What is the best way to help my 5 year old daughter who is now close to 80 pounds lose some weight?

Answer 1

well..i guess firstly u shoudn't allow her to eat too many sweets and fats. keep her on healthy vegetable and fruit and fibre diet..and try taking her to swimming classes. not only that she'll lose wieght, but her muscles will be more toned and her whole body will benefit. if not swimming..any other sport is welcome

Answer 2

Do this soon before it becomes a life long problem for her. Take all the snack foods, processed foods, candy, cake and pastries out of the house. This means the whole family will be forced to eat good nutritional meals and snacks. Stock the kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables, and chicken, fish, and lean beef. Prepare the meats, and veggies and freeze in small portions to be microwave heated. The chicken can be cut in strips, and refrigerated for quick protein snacks with a banana, apple slices, and carrot and celery sticks. Limit T.V. and Video games to a total of 2 hrs daily. (split into 1/2 hr sessions) This way they don't feel deprived of what the like. Please please make sure your daughter gets plenty of exercise. Take her to swim classes, arrange play dates w/ friends in the park or playground. Sign her up at the y.m.c.a for any activity that interests her. Buy her some roller skates, and your self too, and find a bike or skate trail. You must help curb this problem before it gets out of control. Have you consulted her pediatrician? He can give you a plan for the best nutrition for her age. Have you had her examined for a thyroid problem? I have grandsons who are 5 and 7. The 5 yr old is in the 95th percentile for height, but weighs only 52 lbs. My 7 yr old is in the 50th percentile for his height, and weighs only 60 lbs.
Those weights are average for their ages and heights. 80 lbs. at 5 years old, is overweight no matter how tall she is.

Answer 3

ok Vincent K, here you go. This is a LIFESTYLE change she and you need to make. I don't know what your situation is as far as 1 or 2 parent home, siblings, eating, etc...but I do know that if she weighs that much and there is no medical reason for it, as a family things need to change. She's FIVE, so she doesn't control the world she lives in. So, you have to teach her how to live in a manner that is good for her. That way, her habits will never be an issue regardless of her life circumstance. She won't know anything else. She looks to her parents for examples of how/what to eat. Be active with her and she'll remain active. She'll feel something missing when she doesn't and will have a life beyond the tv, computer, and fast food. Good luck. oh yeah, the soda and sugary juices have to go. Try to push the water.

Answer 4

My friend is teaching her kids to look on the package and learn what a serving is. They then get only that amount.

She also feeds them every four or so hours to avoid hunger. They get 3 "real" meals, proportioned by serving size and "snacks" (fruit, veggies, whole grain stuff, pretzels, etc.)

And once a week or so, they get a treat night, with a dessert. She taught them that if they have too many sweets, they will get sick of them.

Also, they do not drink soda or anything high in sugar content. She makes a point to drink water in front of them and follow the plan above. She even takes snacks with her, so fast food is not an option.

Her kids are healthy and seem happy.

Answer 5

I would start by cutting back on her portions,
Serve her meals, put an appropriate amount of food on her plate for her and don't let her get her own food.

Serve her a balanced low fat diet. Try lean meats, chicken and fish. Fresh fruits and veggies. Cut out things like fruit juices, (they seem healthy but are really only pure sugar) switch to 2% or skim milk, limit carbohydrates (potatoes, corn, bread, rice, and pasta) to one meal a day. Don't allow her to eat between meals,
you can't deny kids all desserts, but try to make them something healthy, low fat frozen yogurt, sugar free popsicles, and sugar free jello.

Get her active,
take her for walks, do some aeobics, or play kickball. Exercise is good for everyone.

Eating healthy and exercising yourself sets a good example.

Whatever you do,
don't make it obvious that you are putting her on a diet. Just start doing things more healthy.... Making the child feel bad about her weight, especially at this young age, can lead to eating disorders.

If you have any further questions or concerns, talk to her pediatrician and ask for a referal to a nutritionist.

Answer 6

If your 5 yr. pld is overweight , it is usually caused by one of the following fsctors:
She is eating too much junk food(McDonald's , etc.) If this is the case maybe you'd be wise too cut out such food & regulate her meals.
The 2nd cause of an overweight child is usually due to a gene in her body that is not absorbing the fat content of her food, therefore it is not breaking it down.If I were u I'd talk to the family Dr. & ask him(her) to give u the name of a dietician who deals with the causes of children overweight
Whatever the cause PLEASE take your daughter for a complete checkup as soon as possible to determine what is the best way to deal with this before she gets older & develops a whole new set of medical problems
GOOD-LUCK****( XXOO to your lovely daughter.) REBELCAT.!!!!

Answer 7

First, consult her doctor. He can probably recommend some dietary changes and she may need to be checked for metabolic or genetic disorders, including childhood diabetes, that may be contributing to the problem.

Second, start cutting out her sweets and switch her over to healthy snacks. Fruits (but not too many), veggies, yogurts and the like. If she's the rebellious type I wouldn't suggest a rapid change, but a gradual system should work for her.

Answer 8

First make her an appointment with a pediatrician to ensure that there is not a physical cause for the weight gain (thyroid), follow his advice as to diet, etc. if there is no underlying cause. Then engage her in some physical activities -enroll her in dance classes, play games with her that require some physical activity, or involve her in some exercises with you leading the way.

Answer 9

Give her a limited amount of coke and drinks that have sugar in them. An 8 oz cup of kool aid has 9 teaspoons of sugar in it. Coke has 10. Cutting back on these drinks will help her lose some weight

Answer 10

This may sound stupid, but STOP feeding her.

Talk to her doctor about how many calories she needs at her age. Then just plan a balanced diet around it.

No more junk food. No more using cookies as treats or rewards.

I wouldn't go telling her she's "fat". Just say "this is all you're getting for dinner" and end the discussion there... don't argue.

Answer 11

This is a hard one. I think you need to change anyone who lives in your household's diet, not just hers. You need to start with the kind of meals you provide and really get her to want to eat healthy. This will effect her in the long run if you do not do something about it soon.
Excersize is very important for you and your baby girl. Start walking together or swimming also really helps.

Make sure you tell her how beautiful she is and how much you love her so she does not develope a complex about herself.

I have battled with my weight for my whole life and now I have it in control, but it took dedication. I think I wouldnt of had such a hard time if my Dad would of raised me to eat healthier and my brothers did make fun of me so much.

Good luck :)