DS 15 and dieting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing you have said worries me. He seems to be a pretty typical teenage boy who hits a certain age, and now wants to get a 6-pack or whatever. Have gone through this with 2 nephews (third is starting now). They have all ended up as healthy young adults with an active lifestyle, and mindful of what they put in their bodies, but not obsessed with any of it.

He stopped eating bread and pasta, though, that is worrisome. If it is just temporary so her gets rid of the love handles, sure, not a big deal. If he develops a habit of restricting foods, worrisome.
Mom with a teen who has anorexia.

EVERYONE should stay away from bread and pasta.

I have two teen boys and a 6'1" husband to feed daily and we only eat pasta once a month and bread occasionally. Mainly in pizza or Subway.

Go away, you disordered insane person. Bread and wheat are why we exist today, why people are alive, it is a staple food in most cultures. You are disordered to the T!
I swear there is but two normal people when it comes to eating on dcum!

You sound crazy and judgmental! LOL.

Just because we don't eat bread and pasta it doesn't mean we don't indulge on steak, chicken, seafood, potatoes, rice, desserts, ice cream, etc. Bread and pasta can stay off my table!

Sandwiches and noodles are not nutritious meals... Maybe you need some cooking lessons? LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing you have said worries me. He seems to be a pretty typical teenage boy who hits a certain age, and now wants to get a 6-pack or whatever. Have gone through this with 2 nephews (third is starting now). They have all ended up as healthy young adults with an active lifestyle, and mindful of what they put in their bodies, but not obsessed with any of it.

Ditto, and this comes from a mother of a teen with an eating disorder. He probably wants to get in shape for girls or because that's what "all the kids are doing" now.

Well, that is how it starts.
It can take a turn to the dark side or it can be perfectly fine.

OP, you're right to have this on your radar and be potentially concerned.
When I was in college, my HS/college boyfriend developed anorexia.He did have weight to lose but he had no idea how to do it healthily. His solution was to cut out all foods containing any fat at all. Basically all he ate was vegetables. He dropped from 220 lbs to 120 lbs (and was nearly six feet tall, with a big frame) and was dangerously underweight and unhealthy. Long story short, he recovered and is now a healthy forty-something but it was scary at the time. There's not much talk about boys and eating disorders (and I had a daughter who also developed anorexia, so I'm pretty aware of the treatment and conversations about it) but they are very real.

[Anonymous]

I love bread, but do not think anything is wrong with not eating it. Sounds like he is being careful but not extreme. One thing - do you know he is eating at work for sure? That is an easy way to hide extreme dieting from parents. Tell them you are eating big meals at work.

[Anonymous]

Please help him learn that carbohydrates are not "bad" or something to be avoided. Our bodies NEED carbohydrates, for sure!

The trick is to incorporate COMPLEX carbohydrates as much as possible because they include key vitamins, minerals, and fiber. If he eats enough complex carbs, he won't want or need much of the stripped down, processed carbs. (They're not evil, of course. They just offer low nutritional value.)

Here's some easy info to share with him, if you want:

What are starches?

Starches are complex carbohydrates. Many starches (but not all) fit this category. They provide vitamins and minerals. It takes your body longer to break down complex carbohydrates. As a result, blood sugar levels remain stable and fullness lasts longer.

You can find starchy carbohydrates in:

-Beans and legumes, such as black beans, chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans.
-Fruits, such as apples, berries and melons.
-Whole-grain products, such as brown rice, oatmeal and whole-wheat bread and pasta.
-Vegetables, such as corn, lima beans, peas and potatoes.

What is fiber?

Plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products, contain fiber. Animal products, including dairy products and meats, have no fiber.

Fiber is a complex healthy carbohydrate. Your body can’t break down fiber. Most of it passes through the intestines, stimulating and aiding digestion. Fiber also regulates blood sugar, lowers cholesterol and keeps you feeling full longer.

Experts recommend that adults consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber every day. Most of us get half that amount.

High-fiber foods include:

-Beans and legumes, such as black beans, chickpeas, lentils and pinto beans.
-Fruits, especially those with edible skins (apples and peaches) or seeds (berries).
-Nuts and seeds, including almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
-Whole-grain products, such as brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, cereal and whole-wheat bread and pasta.
-Vegetables, such as corn, lima beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts and squash.

Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15416-carbohydrates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing you have said worries me. He seems to be a pretty typical teenage boy who hits a certain age, and now wants to get a 6-pack or whatever. Have gone through this with 2 nephews (third is starting now). They have all ended up as healthy young adults with an active lifestyle, and mindful of what they put in their bodies, but not obsessed with any of it.

He stopped eating bread and pasta, though, that is worrisome. If it is just temporary so her gets rid of the love handles, sure, not a big deal. If he develops a habit of restricting foods, worrisome.
Mom with a teen who has anorexia.

EVERYONE should stay away from bread and pasta.

I have two teen boys and a 6'1" husband to feed daily and we only eat pasta once a month and bread occasionally. Mainly in pizza or Subway.

Go away, you disordered insane person. Bread and wheat are why we exist today, why people are alive, it is a staple food in most cultures. You are disordered to the T!
I swear there is but two normal people when it comes to eating on dcum!

You sound crazy and judgmental! LOL.

Just because we don't eat bread and pasta it doesn't mean we don't indulge on steak, chicken, seafood, potatoes, rice, desserts, ice cream, etc. Bread and pasta can stay off my table!

Sandwiches and noodles are not nutritious meals... Maybe you need some cooking lessons? LOL

Please, from you? Cooking lessons? Dracula fears garlic less than you fear bread!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing you have said worries me. He seems to be a pretty typical teenage boy who hits a certain age, and now wants to get a 6-pack or whatever. Have gone through this with 2 nephews (third is starting now). They have all ended up as healthy young adults with an active lifestyle, and mindful of what they put in their bodies, but not obsessed with any of it.

He stopped eating bread and pasta, though, that is worrisome. If it is just temporary so her gets rid of the love handles, sure, not a big deal. If he develops a habit of restricting foods, worrisome.
Mom with a teen who has anorexia.

EVERYONE should stay away from bread and pasta.

I have two teen boys and a 6'1" husband to feed daily and we only eat pasta once a month and bread occasionally. Mainly in pizza or Subway.

Everyone who has celiac should stay away from gluten, you sound disordered and insane.
Plus, let me cue you in something...gluten phobia is so 2010s!

[Anonymous]

Do you people even know that gluten is a.... wait for it....protein?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you should be worried. Salads are not dinner for growing teenage boys. This is how anorexia can manifest in boys. Not saying he has it, just that you should make an appointment for an evaluation with an RD who works at an eating disorder clinic/therapy practice that specializes in ED. They likely have a long wait list.
In the meantime, record your observations. Note that ED does not have to look “scary thin” to be dangerous. The immediate danger is a heart attack, and the long term damage concerns are osteoporosis and organ damage.

Good luck.
-someone who’s been there

I did not read this that he is only eating salads. If he is adding salads to his dinners, that is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing you have said worries me. He seems to be a pretty typical teenage boy who hits a certain age, and now wants to get a 6-pack or whatever. Have gone through this with 2 nephews (third is starting now). They have all ended up as healthy young adults with an active lifestyle, and mindful of what they put in their bodies, but not obsessed with any of it.

He stopped eating bread and pasta, though, that is worrisome. If it is just temporary so her gets rid of the love handles, sure, not a big deal. If he develops a habit of restricting foods, worrisome.
Mom with a teen who has anorexia.

EVERYONE should stay away from bread and pasta.

I have two teen boys and a 6'1" husband to feed daily and we only eat pasta once a month and bread occasionally. Mainly in pizza or Subway.

Go away, you disordered insane person. Bread and wheat are why we exist today, why people are alive, it is a staple food in most cultures. You are disordered to the T!
I swear there is but two normal people when it comes to eating on dcum!

You sound crazy and judgmental! LOL.

Just because we don't eat bread and pasta it doesn't mean we don't indulge on steak, chicken, seafood, potatoes, rice, desserts, ice cream, etc. Bread and pasta can stay off my table!

Sandwiches and noodles are not nutritious meals... Maybe you need some cooking lessons? LOL

They absolutely can be. Where did you get your nutrition degree? Don't tell me ...let me guess... the internet?

[Anonymous]

I went through this 4 years ago with my teen. The Olympics inspired this fitness and healthy diet phase for a few months. Interest in the opposite sex also played a role in trying to improve his physique. Nothing to worry about at all. It faded as school started.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing you have said worries me. He seems to be a pretty typical teenage boy who hits a certain age, and now wants to get a 6-pack or whatever. Have gone through this with 2 nephews (third is starting now). They have all ended up as healthy young adults with an active lifestyle, and mindful of what they put in their bodies, but not obsessed with any of it.

He stopped eating bread and pasta, though, that is worrisome. If it is just temporary so her gets rid of the love handles, sure, not a big deal. If he develops a habit of restricting foods, worrisome.
Mom with a teen who has anorexia.

OMG, I have two kids age 15 and 20 and none of them into breads or pasta. We will eat a lot of bread in France, or French territories, like Martinique (for example) because it is soooo good there. We eat tons of pasta in Italy as well, but in US it just doesn't taste good. It is really hard to find a good bread here that made out of 3-4 simple ingredients, so we just not buying it (we don't have time to make our own). I don't see anything wrong with not eating foods that don't taste good. My kids are skinny, but don't have anorexia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing you have said worries me. He seems to be a pretty typical teenage boy who hits a certain age, and now wants to get a 6-pack or whatever. Have gone through this with 2 nephews (third is starting now). They have all ended up as healthy young adults with an active lifestyle, and mindful of what they put in their bodies, but not obsessed with any of it.

He stopped eating bread and pasta, though, that is worrisome. If it is just temporary so her gets rid of the love handles, sure, not a big deal. If he develops a habit of restricting foods, worrisome.
Mom with a teen who has anorexia.

OMG, I have two kids age 15 and 20 and none of them into breads or pasta. We will eat a lot of bread in France, or French territories, like Martinique (for example) because it is soooo good there. We eat tons of pasta in Italy as well, but in US it just doesn't taste good. It is really hard to find a good bread here that made out of 3-4 simple ingredients, so we just not buying it (we don't have time to make our own). I don't see anything wrong with not eating foods that don't taste good. My kids are skinny, but don't have anorexia.

I have two boys 13 and 16 and neither one likes pasta or bread. One likes bread but only French Baguettes.

I can get away with some lasagna once a month and of course pizza!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love bread, but do not think anything is wrong with not eating it. Sounds like he is being careful but not extreme. One thing - do you know he is eating at work for sure? That is an easy way to hide extreme dieting from parents. Tell them you are eating big meals at work.

+1

Don’t assume he is definitely eating at work. Watch what he eats on the other days of the week. If his “big meals” are always out of your sight, that is a huge red flag.

[Anonymous]

"We only eat breadin France, or French territories, like Martinique (for example)" is what I come to DCUM for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love bread, but do not think anything is wrong with not eating it. Sounds like he is being careful but not extreme. One thing - do you know he is eating at work for sure? That is an easy way to hide extreme dieting from parents. Tell them you are eating big meals at work.

+1

Don’t assume he is definitely eating at work. Watch what he eats on the other days of the week. If his “big meals” are always out of your sight, that is a huge red flag.

Agree. I would have read this post last year and wondered what the issue was because salad and lean proteins sound healthy. After watching my niece struggle with a serious case of anorexia, I will never again be dismissive if I hear of a kid suddenly and significantly changing their eating habits. As others have said, it may be fine but please carefully keep an eye on him and note any red flags. Eating disorders are really devastating to kids and their loved ones.