We “cured” DD’s childhood obesity

[Anonymous]

Our DD was always big. Born over 8 lbs, never left a drop of milk in a bottle, and ate well as soon as she started solids. I always fed her healthy things (focused on whole, minimally processed foods, vegetables, etc) but her tendency to take big portion sizes and clean her plate added up to an obesity diagnosis in early elementary. Once she was diagnosed, her MD have fairly simple, evidence-based guidelines:

1) 90 minutes of active play per day
2) 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day

We followed the guidelines and it worked.

Getting much more activity required signing her up for two sports. It took quite a while to finally find a fit—since she wasn’t in great shape, she really disliked the first few things she tried. But then she found an activity that clicked for her. Once she had that, it was easier for her to take on a second.

Luckily DD likes a lot of kinds of vegetables, but it was still a huge lift to work in sooo much more produce. We lean some on frozen things, some canned things, some “hidden” vegetable things. Every meal starts with a recognizable fruit or vegetable (fruit at breakfast, vegetable at lunch or dinner). Then we don’t particularly limit what she takes at meals. The whole point is that the vegetable reduces her appetite to overeat. All snacks are fruit or veg (but are often things like pouches). When she is doing legos or homework I set out something like broiled asparagus or peeled clementines for her to pick at.

I had to check a lot of my “diet baggage” at the door. I had internalized that grapes, bananas, apples, etc didn’t really “count” as healthy, but being able to lean on easier sells like a bananac especially when traveling, was important to maintain consistency.

There is another thread going now where some moms seem in denial about the validity of BMI. Admittedly this was hard to hear, especially for someone who had really avoided feeding her kid junk and sugar, never gave her puffs which I considered baby junk food, etc. But if I hadn’t taken a clear-eyed approach, we would not have fixed it. And now DD is very proud of her fitness and athleticism, which is a delight to watch.

[Anonymous]

Amazing- good for you op! It took me years to understand the things you have done for your child. What activities is she doing?

[Anonymous]

I may try this for myself. Thanks for posting op

[Anonymous]

How old is she now and how does she do when you aren't around?

[Anonymous]

Amazing, congrats OP!

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you have worked in your own disordered view of eating, which is great. Your DD has probably developed some similar patterns given how much energy you seem to have focused on her food choices since babyhood (no puffs?!) so hopefully you continue to work on yourself.

[Anonymous]

I think the steps you have taken are admirable and I don't doubt it was a a lot of work. But "cured" feels a little much. This will be a life-long struggle for her, and it feels like you're minimizing that. And what happens when she's not always under your watchful eye?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing. We’re making baby steps with our young teen who went into obese BMI despite sports. Realizing you can’t put exercise a bad diet helped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the steps you have taken are admirable and I don't doubt it was a a lot of work. But "cured" feels a little much. This will be a life-long struggle for her, and it feels like you're minimizing that. And what happens when she's not always under your watchful eye?

I would think OP is helping her kid ingrain lifestyle choices that are smarter than 90 percent of the US population. That’s a very good start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DD was always big. Born over 8 lbs, never left a drop of milk in a bottle, and ate well as soon as she started solids. I always fed her healthy things (focused on whole, minimally processed foods, vegetables, etc) but her tendency to take big portion sizes and clean her plate added up to an obesity diagnosis in early elementary. Once she was diagnosed, her MD have fairly simple, evidence-based guidelines:

1) 90 minutes of active play per day
2) 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day

We followed the guidelines and it worked.

Getting much more activity required signing her up for two sports. It took quite a while to finally find a fit—since she wasn’t in great shape, she really disliked the first few things she tried. But then she found an activity that clicked for her. Once she had that, it was easier for her to take on a second.

Luckily DD likes a lot of kinds of vegetables, but it was still a huge lift to work in sooo much more produce. We lean some on frozen things, some canned things, some “hidden” vegetable things. Every meal starts with a recognizable fruit or vegetable (fruit at breakfast, vegetable at lunch or dinner). Then we don’t particularly limit what she takes at meals. The whole point is that the vegetable reduces her appetite to overeat. All snacks are fruit or veg (but are often things like pouches). When she is doing legos or homework I set out something like broiled asparagus or peeled clementines for her to pick at.

I had to check a lot of my “diet baggage” at the door. I had internalized that grapes, bananas, apples, etc didn’t really “count” as healthy, but being able to lean on easier sells like a bananac especially when traveling, was important to maintain consistency.

There is another thread going now where some moms seem in denial about the validity of BMI. Admittedly this was hard to hear, especially for someone who had really avoided feeding her kid junk and sugar, never gave her puffs which I considered baby junk food, etc. But if I hadn’t taken a clear-eyed approach, we would not have fixed it. And now DD is very proud of her fitness and athleticism, which is a delight to watch.

My baby was chunky too. We did none of this and she also leaned out and is an athletes etc.

Your obsession with this is unhealthy and puts her at risk for an eating disorder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you have worked in your own disordered view of eating, which is great. Your DD has probably developed some similar patterns given how much energy you seem to have focused on her food choices since babyhood (no puffs?!) so hopefully you continue to work on yourself.

NP. Eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising is not disordered eating. What an odd thing to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you have worked in your own disordered view of eating, which is great. Your DD has probably developed some similar patterns given how much energy you seem to have focused on her food choices since babyhood (no puffs?!) so hopefully you continue to work on yourself.

+1000

This idea that people consider fruit as tantamount to candy is so asinine and maddening. Fruit sugar is not the same as doughnut sugar - plus you get loads of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water. ALL fruit (including grapes and bananas) are absolutely health food. Categorizing them as not is indicative of disordered eating for sure. I'm glad your family is coming around, OP.

[Anonymous]

Your disorder is contributing to her issues, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you have worked in your own disordered view of eating, which is great. Your DD has probably developed some similar patterns given how much energy you seem to have focused on her food choices since babyhood (no puffs?!) so hopefully you continue to work on yourself.

NP. Eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising is not disordered eating. What an odd thing to say.

Dp - Not that. The idea that certain fruits were bad or that puffs were junk food etc. Setting up a lifetime of disordered eating in this child.

[Anonymous]

So when a mom does nothing to chance the environment and activity level of a family when a child is overweight - then the mom sucks and it is all her fault

And when a mom does something to change the environment and activity level of her family when a child is overweight - then she has serious eating issues herself and has clearly passed them on to her kid and she sucks and it is all her fault