Helping Kids Lose Weight

Kids learn from watching their parents. When they see us struggling with our weight, they may struggle with it as well. All the pressures of school and friends don’t go a long way to helping the weight situation. Kids swing from too thin to too fat. Here, we will talk about kids who need to lose weight and ways you, as a parent, can help them do so.

Gaining weight doesn’t happen overnight. It would be nice though so we could get rid of it just as fast. Alas, that is not how it is. When you need to lose weight, you must do the work. No one can change their body image unless they are willing to work for it.

One way to help kids to lose weight is to do some family exercise sessions. It doesn’t have to be a competition or any type of rigorous activity. Start out slow and build up to a faster pace. Take a walk before or after dinner. If you walk before dinner, you will eat less at the meal. If you work out afterwards, the body burns off some of that stored fat.

For kids, exercise has to be fun. If it is a chore, kids will quickly become frustrated and turn away. Play kickball or volleyball in the backyard. Take a few laps in the pool. Each of these activities burns calories and gets the heart rate up. Kids can get behind those activities and improve their weight.

In many school curriculums across the country it is required to take a gym class. Gym class five days a week can whittle down the waistline in no time. Because everyone has to do it, there is no pressure on your child to be singled out.

The hardest part of losing weight for kids is food. They love to eat and eat and eat. Kids feel invincible and that extends to their body. They can put anything into them and still be healthy. Not! What you put in your mouth determines where it goes.
Foods high in fiber are going straight through you, but not before grabbing a little fat on the way. Foods that digest slower, like complex carbohydrates, keep the body fueled. When you grab a snack from the vending machine, the sugar will give you a rush for about an hour and then it’s like someone put a pair of lead weights on your eyelids.

Turn your kids onto healthier snacks like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and fruit. It is easy to carry a piece of fruit in your pocket and munch on the bus or as you walk home. Veggies can be eaten with low calorie dressings and dips to make them taste better.

How do you get your kids moving and shaking? As you work on the exercise portion of weight loss, don’t forget the food. Teach them how to eat healthy by doing so yourself and watch as your children begin to make healthier choices that will serve them well for life.

Menu Planning Central can help you plan quick, healthy meals for your children.