Name: Great Homeschool Conventions (Columbus)
Start: 2025-04-24T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-04-26T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Columbus, OH

Tagged: teenage diet, weight

This topic has 4 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 9 months ago by Monica.

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

Author
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April 8, 2014 at 1:39 pm
Sue
Participant
DD15 (16 this month!) has been struggling with her weight for at least 5 years now. I know there is probably a lot involved with emotional eating–my husband & I have been separated for 7 years, he has had a live-in girlfriend for 5 years, the kids get bullied by their older stepbrother at dad’s–many things going on that are difficult for her. Yesterday, I just kept looking at & thinking about how overweight she has gotten. She has a lot of extra lower-body weight, so I think she is way off on how many carbs she eats.
I am trying to figure out the best way to approach her about this. I would really like to help her develop better eating habits and an exercise plan, but I don’t know what help she’ll accept. She has a strong leader’s personality, and she seems to react to Mom’s ideas as though I know little or nothing and she knows everything….teenagers, hmph! I want to approach this gently and to make sure she knows I’m wanting to help her, not merely criticize her.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about this? I’m really concerned for her future health, not just how she looks or how she is right now.
April 8, 2014 at 1:53 pm
HSMAMA
Participant
I think the best approach is to come at it from the angle of being healthy, not from the angle of weight-loss. Tell her that you are concerned about yourself – don’t bring her into it. No one – ever – enjoys being told they are fat, teenagers, especially. Then clean out the house of all the junk food and put the focus on meal planning. Start mentioning here and there how much better you feel now that you are eating well. If she shows an interest, include her in meal planning. You can suggest a visit to the nutritionist if she’s game.
Expect complaints to begin with. Once the eating this is mastered, or whenever you feel it’s time, start adding in exercise. Again — lead by example. Go for a walk every evening and then after awhile, invite her along. You can also try swimming, ball, karate, anything that she might enjoy.
You want to build up her self-esteem, so if she thinks she’s helping you, she won’t feel like she’s the “project” who needs fixing and it takes pressure off of her.
GOOD LUCK!
April 8, 2014 at 3:15 pm
Kayla
Participant
When I gain weight it is all in my thighs and butt. The thing that works best for me is running and or walking. Like pushing 100 pounds of stroller/kids over the bridge and back 3.2 miles kind of walking.
Would she be interested in running with you? Like could you say “I’m going to start exercising, I would love for you to join me and we can do this together!” It would be great quality time that teens need so bad and benefit you both. Exercising would help with hormone levels too and help with the emotional eating.
I know I eat when I’m bored, not because I’m hungry, and exercise really helps with that. I’ve seen on Pinterest when every time you work out you put $1 in a jar and once you get to a number you’ve set like 100 work outs you get to spend it.
April 9, 2014 at 3:00 am
marmiemama
Participant
One of my daughters has struggled with her weight all her life, so I know what you are going through. Trying to find that balance to help a young girl not become resentful or self conscious or obsessive about her weight, but to help her realize that it is for her health benefit to lose some weight.
A few years ago when my daughter was about your daughter’s age, she had some blood work done and it revealed that she had become insulin resistant, amont some other imbalances. The doctor was ready with a few rx’s in hand, but was open to my exploring other options first. Long story short, we ended up on the GAPS diet for five months and it helped all of her imbalances. She’s still working on losing some more weight (we have been loosely doing Trim Healthy Mama for a while but finding it difficult to stick to).
So I would agree that discussing this topic in terms of her health would be a great way to approach the topic. Possibly even get some blood work done.
Does she have a friend that she could confide in about this if she does decide to try a diet?
I like Kayla’s idea of exercising together…a win-win situation considering all that your family has been through. Prayers to you and your daughter!
April 9, 2014 at 12:54 pm
Monica
Participant
I love the idea of having a common goal – running a 5K together or something like that.
Three of my kids do TKD, and are able to train all-together despire their age difference. Would there be a program like that that thre two of you could do together?