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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My 13 year old DD has a little tummy but is otherwise lean.  She eats a ton of carbs but mostly home cooked stuff and few sweets.  [b]She is not the world’s most athletic girl[/b] but she does get adequate exercise. She loves food, and if she likes something, can eat more than me or her Dad at a meal. I have never said anything to her because I don’t want to set up bad relationships with food. But I do sometimes wonder what “normal” looks like.  How much and what does your growing teen daughter eat?[/quote]

Unless your DD has a fast metabolism which it does not seem as though she does, she likely needs to exercise more.  If she is sedentary, the weight is not going to disappear after a growth spurt.  My DD went through this at age 9 or 10 but she is athletic.  Otherwise, she would struggle with her weight.  I let her eat what she wants but know she gets plenty of exercise through her sport.[/quote]
If you're serving whole foods, and don't have a lot of chips and sweets around let her listen to her body. My very thin, athletic girl eats like a horse - but she swims 12 hours a week as well. My little soap box is I believe most kids don't get enough exercise, and if you're not doing a sport it gets a little harder to encourage but getting out and moving an hour or so a day is imperative. And please, as a nutritionist, I beg you all to stop the no carb nonsense. Everyone needs carbs, you just need to make sure your carbs are coming from adequate sources and not from bowls of mac and cheese and cookies but instead fresh fruits (not juices) and whole grains.[/quote]

I don’t think anyone is advocating no carbs. I see people saying “fewer carbs,” and I see people suggesting fruit and veggies (both of which have carbs). Personally, I ate the so-called “white carbs” (bread, pasta, rice, sugar) like there was no tomorrow when I played HS sports and stayed thin no matter how much I ate. But it’s true that as you get older, you can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet. What OP was describing was a recipe for disaster in a few years. I agree with other posters that quantity isn’t the problem but the composition of her diet probably is an issue. No one needs as much sugar, pasta, or bread as is in the American diet. Focus on veggies, fruits, protein. Get most of your carbs from fruits and veggies. Eat Whole Foods, mostly plants. If someone shows up and suggests the keto diet for a teen girl, I’ll join you in calling it nonsense. Til then...I do think your suggestion about more exercise is a good one. Just like eating habits, it’s inpotatnt to develop good exercise habits. Even if it’s just an hour walking the dog every day, start somewhere. Exercise has so many important benefits beyond weight control! [/quote]

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