Ladies, I need everyones advice/opinions!! Here is the situation:

My daughter is 12 1/2(she just started her period)and she weighs 135.She has slowly been gaining this weight since summer last year.I dont know if its because she's becoming a "woman" and all them hormones or what??She is probally about 5'4,I think.I will have to measure her tonight.

My husband is 300 lbs and 5'9.He loves food so he has gained this weight over about 3 years.if the fattening food is not in the house he wont eat it.Not inless hes getting it outside the house.

Now there is Me,who is trying to lose weight .I dont need or even want the junk crap in the house.I would prefer to not even buy it.

Now, at this point I would say not to buy it and never bring it in the house cause all 3 of us dont need it.But, I have 2 other kids:

My son(he is 10) is SKINNY.He looks like a skeloton with skin!! However he is not really underweight.Hes at his 50% of his age .He is tall though.Hes at his 80% of his age.The doctor said he has a really high metabolism(sure didnt get that from me,lol) and he is on the medication Adderall which blocks his appetite.Sooo, the Doctor said he needs the junk food,snacks,crap like that.If he didnt he might not be keeping the weight he is and he could start losing weight.

My youngest child is 15 months.She does not need junk food but I do like to buy her strawberry newtons and poptarts.That about all the junk she eats

So my problem is this, How do I keep buying some junk food for my son and yet tell my olderst daughter No?? Do I only buy the snacks and stuff the my son likes?? or jsut buy whatever and take the risk of my daughter(and husband) sneaking it??Or do I still let them both have snacks and stuff just only buy so much a week and once its gone dont buy anymore for the week??

I hope I am expaining this right!! I just dont want my daughter to get any bigger.I grew up fat and I know what its like,its no fun at all.Kids can be really mean.Also,I want my husband to be healthy.His father died of a heart attck because of his weight.I dont want to lose my husband like that.He wants to lose weight he just doesnt have willpower.

Any advice/opinions I can get would be great!Thanks to all of you!

Well Angelica I can totally understand your frustration, but I think I would go for the route of not buying anything junk. Even though your son is small - I would think that there could be some other stuff - rather than junk food - that could help him gain muscle and lean fat instead of just piling on the sugar.....maybe feed him more pastas and meat -

As far as the pop-tarts and soft things for the little one - buy them - but hide them and just explain to everyone in the house that you want everyone to be healthy. As far as the little one you need to let them no that her food is soft now for her safety and sometimes those are needed.....

I don't really know - that is just a suggestion. I wouldn't think giving your smallest son the junk food would be healthy for him - just to maintain or gain weight - b/c all he would be gainings is fat % - not any lean muscle!!!

?? I'm no dr though. just trying to give some suggestions.....

Honestly? Id say bag it for everyone, straight across the board. "this is the healthy way we chose to eat in this house" frame of mind. I do not buy "junk" foods. My son (7- VERY thin) gets occaisional treats at parties or if we're over someone's house...its not blacklisted, its just not something I buy for our family. Let the baby have graham crackers, pretsels, cut fruit...for him, stuff like pretsels, popcorn, oatmeal cookies that you bake, etc...just not the packaged stuff that contains all the hydrogenated oils and sugars...really, its no good for anyone...you know?

Just cos hes thin doesnt mean these foods can not harm him. Funny thing related to this...my son had a homework question last night with a picture of two candy bars, one large and one small. The question was, circle the one you'd rather have half of (this was on his math sheet where they are working on fractions and comparing sizes, 1/3 vs 1/2, etc) and he chose the small one. I was like, no, "Jackson, the one you want to get half of...which one?" He said, "no, mom, the smaller one...too much candy isnt a good choice". LOL!!!!

What about a tote with a tight fitting lid for your son's food? That way he could keep it in his bedroom.

Smart son you have Deets!!

I just feel like I am being totally mean not buying ANY junk at all.But I am the parent and I dont have to be nice.I need to do whats best for them.

I could bake some brownies or a batch of cookies sometimes as a treat.

What are some healthy food that seem like junk foods??is microwave popcorn good?pretzels?

he is so nice he would be sneaking some to his sister!

94%/98% popcorn
pretzels
fruit - they have the apple slices with fruit dip, peanut butter and or LF carmel
applesauce (natural)
lowfat cheese sticks ( I love the cracker barrel ones yum!!)
or string cheese...


still thinking...........

I would say no junk food... period. The little one can have Gerber Graduates cereal bars, or organic Health Valley cereal bars and pastries. Your middle boy could have everything you keep in the house, just more of it I buy blocks of cheese and cut it into sticks for my 2 year old.

Even though he is thin, he still needs to learn about eating healthy, and not just having empty calories. This will benefit everyone in the house, and he can maintain his weight, or even gain a little, in a healthy way. Don't forget, there are MANY skinny adults and children with cholesterol problems and high blood pressure.

You know, the more I think about this, the more I agree with Heather and Deets. No junk. I do not buy any. Even for my daycare kids. I try really hard to give them healthy food. Snack time is usually apples and peanut butter, small tortillas with lf cheese or peanut butter, graham crackers and natural apple sauce, cheese sticks and oranges, cheerios or rice crispies with milk (I NEVER buy sweetened cereal, and I do not put a sugar bowl out for them either), gogurt and bananas, or turkey sandwiches on wheat (I will only put a thin layer of mayo on half the bread. I feel good about this because I was raised buttering the bread, then putting mayo on both halves.) They love their snacks, I never get complaints. Some of my daycare parents cannot believe that their kids will eat all of these fruits and veggies at my house, because they won't at home. My guess is that at home they have more of a choice between junk food or health food, and at my house it is "Eat this or be hungry. It is your choice!"

i think I am hiding the sugar too.My daughter eats the cereal I buy.Cheerios,crispix,kix . but she adds a pound of sugar to her bowl.I have tried to get her to put a pkt of splenda in it if she wanted it a little sweet .She tried that but do you know how many pkt she put on it???3 or 4 CRAZY.Its like she immune to the sugar taste.

The only reason I buy sugar is for mu husbands coffee on the weekends and for Koolaid.I usuallly only put about 1/2 cup to a gallon.I would buy the Sf kind but its kinda expensive with the way they drink it,Or maybe I should stick to the SF koolaid and limit how much they drink?? if they are truly thirsty they will drink water or skim milk.Maybe only have koolaid at meal time?

I am a mess.I just want to change everyone eating habits! Seeing my daughter getting bigger has opened my eyes.I always thought they would be ok and never be fat.

I need the courage and strength to do this! When they say they dont like anything in the house that there is to eat(which I know there is they would just rather have junk)I will just have to say Yes there is and if you dont like it then youll be hungry(which eventually they would eat what there was)

Again, in my bootcamp house (LOL), they dont even know about mayo, butter or sugar, but this is how they have been raised from day 1. Granted, its tougher to try and change habits already in place (we all know this!). I would ditch KoolAid too, for sure. Its just colors and artificial flavors. Do water drinks...if they protest, apologise and say, sorry, this is the way we are eating in our house,now. You can add fruit juice to the water (like real juice, squirts of orange, etc) or try watering down 100% fruit juice for starters...but I would definitely get rid of Kool Aid too, but I am totally militant....

If it helps, I'm kinda in the same boat with you. My daughter is 13 - 14 next month. Since she got her period a year ago, she has put on 10 lbs. I've never really worried about her since she's a gymnast and trains 20 hrs. a week, but she's noticed, and it's bothered her. She's also seen me lose some weight by eating healthier and asked me what to do.

I told her to substitute all but one of her treats per day. She shouldn't buy pizza, cookies and nachos at lunch. I told her to bring her snacks, or main dish, and choose one. Or, bring all healthy to lunch, and have ice cream at night. She will not eat ice milk, or low fat ice cream.

She's been having lean deli meats, fruits, baby carrots (the only veg. she'll eat), nuts, and LF string cheese.

She said she feels better.

By the way, as far as the yogurt goes, for the kids, the only one I will buy is Stonyfield Farm. It's organic, and is the only yogurt I have found that has sugar in it - not High Fructose Corn Syrup. If you read the ingredients in all of the yogurts on the grocery shelf, they are just fake sugared crap. You might as well buy Corn Pops and Cap'n Crunch if you are going to buy that stuff.

I buy my 2 year old unsweetened applesauce also. I figured, the 13 year old is already in the bad habits, and it's becoming hard for her to break them. I am starting right with the baby. If he never tasts hydrogenated this and high fructose that, his taste buds won't be spoiled.

I've been doing this for about a year, and slowly, my DH and DD (dear daughter) are following suit.

Just be strong, and they will follow. You don't have to go cold turkey, but start with the baby, and then buy less and less if you think it will cause a household war. Pretty soon, everyone won't know what hit them, but they'll be healthier.

Yes, Angelica - you will have to be both strong and patient - just remember that what you're doing is for the best!!!

You know what Angelica? I admire you for being concerned about the family, and wanting to do better by them. Don't feel bad for wanting them to be more healthy! I have always felt like my mom did the best she could with what she knew about nutrition, but I can guarantee that if you asked her now she would say that she wishes she had taught her daughter's better eating habits. I am thrilled that my kids love tomatoes, broccoli, cooked onions, and other foods that most kids hate. I want them to grow up on carrot sticks (without dip), apples, and water. They WILL thank us someday!

Angelica
I would like to say that it is wonderful that you are thinking about this for your daughter before it is too late! It seems that young girls get overweight and then they start their "circle of dieting" that I feel that I have been in for years now.