I was always very aware of my weight growing up. I was never hugely overweight, but I was a bigger/taller child and from around primary school onwards I remember feeling ‘fat’. My mum was always a healthy weight and quite health-conscious, and food was fairly restricted growing up, healthy packed lunches, small portions, almost entirely limited crisps/chocolate/fast food etc. I also walked/cycled everywhere and did swimming regularly.
As I got older I became preoccupied with my weight, dieting and wanting to lose weight, and I really don’t want my daughter to have the same experience.
She’s now three and is very active – gymnastics, ballet and swimming, plus lots of walking/parks/National Trust trips etc. We don’t really have “good” and “bad” foods and try not to make sweets or treats into something forbidden. Her lunches are generally balanced with lots of fruit but she’ll also have a biscuit or some crisps etc. We try not to make “treat” exclusively mean food either.
The one thing I do notice is that she loves graxing! At a recent kids party, for example, she ate her plate of food, went off to play, then came back several times for another sausage roll/Party Ring/cupcake etc, whereas the other children seemed much more likely to eat once and then carry on playing. She’ll also quite happily eat a normal breakfast and then ask for something else shortly afterwards.
She’s tall for her age (just over 100cm at three) and currently within the healthy BMI range. She looks like a healthy, active three-year-old, just a little taller and more solidly built than some of her friends.
I’m more interested in how people approach raising children who are physically healthy without making them conscious of their weight or food. Particularly interested in people who were/are overweight/bigger children themselves?