How to help my 5.5yo loose weight

[smileyreiley]

I have just filled out a kids BMI for my 5.5yo girl- she is 25kg or 3stone 12lbs and 107cm
She is in the "very overweight " category! I knew she was a bit pudgy but seriously shocked at the end of the scale placement!!!
She loves her food, really loves her food, fab pallet for one so young, and loves cooking. We don't overdo treats, but do have odd sweet/ ice cream/ chocolate- but she tends to graze and eat when bored
My other two kids are fine, middle of scale, and just not same obsession with food
How do I break her bad habit with food without spelling out her issue, I never mention size of weight, just refer to healthy choices- i reprimand her anytime I see her sneaking to cupboards
But How do I retrain her eating habits??

It is good that you have accepted that she is very heavy for her height. It is difficult for children to lose weight - better that they grow into their weight by not gaining rather than losing.

1. check portion sizes. only feed her from small plates and bowls such as the plastic ikea ones. Don't pile anything on her plate.
2. have a high protein, filling breakfast such as scrambled egg.
3. No snacking between meals, but if she's desperately hungry offer a small piece of fruit, or veg sticks. Be clear with her that there won't be any grazing.
4. drinks should be strictly water, with perhaps 1 glass of semi-skimmed or skimmed milk with her breakfast if she drinks it.
5. Do not have biscuits or crisps in the cupboards. if they are not there then she can't eat them.

My daughter is very similar. I am trying to increase excersise but it's hard to stop her grazing, even if it's just fruit, she is hungry all day. Hopefully all the small changes will pay off by the summer.

I've just done my 3 year old and he too has come out at very overweight. He is on the 98th percentile and has been since birth but there is no way he is over weight. I can see his ribs for god sake. He's tall for his age. The whole bmi thing is grossly inaccurate

There is another thread at the moment with a poster who has a 4.5 year old who is also at the top end of this scale. There was a lot of posts about how people have lost sight of what is a healthy weight. The BMI thing is not really inaccurate - if a child is tall then allowances are made for them to be heavier in the BMI calculation.

Simply don't have rubbish like biscuits and sweets in your house. Replace with healthier snacks and fruit. Also reduce her portion size and try to keep her occupied so that she doesn't graze. Simply don't allow between meal snacks. Now is the time to break these habits while you still have control over what she eats.

Tell her the dentist says only milk or water because of her teeth and only sweets on a Saturday.

My daughter lost weight that way and was never aware of any diet.

I would focus on being healthy rather than weight, to start with, so you are emphasising that we are doing it this way to be healthy.

My dd2 was overweight in reception, slightly complicated by the fact she has ds and so burns calories less efficiently and has compromised mobility. However, what we did would work for any child tbh.

1. protein at breakfast with some fruit or veg eg. greek yoghurt with fruit
2. lunch and dinner had half plate filled with non-starchy veg eg. salad, steamed veg, stir fry
3. nothing banned but smaller portions of anything unhealthy such as a small scoop of ice-cream after evening meal
4. increase activity, such as walk to school, play in park

It did really work, and was just about making healthier choices, really.

I'm in the same position 114cm 3stone 6lbs. 91st percentile. I've always worried about his weight but he continues to be the fastest runner and the child who is still running around after 2 hour softplay. Other children stop for breaks etc he is just a constant whirlwind - therefore shouldn't be overweight. I'm doing new portion sizes. firstly a smaller plate that I use for myself so he's not singled out and I divide the plate into half veg, quarter protein, quarter carbs. No oil butter in cooking and I'm cutting down on cheese. Treats are not an issue but he will have 2 goodies oatbars and I'm now restricting to 1. I've changed his school meals to only 2 puddings a week. This is the hard bit for me, I constantly ask him if he wants anything else to eat!!! For 2 weeks i've not asked and mostly he forgets to ask. If we ate chocs and biscuit then they would be bought from the corner shop once a week for treat night etc. Don't stop your daughter any food as she will become devious you just need to try for an hour running around everyday (in my case 2/3 hours). It really is little changes and if she notices then you're being too strict. You say she eats when bored? New rule: no food whilst watching tv/ipad or playing with toys. snacks are eaten at snack time with you at the kitchen table and the only free access food should be fruit and breadsticks. explain other food is family food and we eat that all together. Hope I don't sound preachy just wanted to offer some help. getting rid of food stuffs in a house full of kids isn't going to work but setting healthy boundaries means she will learn to live around these foods and not eat them all. My MIL offered my child 2 chocolate biscuits and he said to her 'no nana 2 is not healthy 1 is the right amount'. Oh and of course you shouldn't eat in front of her unless she is eating too. oh and rules about food are for all children in the family. Oh and don't reward with food treats. I guess we just need to wait for them to grow another 5 cms and they'll be fine :)

Brilliant advise all! Much appreciated
Treat box (few lollies and Haribo left over from Christmas) has been dumped, tho my dd I refer to hasn't been bothered at all, it's her naturally slim 7yo Sister is up in arms!!
I didn't realise she dipped in frequently!
I think with my kids, there is def an element of slim/ prone to weight gain in their genetics- I see similarities with family members
I will focus on the grazing and strict meal times. She is a very sensitive little girl so need to be cautious about my language
Portion size isn't a problem, it's just the constant grazing
And the well intentioned gp's who seem to have a "feed them up" generational mentality- tact isn't their strong point an am afraid they may say something to her directly about her size if I ask them to cut down- I will have to think about that

Will she graze of something like humous...carrots..
Cucumber? And remember she needs good fats like nuts and avocado :)

Keep the boredom at bay! You say she eats when she's bored so suggest a walk instead, or a trip to the park, get her to help you around the house, watering plants or in the garden. Keep her mind busy!
Get her involved in cooking healthy things. You can make hoummus and chop cucumber sticks- she will love pressing the button for the food processor and seeing the ingredients change form.
Bike rides, scooter or skate to school.
I have a popcorn maker which the kids love and it only makes plain popcorn so it's a treat without the sugar.