does sound an awful lot. My very active average sized 8 yo ds today had:
Breakfast bowl of cereal
Lunch quarter of a slice ham sandwich, Apple
Snack 4 crackers
Tea sausage, about 6 chips

Not the most balanced I know, but amount is right.

[JulietBravoJuliet]

I have the completely opposite problem with ds, who is nearly 8. He's 125cm and weighs 3 stone. He eats like a sparrow, even when it's one of the few things he actually enjoys! Today he's had:

Breakfast - 1 weetabix with full fat milk, glass of orange juice (won't eat more than one, and that's under duress!)

Lunch - half a slice of bread and the ham out of the middle (gave him 2 slices), 1 bite from an apple, 2 carrot batons, babybel. Rest of packed lunch came home unbeaten.

Snack - 2 finger kitkat he got from school as it was someone's birthday.

Tea - about 3 forkfuls of tomato pasta bake, plus 1/4 of a chicken breast and some carrot and cucumber batons. Didn't ask for pudding, rarely does.

Today was a good day, he just generally has no interest in food!!

[frogwatcher42]

Floozey - am I reading it right that you think your 8 year old ds had enough food on a bowl of cereal, a sandwich with a quarter of a slice of ham in, an apple, 4 crackers, one sausage and 6 chips. For a whole day?

I must be over feeding my 8 year old dd. Or maybe this proves that different children need way more and less food than each other. Therefore it is useless to comment on each others childrens food intake as it is such an individual thing.

[brettgirl2]

Why is the amount right loozy? My very slim four year old eats much more than that.

I agree with everyone else, protein is the way forward. Ditch the sweet stuff and be careful with fruit (2 or 3 of the 5 a day should really be veg).

It isn't true that other kids have sweets etc after school. The only time dd gets them is in party bags.

[BarbarianMum]

Loozy my children would starve on that amount of food. Ds2 is the same age as the Op's dd and eats equivalent calories (but more complex carbs and protein) but is tall and slim. He's no way as active as the OP's dd either.

What suits 1 child isn't right for another. The OP needs to work out what her dd needs. If there was 1 correct no of calories for a 6 year old that would be easy but there isn't and it isn't.

[jacks365]

Will admit my 2 year old eats more than floozy. She's odd though she raids the veg for carrots and tomatoes for snacks rather than fruit.

[FloozeyLoozey]

I missed off his supper! he has more cereal or toast before bed. I'm the opposite I could eat all day so I certainly don't limit what he eats. he doesn't like big portions or a lot of bread or other very filling carbs. he does get hungry and asks for food when he's hungry but stops eating when he's full. he's never still and doesn't find food very interesting. he isn't underweight and is very sporty.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

My 3 yo, 40% on the BMI, eats about triple double what Floozy's does. However, there is no shit in my house. If DD is hungry (all the time) she opens the fridge and gets an apple, a tomato, possibly a yogurt (no sugar or aspartame, some fruit and only one a day). She might get a cookie once a week. Ice cream about the same after a walk with DH. There is unlimited food, just not unlimited sugar and carbs. If I offer a tomato or eggs and she says 'no' she isn't hungry.

[thenamestheyareachanging]

I think the lunch is too light, not enough complex carbs, fat and protein, which probably leads to her becoming hungry later and overeating?

My 6 year old weighs around 3st, I think (no idea where this is on the BMI charts but he's 3ft 12 and looks pretty skinny - you can see his ribs!). He's active. My 4 year old is about the same height as your dd I think (3ft 6) and weighs about the same as her brother, possibly about 4lb less?

They eat a lot compared to other children I think - but comparing it to your dd's meals, their snacks are much smaller (one piece of fruit, a small cereal bar, a plain biscuit, a couple of breadsticks - so one of those mid morning and one mid afternoon)...but their lunch is much more substantial. I never limit how much they eat at mealtimes. Breakfast they can have cereal, toast and fruit if they like. Lunchtime they will have a sandwich on wholemeal bread - peanut butter, cheese, ham and cucumber, hummus and carrot - sometimes my 6 year old will eat a second sandwich. They'll have rice cakes with that, or sometimes mini cheddars or a handful of crisps, vegetable sticks, then yogurt and fruit. Your dd's lunch of crackers sounds like a snack to me.


If you think of dividing her daily requirements into 3 roughly equal meals, with 3 small snacks, that might help?

I do have one child who says she's hungry when she's actually just bored, and I do say no if I know she's had plenty to eat. I also only give one snack mid morning and one mid afternoon, plus a milky drink at bedtime if they want it.

[StrawColoured]

Everyone's talking about snacks? Just have 3 meals per day. Then kids will recognise real hunger and eat what they're given.

[PinkHardHat]

I appreciate the suggestion of more lunch but she only gets half an hour to eat at school and so can't eat more than that. She has a bigger lunch at weekends and it does mean she eats less later on.

Straw - her mid-morning fruit snack is provided by school. She has lunch at 12 and we don't eat dinner until 6/6.30 so she needs an after school snack with the amount of exercise she does.

Today she had:

Porridge and blueberries
Milk and an Orange
Ham sandwich, cucumber, pepper, carrots, snack a jacks, grapes and apple, biscuit
Popcorn (plain) and a banana
Bowl of homemade soup and two bread rolls
Yoghurt and two squares of choc

Need to go shopping for more protein rich foods. She was practically salivating over her sisters food once she'd eaten her snacks and asked for double the amount of bread she had.

For those who say: just say no - as I've said, I do. It's difficult though when she asks why she can't have more if she's hungry when the food she wants is healthy. It's frustrating that many of her friends seem to live off sweets and fish fingers/chicken dippers and are slim but she eats well and needs to change. She definitely doesn't look overweight, it's just the bloated tum which could well be the carbs which I'll reduce

[defineme]

My kids eat what they're given straw-coloured , but I'd feel cruel if I made them wait from 12 (lunch time at school) to 630pm(time we can get tea on the table as some of their activities are at 5pm) with no food, their stomachs are smaller and they need to feed more often-I just see it as them moving from babies to adults. As breast fed babies they fed every 2-3 hours, now it's every 4 or 5 hours and when they're adults they'll be able to go longer! I'm not going to feel guilty about a homemade scone and a plum (todays after school snack) when they do 2-3 hours exercise a day and their BMI is fine.

[Angloamerican]

OP, I really sympathize. My almost-6 yr old is a "normal" weight but I was concerned about her when she was around 4.

Anyway - I think part of the issue is that what you consider "healthy" really isn't, or at least not in the combinations they are being presented. For example, lunch (in your last post) has barely any protein. The ham in the sandwich. That's it - too many carbs. It's not a case of giving her additional food in the form of protein, but rather substituting some of the simpler carbs for protein. Again with dinner - two bread rolls, yogurt, chocolate. Bread - even wholegrain - really isn't a healthy choice. And 2 bread rolls? Say no. Give her protein instead. Is the yogurt unsweetened Greek? If not, there is likely more carbs than protein. Regular, fruit yogurt is not a health food.

I don't want you to feel like you're being picked on, but really, her diet isn't very healthy. Increase the protein and good fats, reduce the carbs. Even the "healthy" ones.

Good luck!

[TrucksAndDinosaurs]

My tall 3 year old had

Buttered walnut bread toast with cheese and walnuts, full fat greek yogurt and Rice Krispies (a few spoonfuls)

2 apples and 3 ritz crackers

One sausage, oven chips and green beans

2 more apples and a Hob Nob

Lamb burger (home made: just minced lamb and herbs), sweet potato oven chips and buttered steamed broccoli

Drinks: water, ff milk and watered down apple juice with meat meals.

He doesn't sit down except to eat and did an hour jumping off things as well as a walk: does that sound about right? He's 3foot 2 and 36lb.

[TrucksAndDinosaurs]

Sorry for hijack. It seems a compared to other people's older DC looking at thread....