Teens and LCHF?
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RowdysLady
Posts: 1,370 Member
My daughter has a family history of too many problems to count - Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Failure, Hypertension... She's a little overweight, but that's not my main concern. My main concern is her predisposition for all of these horrible chronic and deadly conditions.
I can't get her to see that this WOE is an idea for her too. She thinks she can't live without carbs - rice and noodles especially. She thinks when she takes all of her trips for school (she's a band kid and our high school band is very high profile) that she can't possibly keep up with Keto.
I'm mom. She's 16 years old. I can tell her very little at this point in her life. I'd love to be able to show her in a very simple and quick way how much of a difference this life can make and how easy it is to upkeep. Unfortunately my own weight loss and improved health doesn't give her impetus to try something new.
Any thoughts?
I can't get her to see that this WOE is an idea for her too. She thinks she can't live without carbs - rice and noodles especially. She thinks when she takes all of her trips for school (she's a band kid and our high school band is very high profile) that she can't possibly keep up with Keto.
I'm mom. She's 16 years old. I can tell her very little at this point in her life. I'd love to be able to show her in a very simple and quick way how much of a difference this life can make and how easy it is to upkeep. Unfortunately my own weight loss and improved health doesn't give her impetus to try something new.
Any thoughts?
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I wish I had learned about low-carb when I was a teen. I feel like I wasted decades of my life on ill health. But, I know I wouldn't have listened back then. I was too addicted to carbs. I can't even get my step-son to cut back on carbs, even though he is worried about his own weight. He's only a little above the norm, but he worries that he is going to "have a belly like [his] mom." I also can't get her to give up the carbs.
I have given up trying to convince others of the one true path.2 -
I first did LCHF when I was 16 (21 years ago - gasp!). I had amazing results and felt great, but of course I listened to all of those people who said it was way too unhealthy to eat that way my entire life. How I wish I'd been armed with the information I have now!!
Does she like to read? I'd suggest Taubes "Why We Get Fat" - it's a very convincing book! When I was 16, I read the Atkins book (after my mom told me about it), and that's when I started. The title of the book could be offensive to her though, so bringing it up to her would have to be done very delicately!
The social aspect of eating this way is the hardest part, I think. It's not that it's not doable, but when you are a teenager, explaining to your friends why you eat this weird way can be excruciating.
That was long & rambly, but maybe as time goes on and she sees how you're keeping up with it, she might consider it for the health benefits after all.0 -
Smoking trends can probably teach us something. Kids kept smoking until about 1997, and then a decline finally started, and today the rate has been cut in half.
Education didn't work.
Price increases worked.
Bans and smoke-free places worked.
Something that might work for kids: rather than appealing to health concerns (they don't care), appeal to their sense of fair play. Portray makers of carb-laden processed foods as evil, lying, greedy corporations that manipulate us into buying and eating their crap. Best part about that spin is that it's true. 5 -
@FIT_Goat - me too, Sir, me too.
@redimock great idea..reading. She loves to read and I think the title I can wordsmith around.
@wabmester another great idea. She does fight back against "the man" every chance she gets.
Thanks!0 -
My 19 year old son tried LCHF, got the "keto flu" in a terrible way! Would not listen to me (or even others here!) about the electrolytes, at all! He went back to eating junk.
Hubby has committed to this woe at around a 75 gm carb level, and is actually believing in high fat! He has lost almost 20 pounds (he didn't seem to have that much to lose as it was), and has just increased his beer intake, lol, to "keep from losing too much"! He says that he actually sees starches as "evil" (his word, as well as mine)now, seeing the difference they made for my health through the years!
I hate I raised my son on processed crap that was labeled "healthy"! But I can only lead by example now, and cook real food, hoping he will come around one day!2 -
It's incredibly difficult to influence our kids.
My T1D daughter who is 21, lives at home, really needed to go low carb and after watching my success for about 9 months and having really poor health with an A1c of over 14, she finally decided to go for it. It's been fantastic. In only about 9 weeks she brought her A1c down to 7, which is within her goal set by her endocrinologist. I think it will end up even better in the coming months.
My daughter was very ill and even now still doesn't realize it. She was just below 100 pounds at 5'5" and has gained weight on Keto to 159 but even though she clearly has excess belly fat, she looks so good now. Once her body has healed, I believe her weight will settle into the right place on its own. Right now she needs the extra fat to continue healing.
Here's some recent history from underweight to back to looking healthy. You can't really tell how skeletal she looked...
And just to know how she looked prior to diagnosis.
Anyway, sometimes, even when they're lives depend on it, they don't do what they really need to... It's frustrating4 -
I wish I had learned about low-carb when I was a teen. I feel like I wasted decades of my life on ill health. But, I know I wouldn't have listened back then. I was too addicted to carbs. I can't even get my step-son to cut back on carbs, even though he is worried about his own weight. He's only a little above the norm, but he worries that he is going to "have a belly like [his] mom." I also can't get her to give up the carbs.
I have given up trying to convince others of the one true path.
You're convinced that this is the one true path?0 -
I would even go for videos. That Sugar Film, The Perfect Human Diet, Supersize Me (for a junk food gross out) and then Fathead (for a LCHF push). There are a few really good Sugar documentries out of Australia around somewhere... My kids learn well from watching so videos may be the way the go.
My kids don't eat low carb but they are lower than most kids (except my second son who is a potato fiend), and the carbs they do get tend to be fairly healthy. I don't keep processed carb foods in the house, beyond noodles and bread (and the bread is limited to 2 loaves per week for a family of 5). I don't even keep breakfast cereal in the house. If it isn't there, they can't eat it, and they won't spend much money of food themselves, so they rarely get junk.... My kids are younger though so controlling diet is still easier.
@Sunny_Bunny_ Your daughter is lovely, and she really does have a glow about her now!3 -
I wish I had learned about low-carb when I was a teen. I feel like I wasted decades of my life on ill health. But, I know I wouldn't have listened back then. I was too addicted to carbs. I can't even get my step-son to cut back on carbs, even though he is worried about his own weight. He's only a little above the norm, but he worries that he is going to "have a belly like [his] mom." I also can't get her to give up the carbs.
I have given up trying to convince others of the one true path.
You're convinced that this is the one true path?
For me it is!1 -
So I'm coming at this from the personal experience of my mom causing me a world of harm by shaming me about my weight and putting me on a diet when I was a teen. I'm not a fan of the idea. I developed a binge eating disorder and started eating in secret because I felt like I had no control over my own food. Ironically my son is now the age I was when my mom put me on my first diet. I've made a concerted effort to teach him about healthy habits, we cook organic whole foods, he loves to help me cook, I gave him an activity tracker and he is self motivated to be active throughout the day to meet the 10,000 steps. One thing I think would have been much more valuable to me, that I've taught him, is how to eat intuitively and trust his own body. Wait till he's hungry to eat, stop eating when he's satisfied, don't wait till you're starving to eat, eat without distractions, and also body awareness around how different foods make you feel. He has a ton of food allergies, so this has been very helpful in him knowing if something agrees with him or not. That's just my 2 cents... If she's open to learning about what you're doing, definitely share with her, but I wouldn't pressure her or anything.0
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She's 16, only a little overweight, and doesn't have actual diseases but only a family history (and who doesn't? Most of our ancestors are dead....).
It's not completely atypical for someone in her shoes to be disinclined to have a parent dictate their behavior, especially if parts of it, like no root beer floats, aren't any fun.
So... I might suggest you smile, take a deep breath (while still smiling), and make a mental note to save whatever you were going to say for a more receptive phase of her life. It will probably be here sooner than you imagine!
The goal for most of us as parents if we stop and think about it (unless we're trying to grow child rock stars to finance our early retirement) is to turn out sensible, educated adults at 20, 25, 30, or whenever adulthood finally arrives.
You're setting an example she can't possibly not remember forever. Whether she chooses to follow it, and when, will be up to her, but you can be certain the idea's been firmly planted.4 -
@Sunny_Bunny_ What progress - she's lovely!
I'm curious - how was it she got lighter after her T1D diagnosis? If I had to match photos with captions, I would have assumed she started on insulin at T=0 and arranged them the other way 'round.0 -
Even Stephen Phinney, one of the staunchest LCHF advocates, takes pains to remind his audience periodically that we're all different, and some people are better off with other diets.You're convinced that this is the one true path?
But for a great many of us who've been around the block a few times, LC has proven to be the one and ONLY true path!
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@Sunny_Bunny_ What progress - she's lovely!
I'm curious - how was it she got lighter after her T1D diagnosis? If I had to match photos with captions, I would have assumed she started on insulin at T=0 and arranged them the other way 'round.
The answer is not taking enough insulin and ketosis... That's how I learned about ketones actually. She had several hospitalizations for Ketoacidosis that year and as I was researching it to understand exactly how it worked and what it was doing to her, I stumbled upon nutritional ketosis. I literally watched her melt away like it was nothing and it was because she wasn't taking enough insulin so her body turned to her fat for energy.
It was eye opening when I realized there was a healthy way to make that happen and that anyone could do it.0 -
OP, my 14 year old daughter just asked me yesterday if she could do LCHF since she's seen my success so far. She is not super overweight, but she is a little. I am very hesitant to encourage her in this for some reason. As a teen, I had a terrible time with binge/purge habits and I'm scared to death that any talk of dieting with her will produce the same in her. My approach has always been to teach her to balance out her choices so she's not overdoing anything and to try to get some exercise. She's not built the way I was as a teen; I was already very slim but thought I was fat. Anyway, I'm watching this thread to see the advice and opinions. I really want to encourage her, but I might encourage her to do more of a simple low carb diet and not keto.0
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OP, my 14 year old daughter just asked me yesterday if she could do LCHF since she's seen my success so far. She is not super overweight, but she is a little. I am very hesitant to encourage her in this for some reason. As a teen, I had a terrible time with binge/purge habits and I'm scared to death that any talk of dieting with her will produce the same in her. My approach has always been to teach her to balance out her choices so she's not overdoing anything and to try to get some exercise. She's not built the way I was as a teen; I was already very slim but thought I was fat. Anyway, I'm watching this thread to see the advice and opinions. I really want to encourage her, but I might encourage her to do more of a simple low carb diet and not keto.
If you believe this way of eating is healthiest, then support her efforts based solely on that fact.
My son and both my daughters don't need to lose weight, as a matter of fact I was sure my oldest daughter would gain weight on Keto because it's the best way to eat for health and that's exactly what happened. But I have made it clear to the whole family that anyone choosing to eat high carb foods isn't making a good choice for health. In my house it has nothing to do with weight loss. What got me started was for weight loss, but also to break my sugar addiction and to experience ketosis for myself. Once I learned about its health benefits, I was a lifer. It no longer has anything to do with weight loss for me. I even was able to reduce medication for ADHD.
If your daughter is at all into science, she might find the effects of ketosis on brain health and the body interesting.
My 17 year old, middle kid, eats less carbs, but not low carb and my son, 13, just thinks I'm crazy. He's not cutting back on pancakes and skittles (when he can get them) anytime soon. He's incredibly active (and very very thin) though, so I'm not overly worried about him right now. I mostly preach protein to him since he works out so hard with baseball.2 -
@jetsamflotsamI hear your struggle When I was a kid I had a mom who called me thunder thighs and hippo hips. I was 363 pounds by the time I was out of high school and her cajoling me certainly didn't help matters. I've worked very hard to ensure both my girls have a very positive self image because I knew what it was like to have exactly the opposite. I'm lucky in that both my girls know who they are and have a wide circle of people who love them exactly as they are; friends included. It's really not about her weight and more about the health concerns. She often feeling under the weather, her gut bothers her a lot, she has a lot of joint pain - especially when she's marching for band. No chronic health issues yet but she'll be headed that way eventually if her WOE doesn't improve.
... and @RalfLott You may be right about that. We have a very open and trusting relationship. She talks to me about anything on her mind and I'm open enough to hear it, regardless of topic. She complains about not feeling well but maybe I could save the timing for when she says "how come I don't feel good?" or "how can I feel better?" Wait for her to come to me for a possible solution. She's going to Europe in a few days to play concerts in about 7 countries. I worry like crazy about all the walking they will do and if the knee and ankle pain will get to her. Maybe when she sees other kids having an easier time...
I so very happy that her weight is the least of my concerns but there are so many other factors that do worry me for her.0 -
If you believe this way of eating is healthiest, then support her efforts based solely on that fact.
My son and both my daughters don't need to lose weight, as a matter of fact I was sure my oldest daughter would gain weight on Keto because it's the best way to eat for health and that's exactly what happened. But I have made it clear to the whole family that anyone choosing to eat high carb foods isn't making a good choice for health. In my house it has nothing to do with weight loss. What got me started was for weight loss, but also to break my sugar addiction and to experience ketosis for myself. Once I learned about its health benefits, I was a lifer. It no longer has anything to do with weight loss for me. I even was able to reduce medication for ADHD.
If your daughter is at all into science, she might find the effects of ketosis on brain health and the body interesting.
My 17 year old, middle kid, eats less carbs, but not low carb and my son, 13, just thinks I'm crazy. He's not cutting back on pancakes and skittles (when he can get them) anytime soon. He's incredibly active (and very very thin) though, so I'm not overly worried about him right now. I mostly preach protein to him since he works out so hard with baseball. [/quote]
Thanks Sunny Bunny, as usual you have excellent thoughts and insights. I will see if she's interested in reading up on it.1 -
My very overweight 16 year old nephew heard me telling his mom about my success and how I've chosen to eat a few weeks after I started this WOE. He asked me all about it and if it was hard, if I thought he could do it. I told him what I did know and told him how my body was affected so far. He chose for himself to eat around 50 carbs a day. Higher than me but still SO much lower then what he was eating before. He still drinks milk and has lightly breaded chicken in his salad at school, but the rest of the time is pretty low carb (usually even under his 50 carb goal). He has stuck with it for over 2 months now.
He lost weight very quickly. His mom kinda thought too fast, but was happy for him, but she called his doctor, who said he was losing just fine and in a healthy manner. His weight loss has slowed a bit now. He is still losing 2 to 3 lbs. a week. (he really is very overweight) He didn't cut diet sodas or sugar-free flavored drinks, but he doesn't eat any added sugar. He doesn't eat the starch side that is fixed for his mom or brother at meals. All in all, he is happy with his results to continue eating low carb.
He did tell me once he wanted sweets, I bought him dark chocolate chips and told him how many was a serving. He actually stuck to a serving size and the bag lasted him over a week. He listened to me about watching his salt intake and to increase it. He salts his food and eats pickles. He never got the carb flu. He seems to be doing very well.11 -
@Kellryn that is awesome. While our kids will turn 19 this fall and are not obese they are not really interested in my way of eating. The daughter is carb aware when shopping for me but not so much for herself. The son is interested in keto for me but not himself but he knows keto turned around my failing health because I can do more things without his help.
People have to own "keto" for it to work and especially for it to work for them.2 -
@Kellryn that truly is awesome. I'm a little teary, actually reading it. Anna has started using MFP to log her food and is starting to see how many calories are in things. She's been quite surprised and trying to stay under her own calorie goal. (I reviewed to make sure it wasn't too low,but she set it.) I was thinking I'd suggest she come here just to browse around. Even if she uses my account to read some of the threads - since she's not really a low carber (yet).
You touched on something I'd not thought about. My carb intake is usually under 20g. She would not need anything so drastic; She could go lower carb, not necessarily low, low carb. Thank you for sharing that.2
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