eating problem??

[cyphercat]

My 2.8 DD is about average build leaning toward chubby. She has always had very good appetite since she was born and ate everything very well. She is a bit on a chubby side but even my DH started commenting that she is looking a bit lardy and how she needs to be fed less.....
Lately she has been obsessed with sweets and snacks (chocolates, doughnuts, crisps, ice cream). She can finish a whole doughnut by herself if given one and if I let her, ask for more. I'm so tired of her asking for 'snacks' 'pudding' 'special treats' from when she wakes up to when she goes to bed. She will ask for snack before breakfast although she NEVER gets snacks before breakfast. Then I would offer her fruit usually for snack.

I used to have eating disorder and that was because my mom used to go on about my weight and make me eat dinner on scales and try to restrict my calories and send me to gym. (I was never obese but had phase that I started enjoying my food a bit more than usual in my teenage years) I don't want to do the same to my lovely DD at all, but I did shout at her today at dinnertime, because she just didn't eat any of her proper meals and just kept wanting 'cakes' and 'snacks' we happen to have at the house because of a little party we had at the house.

After I shouted her, she ate her dinner crying and I felt like such a horrid monster and I know how it feels like to be punished for wanting to eat too little or too much.

I would hate hate for her to pick up anything I went through and if anyone can offer advice on healthy eating for little girls I would appreciate very much as I would be having another girl soon.

i think she sounds fine. my eldest were/are both like that.
both very chubby babies. eldest is now a skinny 5 year old, and my 2.4 yr old is getting slimmer, but still eating a lot and asking for food constantly.

I have resorted in the past to just not having any unhealthy snacks in the house at all. no cake, no biscuits, nothing.
if they ask for snacks they can have oatcakes, some cheese, breadsticks, marmite rice cakes, olive, cherry tomatoes etc because i think it's important to offer savoury snacks as well as sweet. I also give them a drink with every snack because often thirst is mistaken for hunger.

another thing i noticed is that a lot of the time the constant asking for snacks is actually boredom. mine rarely ask for things to eat when we are out doing stuff

but it's fine if she is still on the chubby side right now i think. as long as she is eating a varied diet, and getting exercise and things like that. she'll even out eventually

You sound like you're doing fine. It's normal for little ones to like sweet, sugary things (don't we all!). My DD's would have eaten them all day at that age if I'd let them. I would just keep on the way you are, offering fruit for snacks etc. I wouldn't ban the 'naughty' foods as that makes them seem more exciting. Just don't buy them very often.

Also, little ones tend to 'chub up' a bit before a growing spurt, or at least mine always did. They tend to grow out before they grow up!

thank you for the replies. I think it's the boredom as I'm pregnant, it's cold so I'm not taking her to parks at all for any expenditure of calories. She does eat her fruit very well even if she grumbles that it's not cake to start with, so I think it's just my sensitivies towards food and experience I'm feeling when I feel very guilty when I refuse her yummy food. I know that they need to be taught to eat healthily from beginning and I do realize that I shouldn't put labels on food. Hopefully I will be less concerned with her weight than my mom was!!