5yr old used Wii to lose weight

BethanyMasters

She is gorgeous.

I wish my parents had taken measures to help me become healthier.
Going through grade school as one of the chubby kids was a traumatizing experience.

Please ignore the negative comments. People who say rude things like that have their own issues.

KareninCanada

luvmybaby333 - There are fit games for kids that don't do that, like KidFit and Nick Jr also has one. Maybe they'd enjoy one of those?

MlleDee

Sorry, this isn't meant as a rude comment but I do feel where some of the posters are coming from. From my personal experience having attention brought to your weight at such a young age really can have negative effects.

My Mom was very hands on, she never called me fat, but from a very young age...probably pre-elementary, she would weigh me monthly and then stand me in front of a mirror and ask me where all that weight was going. She would also ask little questions like did I like the way other (skinner) siblings looked, and would mention if only I liked sports I could look like them too.

She was a constant dieter, and would always include me on her weight loss plans. Her special Weight Watcher meals were just for me and her. The rest of the family got something else. When that didn't work she would put everyone on the diet plan, and if anyone complained she would remind them it was a good chance for them to support me.

Now while this sounds like good parenting, it led to me having severe food issues, where I felt like I had to eat in secret because people were always watching what I ate, including the teachers at school. And it inevitable lead to bullying from my siblings, because kids are mean.

I applaud you for the healthy lifestyle change (the Wii), but the doctor visits about her weight, the before and after photos, the repeated mentions of how she now looks like the other children, the focus on her exact weight loss and its specific timeframe... Well these all make me fear you may be being more obvious than you feel. Kids are very perceptive, as a mother I am sure you are even more aware of that than I am.

The changes are great, but if you are in the habit of weighing your daughter regularly, and if she is aware that it is such a good thing that the number went down. Please be considerate of the fact that she is still growing, and that she will have to be able to deal with seeing the number go back up as she grows. At 5 years old to attribute only weight loss as positive is very misleading, there aren't many adults who weigh 61 pounds...well at least not healthy ones.

For these reasons and my own personal experience, I really tend to caution encouraging per-pubecent weight awareness. I think you are doing a great thing, but there are many ppl hear who can attest to what happens when it is done wrong, and I think those ppl are probably the source of the negative feedback.

So don't think of it like a personal attack, these are just warnings from ppl who remember what it was like to be in your daughters shoes. I love the idea of getting kids active and healthy, maybe with just less emphasis on the numbers. Because chances are, if you're watching them, so is she.

JennieAL

Sorry, this isn't meant as a rude comment but I do feel where some of the posters are coming from. From my personal experience having attention brought to your weight at such a young age really can have negative effects.

My Mom was very hands on, she never called me fat, but from a very young age...probably pre-elementary, she would weigh me monthly and then stand me in front of a mirror and ask me where all that weight was going. She would also ask little questions like did I like the way other (skinner) siblings looked, and would mention if only I liked sports I could look like them too.

She was a constant dieter, and would always include me on her weight loss plans. Her special Weight Watcher meals were just for me and her. The rest of the family got something else. When that didn't work she would put everyone on the diet plan, and if anyone complained she would remind them it was a good chance for them to support me.

Now while this sounds like good parenting, it led to me having severe food issues, where I felt like I had to eat in secret because people were always watching what I ate, including the teachers at school. And it inevitable lead to bullying from my siblings, because kids are mean.

I applaud you for the healthy lifestyle change (the Wii), but the doctor visits about her weight, the before and after photos, the repeated mentions of how she now looks like the other children, the focus on her exact weight loss and its specific timeframe... Well these all make me fear you may be being more obvious than you feel. Kids are very perceptive, as a mother I am sure you are even more aware of that than I am.

The changes are great, but if you are in the habit of weighing your daughter regularly, and if she is aware that it is such a good thing that the number went down. Please be considerate of the fact that she is still growing, and that she will have to be able to deal with seeing the number go back up as she grows. At 5 years old to attribute only weight loss as positive is very misleading, there aren't many adults who weigh 61 pounds...well at least not healthy ones.

For these reasons and my own personal experience, I really tend to caution encouraging per-pubecent weight awareness. I think you are doing a great thing, but there are many ppl hear who can attest to what happens when it is done wrong, and I think those ppl are probably the source of the negative feedback.

So don't think of it like a personal attack, these are just warnings from ppl who remember what it was like to be in your daughters shoes. I love the idea of getting kids active and healthy, maybe with just less emphasis on the numbers. Because chances are, if you're watching them, so is she.

This is a very good point, though I posted my response way back in the thread with a big thumbs up to the mom for posting & for the kid's weight loss.... put this way, I can now see both sides.

Good ideas here & personal sharing, and thumbs up to you for articulating yourself so well. I think it's posts like these that really improve the quality of this forum.

alenakelly

Sorry, this isn't meant as a rude comment but I do feel where some of the posters are coming from. From my personal experience having attention brought to your weight at such a young age really can have negative effects.

My Mom was very hands on, she never called me fat, but from a very young age...probably pre-elementary, she would weigh me monthly and then stand me in front of a mirror and ask me where all that weight was going. She would also ask little questions like did I like the way other (skinner) siblings looked, and would mention if only I liked sports I could look like them too.

She was a constant dieter, and would always include me on her weight loss plans. Her special Weight Watcher meals were just for me and her. The rest of the family got something else. When that didn't work she would put everyone on the diet plan, and if anyone complained she would remind them it was a good chance for them to support me.

Now while this sounds like good parenting, it led to me having severe food issues, where I felt like I had to eat in secret because people were always watching what I ate, including the teachers at school. And it inevitable lead to bullying from my siblings, because kids are mean.

I applaud you for the healthy lifestyle change (the Wii), but the doctor visits about her weight, the before and after photos, the repeated mentions of how she now looks like the other children, the focus on her exact weight loss and its specific timeframe... Well these all make me fear you may be being more obvious than you feel. Kids are very perceptive, as a mother I am sure you are even more aware of that than I am.

The changes are great, but if you are in the habit of weighing your daughter regularly, and if she is aware that it is such a good thing that the number went down. Please be considerate of the fact that she is still growing, and that she will have to be able to deal with seeing the number go back up as she grows. At 5 years old to attribute only weight loss as positive is very misleading, there aren't many adults who weigh 61 pounds...well at least not healthy ones.

For these reasons and my own personal experience, I really tend to caution encouraging per-pubecent weight awareness. I think you are doing a great thing, but there are many ppl hear who can attest to what happens when it is done wrong, and I think those ppl are probably the source of the negative feedback.

So don't think of it like a personal attack, these are just warnings from ppl who remember what it was like to be in your daughters shoes. I love the idea of getting kids active and healthy, maybe with just less emphasis on the numbers. Because chances are, if you're watching them, so is she.

This is a very good point, though I posted my response way back in the thread with a big thumbs up to the mom for posting & for the kid's weight loss.... put this way, I can now see both sides.

Good ideas here & personal sharing, and thumbs up to you for articulating yourself so well. I think it's posts like these that really improve the quality of this forum.

Just letting you know its not like that for her, she still eats anything she wants and we dont make a big deal of it, I know i did the right thing because she used to weigh more then her 8 year old cousin whos a boy.... she definitely was a bigger girl, now shes more active then before is all im sayin, we dont tell her she GOT to lose weight or she GOT to eat certain things, so to each his own!

KareninCanada

I applaud you for the healthy lifestyle change (the Wii), but the doctor visits about her weight, the before and after photos, the repeated mentions of how she now looks like the other children, the focus on her exact weight loss and its specific timeframe... Well these all make me fear you may be being more obvious than you feel. Kids are very perceptive, as a mother I am sure you are even more aware of that than I am.

The changes are great, but if you are in the habit of weighing your daughter regularly, and if she is aware that it is such a good thing that the number went down. Please be considerate of the fact that she is still growing, and that she will have to be able to deal with seeing the number go back up as she grows. At 5 years old to attribute only weight loss as positive is very misleading, there aren't many adults who weigh 61 pounds...well at least not healthy ones.

That's the tightrope I'm trying to walk right now, too... but to be fair, you need to realize that it's more than likely the doctor who brought it up. Annual health checkups for kids do include a weight/height check, tracking on the growth charts, BMI, etc - and it's the health nurse or doctor's job to call attention to it if there is a concern. And then it's our job to do with that information the best thing we know how to do. In our case, we were offered a referral to a dietitian at her last checkup, like the OP. I said no, I knew the changes we needed to make. I did kind of put it off with the idea that she'd grow into herself. But now my daughter is seven, has had a major growth spurt, and hasn't grown into the "baby fat" that was there at five; instead, it's started inviting friends. So changes have to be made. And habits changed this young will change the future in a positive way.

We're trying to keep the focus on "healthier" vs "smaller", and I'm doing my best to correct her when she starts to equate "skinny" with "better". But you're right - kids are very perceptive. Mine has picked up on everything that I've been doing lately and is asking questions every day, so I'm taking the opportunity and trying to guide her while still keeping it positive. It's hard!! I'm still fighting my own negative voices at the same time as I'm trying to keep hers from ever developing.

ShrinkinMel

Way to go girlie and mama. So great that you and her took the time to do that. With childhood diabetes(type 2) and high cholesterol in some elementary kids good for you for making that purchase. She looks great and I bet she feels so much better. Kids can feel stress and I'm so happy for you both that she got to a normal weight. As an adult who got heavy at the end of elementary school I wish my mom had taken a roll into helping me reduce my weight to normal/ideal range. I tried in high school but had little control over what I ate. I went vegetarian(unhealthily, meaning didn't watch protein counts) and started a walk/jog program. In my senior year I joined a gym started to run but moved across country and life kicked in. I've been up and down since. Getting active would have been the best things.

We are enjoying our active games on the Wii. We just got Just Dance 3 and The Michael Jackson Experience game to keep moving. Its tons of fun and we can play for 1-3 hours and just have so much fun the time flies by. My 8 year old LOVES these games. She is already very well proportioned at 4'6" and 64-65 lbs but she wants to build some strength(for cartwheels and playing NOT weight lifting just wanted to clarify that) and get better at the dancing movements and flexibility.

KristinLeAnn252

I wish there was a Wii when I was a kid. I could've been saved the trouble of working my butt of thousands of times trying to lose the weight I gained as a kid because I was a reader and not into sports.

ShrinkinMel

I'm not a parent, but I wouldn't hype this up by posting before and after pics and stuff like that. Chics have enough stigma attached to their weight. And at 5?

i doubt shes showing her daughter it like shes a diet ad or anything.. i think she looks fabulous!! good work !

Not like she's an ad or anything, I'm saying little girl gets on the PC and sees her pic (I wouldn't post my child on the internet, but again, I'm not a parent) and she's all freaked out about getting "fat" again.

If she wants a twinkee or pizza she should have one. She will have enough time to be concerned about her weight once she hits like 12.

That's all I'm saying.

I disagree 5-6 is prime time they learn about confidence. And hearing other kids or heck even the Dr. call you fat/overweight because your a little over what the charts say or what everyone else looks like their age will cause trauma to their confidence WELL before 12. Been there! My confidence is HORRIBLE. I wish someone of my parents(mom, dad or step mom) would have encouraged something as simple as get active. Well my dad did my 5th grade year he signed me up for basketball. That was the only year I lived with them then it was back to my mom's where I was lucky to be at the same school the entire year. Nothing said about twinkies. My daughter eats junk food sometimes. Its just not in our daily meal planning. She's healthy proportioned and I do encourage activity. I'd like to keep her in a healthy range and make sure she grows up learning what it means to be active and fit.

This mom teaching her 5 year old to be active will save the 12 year old from being called out. I just don't think teaching a young child to move is going to cause more damage to the ideals placed in little girls by tv shows and other media like magazines that are totally photoshopped. I think making exercise fun(a game literally) is the way to go.

CnocNaCu

I'm not a parent, but I wouldn't hype this up by posting before and after pics and stuff like that. Chics have enough stigma attached to their weight. And at 5?

I totally second that!
It is great that she lost weight just by using the WII but.... NOW is the time to show her (and be an example for) a healthy lifestyle with healthy foodand interesting but healthy lunch boxes. Good luck on your journey

Tujitsu56

I moved the theme of thos topic (go op), but some of the comments are just horrible or very personal...

The parents like you comment was way out of hand... The way things worked out, the op's parenting May turn out better than many... I mean she gave her daughter freedom and choice, but eventually threw the rigjt tools in the mix and now the daughter is choosing to be fit... To me that's huge... For her to aware of this and making a good decision to exercise.

And on that point, I think awareness is good. I was actually called fat a lot and eventually righted the ship using that as motivation... Now if everyone tells you that you're perfectly fit and fine being overweight, I think this would be a problem that is far worse.

ShrinkinMel

This is alarming.

Why??, at that age kids start doing lots of activities, football, dance, baseball gym etc - Wii is just another activity.

If it helps promote a healthy habit that she keeps for life it can only be a good thing.

YES DItto...How is playing the Wii games different from say putting her in karate or a sport to get her active.

priestess88

What an awesome mum you are! I hope to learn a lesson or two from your daughter - I'm going to be taking a page out of her book. You're both a wonderful inspiration