My Daughter Needs To Diet

[Meg888]

... She's 16, and getting quite overweight. She's to be a bridesmaid in 6 weeks and the dress is 'just' fitting - it was bought a while ago, so we cannot have it taken back/out - it's got to fit! I reckon she needs to lose 7-10lbs to safely fit in it, though she could do with losing about 21 lbs. Trouble is I've no idea what sort of food to give her; she doesn't like salad/fish - she's a real carb baby - pasta, rice, bread & junk! She had a brace fitted 3 months ago and I thought she'd lose some weight then as she had to cut out full sugar pop/sweets/crisps - she has done this, or certainly cut down a lot but she seems to be putting the weight on? Probably sneaking it in behind my back, which won't help if I try to put her on a diet also?

[boxtops]

Is she able to reason that if she eats all the time, her dress isn't going to fit? I agree with the others, knowing about her LD would have been really helpful in your OP, as it adds a whole new dimension. Six weeks is too short and a drastic dieting's not good for anyone - but can she see herself how tight the dress is? If not - would she wear a bodyform garment on the day, just to squeeze into the dress?

[Mamyalynne]

My reply was in fact based on a long term plan and agree that to try and sort this in time for the wedding is impractical - but look to the long term good health for her.

[Old_Geezer]

Ultimately she needs to want to lose weight more than she wants to satisfy hunger. I say that assuming it is hunger that is the driver for her eating, rather than boredom, or needing to cheer herself up. If it is one of the latter things you might talk to her and discuss acrtivites she could do between you that would substitiute for the boost a few more mouthfuls presently give. On the other hand if it is hunger then that is a longer term thing to reduce portions, not snack, and get the body/mind used to the better/smaller intake level without craving more all the time. In the short term it's not easy.

[nungate]

This might sound a bit daft, but is she. drinking enough? Sometimes our bodies tell us we are hungry when in fact we are thirsty. That said, you have six weeks left to help her look her best. My own daughter is also no fan of salad but I chop up all the veg into small pieces, and mix them all up in a bowl, i also toss in grated carrot, and sweetcorn. You could mix up some cooked pasta with fat/diet mayonnaise and some salad veg (I would leave out the lettuce) and serve that as a meal. There are some ways of helping her lose weight without her knowing she's dieting

[kylesmum]

Is there any way you could have the dress at home for the next few weeks or perhaps it is at home.

I don't know the degree of your daughters LD's but i'm sure she will be like all us women, she'll respond to praise and bribery ;)

I'd simply 'bribe' her to fit her dress every week by giving her a treat, like the cinema, the bowling alley, a day out of her choice, when she does. Works every time. It'll stand her in good stead for the future as well lol ! I certainly wouldn't make an issue out of it, i'd rebel against an obvious regime !!

She'll be fine so long as she isn't pressured :)

[boxtops]

Good plan,. kylesmum :-)

[kylesmum]

Works every time boxtops ;)

[anneasquith]

I wonder is your daughter comfort eating. aware her diet is not healthy. motivated enough to be comfortable in the dress, does she in fact want to be a bridesmaid. ? I wonder if sqad's suggestion is a good idea ?

[Meg888]

Thanks for the replies everyone. She has mild learning difficulties among other things but basically she's quite immature and does not have great mobility. She can walk and do things for herself but she has very clumsy body movement and tires quite quickly. The dress is at home and we tried it on about 3 wks ago and it fitted perfect. But I knew we had to keep a check on it and her weight gain of late has been quite noticeable, which is surprising as she's been part of a summer camp this year and so has been much more active than she normally is in school holidays. So it may well be a medical thing?? I've never made an issue if her weight despite her being slightly overweight for some years. I've always put it down to her lack of mobility even when she does participate activity it's clumsy at best and she does not enjoy it. She knows she's overweight and moans about it but tends to take no responsibility about it and is really very immature about the whole thing. I'm going to start her in slimming world diet I think and hopefully that will shed the few pounds she needs in the next few weeks. If she lost half a stone the dress will fit very comfortably as it was bought a year ago by the bride and we ordered a larger size in the hope that at worst we would have to have it taken in!

[kylesmum]

She'll be fine !
Let us know how she gets on and how much she enjoys her special day please :)

[woofgang]

If she has gained between 7 and 10 lbs in three weeks I would suggest that a visit to the doctor might not be a bad idea? That's a lot of weight to gain, especially if she has been more active than usual. I hate to ask this and its a very long long shot. I also apologise profusely but....well.....could she be pregnant?

[anneasquith]

or , under active thyroid ?

[Baby_Sham]

I can't really offer anything further, apart from I would say re the whole 'bread thing', bread actually has loads of sugar in it, so I would agree with cutting this out as much as possible.
Curb carbohydrates to just complex carbohydrates and, if you can, look to cutting out as much gluten as you can.
Personally, I don't buy anything for my kids which contain 'Glucose Fructose Syrup' as my son is a tad overweight too and GFS is the devil when it comes to sugars and putting on weight.
Encourage more activity and I quite like the idea of 'treating' her with rewards if she's done well.

Also, at 16 she is able to join a gym, or there are now lots of boot camps around which are a bit more social and 'fun' :-)

[Meg888]

Thanks everyone. And I'll let you know how she gets on kylesmum, I'm sure she will be fine on the day. No she definitely not pregnant it's not as odd a suggestion if one does not know the person in question so don't apologise! She usually takes Ritalin but only on school days. She was taking them for the first few weeks of the camp thing to help with her concentration as they are soley prescribed for this as she is not hyperactive. I suppose this could have an impact if she's stopped taking them this last few wks as although they don't affect her appetite they may well suppress it to a degree when she does take them. I hadn't thought of that earlier!

[chattykathy]

Ritalin acts as a stimulant which in turn raises one's metabolic rate and suppresses appetite.