DD's eating habits

[hungrygurl]

NC

Yes it's my fault but I'm trying to fix it before it becomes a major issue.

DD is 4.5yo and from the moment she wakes up she says near enough constantly (it feels that way anyway) that she's hungry.

It began a few weeks ago when she said it id make her something as I thought she was actually hungry. But it got to the point where she was eating so much it rivalled what I was eating!. Since then I've cut down to breakfast, lunch and dinner. With one snack of fruit in the afternoon if she states she's hungry (and won't let up).

It was 5:30am this morning when she began saying it. It's just constant.

I am being strict with her. I'm not exactly thin myself and I don't want her to end up like me. Or DP (very overweight).

She is chunky but not fat.

So I'm leading by example now. I eat what she eats. I don't give her junk food but she is also very fussy with what she eats too. She's very active most of the time.

I'm thinking if working out each day and involving her. I don't want her to worry about her weight so young, that's my job. And I certainly don't want her to loose any, just don't want her to gain it. Yes I know, my fault.

Aibu to do this? Restrict her intake?

My rule is that my kids can snack whenever but it's fruit or veggie sticks. They will eat an apple or some cherry tomatoes if they're genuinely hungry but in other peoples houses if they are offered treats, yoghurts etc they will eat and eat just because they fancy it.
On a Saturday I let them get a bag of sweets each or some chocolate but the rest of the week they eat healthily. They are both healthy weights.

Sounds like she needs a more filling breakfast, rice crispies don't last me 30 mins before I'm hungry again
What about weetabix with raisins and sliced banana? Or some eggs for breakfast?

Drinking tea - that chocolate story is awful! And yet I am sure he thought he was doing a great job interacting with you and treating you.

Offer veggies whenever she sats she's hungry in between meals. If genuinely hungry, she'll go for them, if not you know she isn't really hungry. Peppers, carrots, cycling movers and little tomatoes go down well here

Are you regularly evaluating portion size? Kids need bigger meals as they get older. Stating the bleeding obvious I know- but if she's eating more and maintaining a healthy weight then perhaps she just needs a bit extra than she did a few months ago.

My partner's son seems constantly hungry, he always claims to be 'starving', yet says he doesn't like the options offered (usually fruit or toast or a cheese sandwich)
If we pick him up in the afternoon on a Saturday or Sunday, he's often had no breakfast or lunch. I think sometimes he holds out hoping he'll get whatever crap he wants because parents will worry he hasn't eaten.
He does actually like fruit and vegetables.

Penis portions are (boringly) serving males vastly more than females, and serving the males first, and the best cuts etc. Not just the extra potato or whatever might actually be technically their extra fuel needs, but serving a pretty teen boy more than a teenaged girl, or a sedentary retired man more than an active breastfeeding mother of the same height etc. Also essentially shaming females for having any kind of appetite and praising them for abstinence (from food) and admiring feminine self deprivation.

My mum highlighted it by desperately "feeding up" children pre puberty then unsubtly introducing starvation rations and a whole new punitive approach to food as soon as females hit puberty... Subtle she was not, yet I don't think she conciously planned it... She's not one for analysing her own behaviour!

*pre teen boy not pretty teen boy :o

I agree with the poster above - there's a really simple answer to this dilemma. Three good meals, adequate protein and dairy, decent portions of carbohydrates. If the meal is healthy, let her eat until she is full. In between, offer unlimited snacks of fruit and veg that your daughter can help herself to. If she's hungry, she can fill her boots. No harm done whatsoever.

The typos on this thread have been very odd!

I just had a rather pleasant flashback to Richard Fleeshman drinkingtea.

Typos have been funny!.

Decided to eat everything DD eats today. If I am satisfied, as a overweight active adult, there's no way a child, eating the same, could be honestly hungry.

My logic anyway

How did you get on hungrygurl?

And can anyone shed light on what cycling movers was supposed to be?

I'm slowly cracking it I think! She's not saying it as much and she's starting to eat her meals properly too!

No idea what cycle movers are either!

I think it's a bit disingenuous comparing an overweight (and possibly Sedentary) adult with PCOS with an active child. The child will feel hungrier because she has a healthier metabolism. PCOS reduces your metabolism/BMR.

I think you need to understand why she's saying she's hungry. If as others said it could be thirst then give her water before she gets any food. Remove all chocolate and sweets from the house even for your DP. If she likes eggs give them to her for breakfast.

I think you do also need to get professional advice - can your GP refer you to a dietician?

Her diet might be missing some healthy fats that would help keep her satisfied and feeling full between meals. Instead of only fruit for a snack maybe offer some nut butters (apple slices with peanut butter on top to look like a cookie is a favourite for my dd), or avocado on crackers or as a dip with veggies, or cheese/yogurt. Maybe a smoothie so you can sneak in some more veggies? I also agree with PP who suggest more protein in the morning and eggs are a great source but if she doesn't like them maybe some homemade high protein yogurt muffins or breakfast cookies? Do you talk to her about nutrition? Not in a 'good food/bad food' way as I don't think labelling food is a healthy mindset but more about how different foods will give her body different things and what her body needs to grow and be active? I think if you are concerned that she may be genetically predisposed to gaining weight easily then having lots of knowledge from a young age will give her the tools to make the best choices as she gets older (and maybe start to understand why you choose to offer the foods you are instead of chocolate and sugar and toast all the time). She probably is a bit too young right now to understand a lot of it but it does set up the conversation about food and nutrition going forward so it never seems like a weird thing to talk about.