Overweight teen

[Mumontheedge1249]

Has anyone been in a similar situation with an overweight teen?
my daughter is 15 and I would say she’s been overweight the last 3 years. She will eat everything in sight for example we used to have a snack cupboard but have had to hide snacks now as she will constantly eat them between meals. It does effect her sadly, she always says she’s the largest of her friends. I brought her a gym membership but she rarely goes and if she does it’s not for long. She doesn’t want me going with her. She likes to cook so I buy hello fresh low calorie meals for her to make else she will just go crazy with what she puts in her food and her portions are crazy big. I said about tracking calories and she just says u do it for me but then isn’t honest with what she’s eating.
She has adhd and has said she just eats for something to do. What else can I do to help?? Has anyone successfully helped their teen to loose weight? If so what were ur strategies?

Does she have any non food based hobbies? Perhaps you could support that rather than making it clear that everything is about her intake or activity level?

I don’t think you can. Making sure there are wholesome foods, limiting the amount of snack around and serving correctly proportioned meals is all you can do. The motivation has to come from her.

She has no hobbies whatsoever. Not interested in anything, I’ve tried

I’m sorry she wasn't found it yet - she will! It’s just a matter of luck & determination; not sure which is predominant, but don’t give up!

How about voluntary work where physicality is not a key characteristic? Eg where being of help to others, the environment, animals etc is key. It’ll do great things for her self belief.
Best wishes.

Sadly as someone with experience it sounds like she’s barrelling towards an ED.

She needs someone to talk to. Shes also likely using food as dopamine seeking behaviour. She needs new ways to access those feel good hormones - like taking part in hobbies, finding passions or crafts etc.

Hello.OP,
I have a DD with ADHD and we have the same issues.
She hates how she looks but cannot stop with the eating.
She is medicated for her ADHD and we still see no benefit to the dopamine seeking eating.
I have no wise answers but I am sharing your pain.
I hope she will grow out of it but equally I am scared sh*t of a binge eating disorder.
We have been to the ED clinic twice but haven't been accepted.
I know the treatment for binge eating is 3 meals and 3 snacks so the hunger and the urge to binge is kept away but I am struggling to get her to do this.
She is also 18 so it is completely out of my hands.

If it's an actual issue @Mumontheedge1249 , go to the GP and ask for a referral to the binge eating clinic - they have dieticians, psychiatrists and therapy focused on this. I'd also get her (if she's not already) medication for her ADHD to make sure she's not craving for dopamine - perhaps do a 2 times a day dose so she sustains it and doesn't do late night snacking. Ask the GP to start ADHD medication at the appointment and if she's on it already look into a higher dose or a split dose across the day (so twice not once). Also buy less snacks and buy more fruit and veg and less of the snacks, also go on more exercise in a fun way - walk to the shops, walk to school. Get her to join a club, a sport she used to love (even just make her go once a week and see if she likes it) - sign her up for netball or something she may like and say it's for her CV and she needs to for applications.