DD is overweight

[herethereandeverywhere]

I know DD (4) is overweight. Her diet is ok but she is fond of sweet treats. The main thing she does is always finishes absolutely everything she is ever given and she LOVES food. f I ask her how her day in preschool was she'll just tell me what she ate. 2 minutes after lunch she asks when she can have a snack.

I've been trying to get a grip on this for 2 years without becoming too draconian about it/making it in to a big issue.

So is stretching out a bit but definitely looks overweight. HOW do I get a grip on this?

Advice on normal meals would be good but what I really need is advice on how to handle the ensuing sh*tstorm from her. She is a creature of habit and if we no longer get an icecream when we go to the park or no longer offer macaroni cheese at teatime she's going to go nuts and be very very upset. At the moment she also has one 'special treat' per day (85 cal pack of buttons/mini size ice lolly) this will have to go too, she'll be heartbroken.

She is very active I don't drive so she scoots/walks everywhere 5 days a week, we might do a trip out in the car on the weekend.

We have just got out of 2 very difficult years of horrendous tantruming from her and I'm much happier as a parent than I used to be as a result but I know I have to tackle this. Help.

IamFrankie. We have the Easter egg onslaught here at the moment.

I work 3 days a week and do all the domestic chores on the remaining days. DH works hard (wakes 6am, not usually home until after kids bedtime, c.8.30pm) and was recently away on business for 9 days. DD2 (the food refuser) typically wakes for 2 hours every night sometime 2-4am so I generally feel sh*tty and 'just about holding it together' most days. I should really be in bed but I'm heartily sick of having no life and barely any adult time with DH. The thought of spending more time making wholesome food is sending me over the edge tonight although I know it's absolutely the right answer.

Don't make the soup, herethere, don't make the soup.

Your DD is not going to become obese because of a 118 cal portion of tinned soup. Really.

She's not overweight now, she's a little on the sturdy side, but you're on the case. Get rid of the gingerbread, make the portion size a bit smaller for her main meal. Up the veg a bit. Maybe try another flavour of tinned soup which isn't tomato. (I think that's the most sugary one?)

You sound really busy. Food refusers are hugely time-consuming (and worry-creating0. You have a lot on your plate (ba-boom tish). Your DD1, I'm sure, will be fine.

OP. Sounds like a tough time. Please believe me that overhauling things is easier than constantly battling to calibrate what treats and high sugar stuff she has. Replace the tinned soup with reduced sugar baked beans if making soup is a pita. Cut out the jam and the afternoon treat has to go. It's not the calorie intake. It's that it leaves her craving more sugar.

her diet is less than dd1 eats. She is nearly 75 th for height, between 50 th and 25th for weight bmi 27th percentile. I would up the protein as it's more filling and reduce the carbs. Boiled egg for breakfast instead of toast. Casserole with plenty of meat/ pulses instead of pasta.

But she isn't overweight anyway so no enormous stress over it!

herethere

No wonder! Don't give yourself such a hard time, sounds like you have enough on your plate already and juggling it all just fine considering! No sleep especially is a bloody killer so I think you just need to do what you can do for the meantime. Sounds like you've done a great job dealing with some behaviour issues in difficult circumstances..no mean feat.

I think i'm going to start small, less butter on bread that kind of thing..(hopefully he won't notice) anyway, wishing you luck

I know they are hardly a superfood, but sugar free ice pops are a no calorie treat. As is sugar free jelly.

Is she getting seconds at nursery?

The difficulty with sugar free is that it does still create sugar cravings...

Thanks for the continued interest all.

I have my suspicions about the food at preschool - she has mentioned 'cake and custard' for pudding and that if they run out of mince and potatoes they get sausages and chips! She is leaving there to start school in September so I'm reluctant to wade in.

Over the long weekend we did plenty of activities with the kids and she basically stuck to sensible balanced meals and water to drink. We did have the Easter choc on Sunday but she ate the smarties out of the inside of the egg and one tiny lindt bunny (about an inch square) and fully accepted she couldn't eat it all in one go. Being occupied was definitely a key to stop her asking for food/asking for more. It's harder for me to do this in the week with washing/cooking/tidying etc. to do but I'll redouble efforts.

I also did home-cooked meat and two veg meals which were partially eaten by DD but refused by dd2 - can't win 'em all!

DD2 is still waking - it was 3am for about an hour this morning then we're up at 6.30 to get ready for work. [yawn x100] I read a sleep website (Isis?) that basically said it's normal and parents generally just adjust to less sleep - I guess I'm the exception to the rule then.

DH not home yet, think he's gone to the gym on his way so tonight is another night of crawling to bed without a conversation. At least DD and her food consumption and tantrumming have been good over the last few days.

I think you can get used to less sleep overall, but getting used to being up every night at 3am? no, never. Waking in the early hours is relentlessly painful ime. You are not alone