my 11 year old needs to lose 35-45 pounds (or that is what she says) in 3 weeks to be at a healthy weight...?

Question

My daughter is always complaining about her weight, and we are going on vacation (where she will have to were a bathing suit) in less then 3 weeks. How can she lose 35-45 pounds in that time? more then a pound a day, she does not like much healthy food (she trys it) and rarley excercises due to bad weather and sometimes indoor recess at school. She weighs 128 pounds and is 5 feet 2 inches. Her usual day is this:
7:00-7:30am get up
7:30-7:45am eat breakfast (cereal bar + milk)
8:20 go to school
9:00-12:00 classes
12:00-12:25 lunch (pb+j sandwhich, 1 oreo, pretzels or cheezits and chocolate milk)
12:25-12:45 recess (usually walks around talking to friends or plays basketball OCASIONALLY)
12:45-1:00 DEAR time, (goes on school computer or reads and gets ready for afternoon classes)
1:00-3:15 classes
3:30 goes home in car (NOTE: to and from school)
4:00-5:30 homework then dinner
6:00-7:00 talks on phone or plays computer or watches TV

7:00-8:00 Showers/ chills for the night
9:00-10:00 usually goes to bed

ok... THE SUGARY FOODS R GONE! THEY HAVE BEEN! FOR A YEAR! how about 20?

ok, well, for dinner tonight she had fries and chicken fingers, which was bad, but that was the last of it so no more of it. i guess it is a healthy weight according to links, but still she could drop 5-15 pounds or 5-10.

The school gives Chocolate milk which is 2%

Answer 1

take away the sugary foods and tell her to exercise. also, show her some pictures of fat ppl, it makes them think differently and everytime they do something unhealthy, they will think of that picture and do the 'right' thing

Answer 2

As a rule,guys lose weight easier than a woman because have more fat cells.Realize that there is 2500 calories that equals 1 pound of body weight.The first 5 pounds that you drop are water.Losing 5 pounds a week is a lot.After I had my son I had 45 pounds to lose.I did it by using the Slim Fast shakes.They are full of vitamins and they a controlled amount of calories in them.I would replace breakfast and lunch with these shakes and have a healthy dinner.Such as chicken,turkey or fish along with fresh vegetables and fresh fruit.It also helps to eat mini meals instead of 3 big meals a day.In preparing your meat,it is always better to bake or broil as opposed to frying.Opt for whole wheat bread instead of white.Drink a ton of water to flush out the toxins from your body and if you like green tea,it's very beneficial as far as the antioxidents it contains and it's a natural diuretic as well.As far as exercise is concerned,riding a bike or a stationary bike is really good to burn calories.Remember,muscle weighs more than fat.I suggest that you don't get on a scale,instead,do by clothing size.Hopet his has been of some help to you.

Answer 3

Her food is unhealthy. An Oreo and cheezits for lunch? How about some fruit, nuts, instead, And Chocolate milk, candy liquid, give her water or at least sugar free juice or regular/even 2% milk. A cereal bar is candy disguised as health food. How about some oatmeal? There is no way she could or should lose that much weight in that time. How about some active hobbies like a sport, dance classes or gymnastics after school? You need to start teaching her the habits that will give her a healthy lifestyle for life, and forget about the immediate weight loss, the rest of her life is much more important.

Answer 4

As an adult you should know that a pound a day is not healthy or practial weight loss for anyone (unless they are severely obese and under strict supervision).

Why wait until 3 wks before an event to try to drop a chunk of weight? She can lose 6 - 12 lbs safely during that time, anything more will just be re-gained later because she'd have to use unhealthy practices to lose it.

She needs to eat right and exercise regularly. Cut out the junk food, fried food, sweets, etc. She should be eating lean meat, fruits and vegetables, complex carbs, and drinking lots of water. Some vigorous activity (30 mins a day at least) for 5 days a week would also be very beneficial.

You're the parent...get her on track. It's not doing her any favors to allow her to eat junk food and be sedentary...being overweight as a child will just make it tougher for her to get it under control as an adult. Help her get a handle on this now, while it's easier than it will be a few years down the road.

Answer 5

I hope you are joking.
It's nearly impossible to lose that amount of weight in 3 weeks, and it's very dangerous to try.
If she did lose that much weight, she'd be dangerously thin for her height.
As she stands right now, she may be a few pounds overweight. Cereal bars are filled with sugar and simple carbs. Switching to an actual, low sugar cereal would be healthier. And you don't say what she's eating for dinner or what she's eating for a snack. Fruits and veggies are an important part of a growing girl's diet, and can make you feel full. The key is finding ones she likes. Replacing white rice, bread, and pasta with whole grain ones takes some getting used to but also helps. Look for empty calories and get rid of them--salad dressing usually has about 15 grams of fat for two measly tablespoons!Read labels and control portions. Get rid of the Cheezits. They are filled with fat and salt. Replace with a reduced fat cheese stick or a small yogurt. Be aware of lowfat items. . . they usually replace the fat with more sugar.

The weather can't be bad all the time, and there's ways to work exercise into any schedule, whether it be going for a walk as a family, or investing in a DDR game for your television. (They have ones that plug directly into the TV now, without needing a gaming system.) Or find an activity you can sign her up for, like karate, dance, or cheerleading.

Please, if you are a serious poster, talk to your daughter's doctor about your concerns. What you're talking about is dangerous and unhealthy. The doctor can help you figure out a diet that will make both of you happy. And if she's unhappy in how she looks in a bathing suit, she can wear a t-shirt over it. It's not worth risking her health for, and it's not worth sending her down a dangerous path of yo-yo dieting for. Good luck.

Answer 6

First and foremost, her weight is normal; she is not overwieght! See http://www.healthchecksystems.com/heightweightchart.htm or http://www.consumer.gov/weightloss/bmi.htm Try to get her to understand that having a normal body weight is healthy and beautiful. Model skinny is neither healthy or attractive, "especially to boys".

That said, if she does want to loose weight, encourage her to do so sensibly, 2-3 pounds per week. Get her to track what she eats for a week. Then turn that into calories. Once she sees how many calories are in french fries, she just might start to like healthier alternatives. Also encourage her to exercise, even walking would be a start. There are many fad diets out there, but only one truth: to loose wieght you must burn more calories than you take in.

If the bathing suit is a big deal, buy her a new one that accentuates her good points and hides or minimizes her flaws.

Finally, if she still insists that she must loose 35 pounds in three weeks, then suggest that the only way to do that is to cut off a leg. Do it with a serious face and hope that this "shock" treatment gets the point accross. There is no healthy way to loose 35 lbs in three weeks.

Answer 7

First off, your daughter should be content with her body, and a pound a day is not possible (without starving yourself) without heavy exercise and a healthy diet. I am not going to explain a system where she can come close to killing herself just to knock off some weight for the beach.

I will however give her some tips for losing weight, although she would have to really stick to them to lose ANYTHING in such a short time period (water weight takes up to a month and a half to settle, and it is possible that she would gain water weight before losing it).

Okay, first, she would need to start running medium length distances (1-4 miles). To find time to get this in, I would advise her to start getting up at 6:30 or so to get runs in early in the morning. Fruit and vegetables are the best breakfast (If she wants to lose weight she'll have to bear "healthy food").

For lunch, I would lose the...well, everything. Starch is the enemy. And peanuts, while high in protein, unfortunately also contain fat. A lot of fat. Try fruits and vegetables (I can imagine a groan here) and some kind of protein, preferably some kind of soy (low in fat) or a protein bar. During recess, I would run. Running is the best way to reduce stomach and leg fat.

At 6, more exercise, even it is just streching or sit-ups while she watches TV. Then asleep by nine to have energy for the next day.

Please don't have your daughter try this then give up on it. It is always best to get into the habit then next time you go on a vacation, she WILL be 45 pounds lighter. Also, keep watch for anorexia or bulemia. When people don't get instant results from a program, that tends to be the result.

Answer 8

there is no healthy way for a child of that age (or any person of any age, for that matter) to lose that much weight in that amount of time. the typical amount that an ADULT should lose is 2 pounds a week...and that is if they excercise 3-5 times a week for at least 30 minutes a day and eat right. instead of letting her watch TV or play on the computer, you should take those things away and make her go outside and play with her friends or ride her bike. saying that she can't excercise because of bad weather is no excuse to not excercise. excercise balls can be used inside. a stationary bike can be used inside. sedintary activities aren't going to help the problem. go to www.ediet.com or some other website to learn HEALTHY ways to help her lose weight at a HEALTHY pace.

Answer 9

35-45 pounds is really unrealistic within the given timeframe. Unhealthy, infact, if she does drop that much weight in such a short period of time. Changing her diet and increasing activity level is the key. Unless she is really willing to change eating habits and starts excercising, nothings going to happen.

To start. Get rid of the processed foods and such. Replace cereal with eggs and a slice of toast and fruit. Lunch should have some sort of meat and vegetables. Avoid "white" foods. White bread, white rice, potatoes, and etc. Whole wheat is a better choice.

Just because she is 11 years old, I wouldn't do anything drastic just because she is growing and is near that time in her life where hormones and the like kick in.

Answer 10

Okay, my take is that it's not healthy for an adult to lose that much weight in such a short time period. It's worse for children who are still growing and need certain types of fats for brain development. My first thought is why is this behavior being encouraged. There is such a distortion in body image for young girls which is leading to increases of eating disorders. Secondly, I think that your daughter's pediatrician should be the one making these types of judgments. Maybe your doctor could refer you and your daughter to a nutritionist. Third, it will have to be the family as a whole changing the habits for eating and exercise. Lead by example, these feelings are bound to increase as she goes through the upcoming "awkward stage".

Answer 11

Exercise everyday like jogging around the block
Skip meals. Eat 2 times per day than 3 times per day
Dont eat until you're full
Eat fruits at night if your hungry.
Drinks lots of water and stop all the fast food and chocolate.
There are more tips and info.
there's a video on success fitness too.