Any advice on how to curb DD's poor eating habits?

[Anonymous]

Take a look at marksdailyapple.com and there is a book there about primal eating for teen girls. If she goes Primal (which is paleo + dairy and dark chocolate, basically, so just giving up grains and legumes) she will be very satiated and that stabilizes the blood sugar situation so she won't go through the hi/lows, and can go without food for longer and won't be dependent on snacks. The idea that we have to snack all the time (graze) is really dependent on if one is eating a bunch of carbs (other than veggies). Instead, with eating high fats and protein and lots of veggies, and everything stabilizes.

BTW I also have come to believe that it may be part of the human condition, which evolved when food was so scarce, to eat all you can when food is in front of you. So it's extremely hard to have just 2 or 3 Pringles, or to not clear your plate even if you are full. An awareness of this idea may help also.

[Anonymous]

In my opinion, the LAST thing a 14-year-old needs is a pseudoscientific diet that puts large groups of food off limits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my opinion, the LAST thing a 14-year-old needs is a pseudoscientific diet that puts large groups of food off limits.

+1
As a binge eater/disordered eater this would have caused me so many problems (actually it would still probably have that effect.) I wish I knew what the answer was OP. My mom's comments definitely had a negative impact on me at that age. I'd advise talking to a professional about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have any negative self-talk over foods or your body or was you daughter exposed to any?

I'm pretty balanced when it comes to eating and fitness. I take care of myself but am not overly extreme about it- normal BMI and exercise regularly.

If you're talking in terms of BMI, you're weight-focused and a victim of pseudoscience.

[Anonymous]

My child is much younger, but I definitely notice all the snacks and candy at school. I got a Vitamix and try to make him a smoothie in the morning with kale, berries, yogurt for protein, fiber, probiotics. I also add a liquid vitamin. He used to balk at having kale in it but doesn't care anymore, he's used to the green color and taste. It helps him feel satiated and I'm hoping he's not grabbing at junk food as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have any negative self-talk over foods or your body or was you daughter exposed to any?

I'm pretty balanced when it comes to eating and fitness. I take care of myself but am not overly extreme about it- normal BMI and exercise regularly.

NP here. You answered by saying your behavior is balanced, but what about your self-talk? What about your references to food and to fat people?

[Anonymous]

I had a horrible diet as a teenager and would have eaten nothing but desserts if I could. I also was thin (go figure). My mom definitely got onto me about what she called my sugar addiction and made me read a book, Sugar Busters. The way she presented it was clearly health centered and not about my weight, so I never took it as an attack on my body.

However, I also knew I was thin. If your DD knows she is gaining weight, then I honestly don't think there's any good way to approach it other than modeling good behavior at home. Maybe if you just addressed sugar and all new research out there about it that would be OK. But going after her diet as a whole will undoubtedly translate into attacking her weight.

[Anonymous]

OP don't make it about weight. My mom wouldn't let me eat that shit when I was living under her roof because it's just plain bad for you.

Just tell her straight up to stop buying and eating that garbage food because it's going to rot her insides.

[Anonymous]

Let her get fat.