My 13yr old dd is just under 5' and weights around 160lbs....alot of hers is in the belly area also. Now that school will be out for her in a week I've decided to put her on lc...she's not too happy about it but it needs to be done, our family has a history of diabetes and the xtra weight is not healthy for her. The problem is she is not a big meat fan and I'm not sure how to provide her with the right foods. I've been lcing for about 5 1/2 months and have done well and I know what she NEEDS to eat but not how to make it all palatable to her.

Any help would be appreciated! What do you do to keep your lcing kids happy?
What type of special snacks do you have for them?
Did you put them on induction first?


I know that she is unhappy with her weight....I know she wants to be slimmer and healthier. She is not happy with the restrictions of a diet and hey, who can blame her, we all hate that! It is my hope that once she starts losing, she will start to get excited about changing her WOE to a more healthier one!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hmm since she is 13 would she be interested if you let her help in making her own grocery list and let her help in preparing a special meal or two during the week? I have a 13 year old daughter that loves to do that sort of stuff. Sometimes I give her a grocery limit and let her go through the recipe books to pick out whatever recipes she wants as long as they fit into the budget. Not only does it get her interested but it's just good life skills knowing how much things cost. I know I was in shock when I finally got out on my own! I just remember being that age and having a voice seems to be so important. Allowing them to help or have responsibilities sometimes gives them the feeling that they are 'adults' which is what they really long for at that age.

Jenn

That might be an idea...thanks!! I'm willing to try almost anything to get her happy with this woe.

Hi there,

I too am putting my 3 daughters on the lc lifestyle when school gets out. My girls are 13, 15 and 17. They all need to lose weight. They all said that they didn't want to but now are saying that they will but I will have to force them. I don't plan on putting them on strict induction I just plan on lowering carbs, using soy flour to make breads and breadings etc... They love sugar and snacky foods so I will have to find alternatives for those. I'm still working out the bugs but plan on putting them on this on the 11th of this month. I also plan on having them exercise with me daily. Doing things like swimming and biking with them should make them happy and the best part is that I will be spending quality time with them. I wish you luck and myself as well. I know this is gonna be a bumpy ride.

Thanks for the advise! I wish you all the luck with your girls! I am also planning on having my daughter exercise with me....walking and pilates, plus swimming and such.

It's mostly snackie stuff I am worried about also....please feel free to update this thread with any great ideas you have.

Thanks!

You're daughter is soo lucky to have a mother like you. I wish my mom had introduced me to this way of life at 13. When I was that age I was struggling with my weight but kept trying and failing on low fat diets. I also actually wanted to stop eating altogether. I could never stick to anything though and I never really got any support. I was eating a healthy diet as a child so my parents thought they were doing the right thing. Kids that age have a sweet tooth, and find it hard to look at the long term implications of their eating habits. If I were you, I'd start her on a 30g a day diet. Lots of salad and veg and things like sf jelly. Also find something energetic to do like go to a water park or 'fun' swimming pool to put the fun back into exercise. Trust me when she begins to see her figure change she'll thank you. Again I'm not looking at this from a mother’s point of view, more what I would have liked my mother to do with me.

Instead of diving head into the full blown low carb diet have you thought of maybe cutting back to say 100 carbs a day and lowering it a little at a time to see where she starts to lose? She might be able to keep some of the things she likes. Just knowing things as simple as choosing a salad or steamed veggie over a potato or white roll is a good start. There are so many maintenance foods that are still a major improvement on the typical choices. She is still pretty young and has some growing to do yet so I would try not to restrict her too much. I know that I for one can still lose quite well even at the 100 net carb range. Maybe her youth will work to her advantage.

Jenn

I have to agree with Elsah that restricting too much may not be a good approach, especially if you can get her to increase her activity levels along with cutting the obvious junk such as chips, candy, pop and such.
I'm also not sure that "dictating" the change is a good approach, either, especially with a teenager. Having a willing participant makes it that much more likely that she will stick with it during those times when you are not looking over her shoulder instead of cheating and eating whatever she pleases as soon as you're not looking.
Some of the snacks I give my kids at the 100-125 gram of carb level are:

Yogurt (no sugar added) with berries
Smoothies made with plain yogurt and berries sweetened with Splenda
Low carb Ice cream
Sugar-free popsicles
Veggies with dip
Nuts
Sugar-free pudding made with Carb Countdown milk
Celery with natural peanut butter
Whole-wheat crackers with cheese or peanut butter
Pepperoni slices
cheese sticks
Apples, oranges, pears (lower glycemic fruits)
Occasionally a small amount of popcorn (not the microwave kind!)
With summer coming, I may offer ice cream floats with diet pop and a scoop of low carb vanilla ice cream. I hear that Raspberry or Orange Diet Rite with low carb vanilla ice cream is yummy!

Once she sees the results, both in her weight and in how she feels, she may find herself hooked!