Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is an athletic nutritionist for a teenager even a thing? My concern- my teenage daughter is involved in two cardio intensive sports and I want to make sure she is getting good information about calories and right combos of foods (and possibly recipes?). She isa generally healthy eater and we have never said she couldn't have things but she is burning a lot of calories. Like yesterday, she had both sports practices plus school and had over 30K steps for the day.

Any help would be appreciated.

Yes, this is a thing. My daughter is a competitive runner (XC and distance track) and will be running D1 in college on a scholarship. My daughter's pediatrician recommended a consult with a dietician after my daughter lost 6 pounds in 2 months, and a total of about 10 pounds over the course of a year. She was already small, and at a healthy BMI when she lost the weight, and even though the loss didn't technically put her in the underweight range, we wanted to make sure the weight loss stopped. Her periods had also stopped, and she was getting dizzy after races.

The dietician ruled out an eating disorder, and taught her how to consume enough calories to match her activity level. My daughter, who loves her running regimen, also enjoyed the meal plans and tips. Her performance has also improved and she is not dizzy after races. We are still waiting for the period to return naturally.

So, yes, if your daughter is competing at a high level it is important to teach her how to fuel properly. It will not cause an eating disorder as long as you have a dietician who knows how to work with young girls. It shouldn't be presented as your daughter was doing anything "wrong" and it should be presented positively.

Great to hear she's recovered. Parents and athletes often don't learn how important nutrition and proper meal plans are until things start to break down for the athlete. Good for you for identifying the problem and addressing it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is an athletic nutritionist for a teenager even a thing? My concern- my teenage daughter is involved in two cardio intensive sports and I want to make sure she is getting good information about calories and right combos of foods (and possibly recipes?). She isa generally healthy eater and we have never said she couldn't have things but she is burning a lot of calories. Like yesterday, she had both sports practices plus school and had over 30K steps for the day.

Any help would be appreciated.

Yes, this is a thing. My daughter is a competitive runner (XC and distance track) and will be running D1 in college on a scholarship. My daughter's pediatrician recommended a consult with a dietician after my daughter lost 6 pounds in 2 months, and a total of about 10 pounds over the course of a year. She was already small, and at a healthy BMI when she lost the weight, and even though the loss didn't technically put her in the underweight range, we wanted to make sure the weight loss stopped. Her periods had also stopped, and she was getting dizzy after races.

The dietician ruled out an eating disorder, and taught her how to consume enough calories to match her activity level. My daughter, who loves her running regimen, also enjoyed the meal plans and tips. Her performance has also improved and she is not dizzy after races. We are still waiting for the period to return naturally.

So, yes, if your daughter is competing at a high level it is important to teach her how to fuel properly. It will not cause an eating disorder as long as you have a dietician who knows how to work with young girls. It shouldn't be presented as your daughter was doing anything "wrong" and it should be presented positively.

Anonymous wrote:Is an athletic nutritionist for a teenager even a thing? My concern- my teenage daughter is involved in two cardio intensive sports and I want to make sure she is getting good information about calories and right combos of foods (and possibly recipes?). She isa generally healthy eater and we have never said she couldn't have things but she is burning a lot of calories. Like yesterday, she had both sports practices plus school and had over 30K steps for the day.

Any help would be appreciated.