How many calories does a 13yr old boy need each day

CBM23

I have this concern about my little brother. He is visibly very overweight, carries all of it in his stomach and hes only 9.
For breakfast the other day, he had garlic break, pizza, blueberrys and pancakes, then he ate again 2 hours later! It drives me insane that my mom lets him and that I cant do anything about it.
If I were you, I would load up on fruits and low calorie snacks for him to munch on, and stop buying most junk food (its not helping him in his development anyway so there's no need to waste money on it), he will eat something healthy if he gets hungry enough. And a possible idea for more activity is he has to spend as much time outside and he does on the computer, he spends an hour on the computer, he has to go for an hour long walk, bike ride, playing baseball, etc.. A guy on the doctors does it with his son and he said it works well, you could also half that time if you dont want to push him too hard (ie: half hour out for every hour on the computer). I would also try to (subtlety) educate him about how calories work and how much really are in the foods he eats, I know I had no idea how much calories some of my favorite (and seemingly healthy) foods had in them, before I started looking them up.
Good luck!

firesoforion

I think it's healthier for kids, especially boys to eat too much than too little, BUT it should be healthy. I'd worry (general statement) about an overload on junk food (though my cousin seems to have turned out fine while being an irritatingly picky eater and eating few to no fruits and vegetables), and I really think encouraging him to be a less picky eater is a good thing (for so many reasons, social, physical, psychological...). Other than that I say don't worry about it. Kids need the calories to grow and develop properly.

heybales

Don't forget your excellent example in trying to make healthy changes too.

Make sure to play up your accomplishments, not to nag him, but just making sure he is very aware of the smart choices you are making, hearing the why you are doing it, how, ect.

Then just making sure he has available the same wise stuff to eat and do.

crisnis

I have a picky eater too, and she is like her daddy when it comes to food... if it taste good she will keep eating! I make sure there are plenty of appropriate snack options in the house (cheese, fruit, 100 cal granola bars, apple sauce, ect...) 90% of the time there isn't a junk food option so if she wants a snack she has to eat whats available - period. On school days they get one snack after school before dinner and one snack/dessert after dinner - on non-school days they get a morning snack too. I also cook most meals (usually 5 days a week) and I plate the food for the kid so they get appropriate serving sizes. If they want more, or seconds, of a preferred item, they have to eat all of what I gave them first (veggies included!). I also have been talking to my oldest about serving sizes (she's 11) - if there is a junk food item in the house (chips, cookies, icecream) she can have it for dessert but she has to have an appropriate serving. I also try to involve the kids in my exercise - I take them hiking, we walk the dog together, ect... Good luck!

Bet_Lynch

I'm absolutely astounded at the response from EVERYBODY! :flowerforyou:

Thank you so much for your advice and tips and general understanding.

Sometimes in life you know what you've got to do subconsciously, BUT you need people to tell you as it is.

I've talked to him today about starting a food diary with me and he said "mmm ok mum, i guess" I won't concentrate on the calories just the food quality like you guys said. But I don't want to give him a complex also.


FOOD: And I've talked to the hubby about removing crisps (that's chips to our american friends!), having no cookies or cake in the house.
And we are thinking about locking the bread away for the time being as he's a massive toast and marmite eater.

He loves my oven baked chicken, so I'm going to put that in a tortilla wrap in his lunch box with a piece of fruit (may try different ones now and then even if I think he might not like them), small piece of low fat cheese like a babybel light and a low fat yoghurt with no bits (I wish he's eat the ones with bits in though it'd make my life easier) and perhaps a cereal bar for his mid-morning snack. He only drinks water at school so that's a bonus.


EXERCISE: This will be 1 hour of self defence/martial arts per week, 2 sessions of P.E. at school, 1 hour of the junior gym per week and he gets a bus to school then walks the rest of the way (10-12min walk) twice a day.

Bet_Lynch

This statement makes me think you don't have to worry about him. If he is one of the lucky ones who is higher in muscle then average, he won't appear as heavy as he is because of the muscle mass. Muscle is a good thing!

He is what we call "sturdy and solid" in our house. He's not blubbery so to speak, he's got broad shoulders and you can tell if he worked at it he could lose the fat and have a lot of muscle to show. His belly is defintly the biggest issue, he's a 35 inch waist, so getting trousers to fit is a living nightmare! :grumble:

Right I'm off to tesco's now, wish me luck in getting some healthy snacks. :happy:

meerkat70

remember that boys that age grow in a somewhat peculiar pattern. They kind of grow sideways, then shoot up, and that cycle is repeated a few times.

If you're reasonably confident he's eating plenty of veg, getting some exercise most days, and not eating too much sugar or fried food, it's possible that this is what's going on.

My little girl is going through this process. About two months ago, she had the slightest of bellies on her. Now she's 2 inches taller, and not an ounce of extra fat on her!

MaximalLife

I have 5 kids - all boys - all fit and totally healthy,

They eat nothing but healthy foods except for our "free day".
And I make them all do exercise - daily.
Push-ups
Pull- Ups
Sit-Ups
Knee Bends
And Running

As a parent, I am in control, and once they get out on their own, their health is all on them.
Until then, it's a no brainer.
They eat what I say they eat, and that's it.

And the fruit of this philosophy are fit kids who excel in everything. We don't have any issues with fatness.
Do they complain? Yes! Do I totally ignore their sniveling? You bet!

And sometimes I'll ask, "Do you want to end up looking like (INSERT FAT FRIEND'S NAME)?
That usually shuts them right up.

No kid really wants to be fat.

Elf_Princess1210

He goes to a class once a week where he learns different martial arts and self defence. He does P.E twice a week.
And i was looking into a local gym they have for kids.
He hates sports of any kind.

But apart from that he's a massive computer head. I did put a pc timer on to limit the time (which didn't go well :laugh: )

It's so hard cos there is virtually no motivation from his side, he just see's me as nagging him.

I wonder if there are any mums on here that have the same problem as me, perhaps we can share tips.

Maybe have him go to more martial arts classes a week?

Bet_Lynch

I have 5 kids - all boys - all fit and totally healthy,

They eat nothing but healthy foods except for our "free day".
And I make them all do exercise - daily.
Push-ups
Pull- Ups
Sit-Ups
Knee Bends
And Running

As a parent, I am in control, and once they get out on their own, their health is all on them.
Until then, it's a no brainer.
They eat what I say they eat, and that's it.

And the fruit of this philosophy are fit kids who excel in everything. We don't have any issues with fatness.
Do they complain? Yes! Do I totally ignore their sniveling? You bet!

And sometimes I'll ask, "Do you want to end up looking like (INSERT FAT FRIEND'S NAME)?
That usually shuts them right up.

No kid really wants to be fat.

Woah you're the original boot camp dad aren't you!!

havingitall

When my son was around this age, he grew six inches in 5 months. It was like you could literally see him grow before your eyes. That being said, the pre-packaged breaded chicken and pizza can be changed to healthier options. There are recipes that "health" these up.

You say he won't eat veggies or fruit. Have him help make meals and he will try new things. My son was a very picky eater and is now studying to become a chef where he tries everything! We have bought Clean Eating cookbooks and he is now substituting the healthier versions in the high fat recipes he has learned.

At his age, he is probably playing a lot of video games. Ask him to help you to lose weight by walking with you or doing something together. Do not make it about him, he will only resent that. But if you ask him to help you, there is a better chance he will participate. One martial arts class and two P/E classes a week isn't enough.

The one thing I have found with kids is that you cannot force them. You can show them by example and ask them to help you.

jeepwidow01

Here is a link to a page where you could calculate his height vs. weight to try and figure out his BMI. I would only use it as a general guide, however. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of BMI charts. I never have been, but especially more so since our ped told us at my daughter's 5 yr. old well check visit that her BMI was high and we had to reduce the amount of calories she took in by 100 per day. Seriously??? My daughter was in the 90th percentile for weight and 94 percentile for height. BTW: She grew 1 1/2 inches in the next 5-6 weeks....

To try and increase the amount of veggies in his daily intake, have you tried hiding them in the meals that you make?

Anyway, try using this as a general guideline and then speak to your pediatrician as well. Good luck!

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/index.html

LilMissFoodie

Doctors generally don't recommend monitoring a child's calories due to the fact that there bodies are growing. .

Yeah, it isn't just this - it's also because it generally doesn't promote healthy habits or attitudes toward food but rather creates the mindset of 'dieting'. Children really need to be allowed to match their hunger to their intake to help form heathy patterns of eating. Of course, what you do and perhaps should have more control over as others have said is the type of food that he eats and the knowledge of nutrition that he has.

LilMissFoodie

My daughter was in the 90th percentile for weight and 94 percentile for height. BTW: She grew 1 1/2 inches in the next 5-6 weeks....

Did they adjust the BMI for age? ie give you a percentile for BMI? If her height percentile is higher than her weight percentile then I would suspect that her BMI percentile may actually be closer to low/normal. Percentiles are a funny thing because they compare to other children rather than to any kind of 'ideal' - it sounds like she is just much taller than most children her age and therefore logically weighs more...

Bet_Lynch

They kind of grow sideways, then shoot up, and that cycle is repeated a few times.

I knew a boy in our area who was quite short and fat, but once he got into his teens (14 and up) he shot up really tall and is now really lankey.

jeepwidow01

My daughter was in the 90th percentile for weight and 94 percentile for height. BTW: She grew 1 1/2 inches in the next 5-6 weeks....

Did they adjust the BMI for age? ie give you a percentile for BMI? If her height percentile is higher than her weight percentile then I would suspect that her BMI percentile may actually be closer to low/normal. Percentiles are a funny thing because they compare to other children rather than to any kind of 'ideal' - it sounds like she is just much taller than most children her age and therefore logically weighs more...

My husband brought her to the appt. because I was on crutches & a walking boot. When I looked it up online according to her weight, vs. height, she was 1 lb. over on the high side. I did call and talk to the pediatrician over the phone regarding this because my daughter has a larger bone structure. Basically what I was told was that she will just have less wiggle room. I like the pediatrician in every other way, but this area I really disagree with. After the well visit, I had to take her in due to an ear infection and I saw the nurse practioner and we talked briefly about it. Since she had grown in that time, she was in the normal range and he said just to make sure she is active and don't worry about reducing her caloric intake, which I wasn't. I plan to see him for her well visits for now on!

meerkat70

Please don't, as has been suggested in this thread, make disparaging remarks about your own, or other children's health and weight. This is damaging to your own kids self perception, but also likely to encourage the kind of play ground bullying of 'fat kids' that you're encouraging your children into by using them as some kind of cautionary tale.

Forcing kids into fitness is generally the way to make them hate fitness activity, and ultimately rebel.

Bet_Lynch

Please don't, as has been suggested in this thread, make disparaging remarks about your own, or other children's health and weight. This is damaging to your own kids self perception, but also likely to encourage the kind of play ground bullying of 'fat kids' that you're encouraging your children into by using them as some kind of cautionary tale.

Forcing kids into fitness is generally the way to make them hate fitness activity, and ultimately rebel.

Which member are you referring to?

Me?

maidentl

Please don't, as has been suggested in this thread, make disparaging remarks about your own, or other children's health and weight. This is damaging to your own kids self perception, but also likely to encourage the kind of play ground bullying of 'fat kids' that you're encouraging your children into by using them as some kind of cautionary tale.

Forcing kids into fitness is generally the way to make them hate fitness activity, and ultimately rebel.

Yup, I foresee some kids getting out of the house and not exercising for quite some time because no one is there to force them. My kids are fit, too but because they choose to be. We talk about healthy choices and the importance of being active and they get their activity through fun things.

Artemis726

(((HUGS))) Your son is lucky to have such a lovely momma who cares about his health so much.

Both my DH and I were chubby kids, and we really wanted our kids to not face the same fate or be in the same sort of environment. We didn't want food to be a control 'issue' like it was for us, and we never wanted their self-worth being tied to their appearance. We have 4 children now, ages 11-3. All are height and weight proportionate and enjoy exercise. They tried to be picky eaters- that really doesn't work too well in our house. LOL! They eat what I make- though I do try to make things that they WILL eat while introducing new dishes often. They have three meals and two snacks a day, mostly healthy, but nothing taboo or off limits. I make homemade pizza and chicken nuggets every week, but we don't sit down and eat a bunch of it and it's always balanced with veggies, fruit, and low fat dairy. We have cookies and ice cream in the summer. Everything in moderation for us! We have taught them to listen to their bodies and we lead by example. We go outside and play with them everyday when it is reasonable out, we take walks and hikes, and we go to the park and swim. They see that DH and I value healthy living, and I hope it sets a positive example for them. It's just a way of life for all of us. Lucky for them that they have never known anything different.

So my advice is to lead by example and make a family lifestyle change that you can commit to. Replace the crisps with healthier options (we love rice cakes and air popped popcorn with seasonings!). Be mindful of portions and drinking water. Make healthy food easy to grab- find out what he likes and make it available. Be active and aware, but don't let it become an 'issue'.

You can do it, and it's worth it. Small steps.

CMmrsfloyd

Please don't, as has been suggested in this thread, make disparaging remarks about your own, or other children's health and weight. This is damaging to your own kids self perception, but also likely to encourage the kind of play ground bullying of 'fat kids' that you're encouraging your children into by using them as some kind of cautionary tale.

Forcing kids into fitness is generally the way to make them hate fitness activity, and ultimately rebel.

Which member are you referring to?

Me?

I think that was in reference to 'boot camp dad's' post, there was talk of pointing out overweight kids in the neighborhood and asking if the kids wanted to get fat like their friends. The original form was slightly more harsh than the editted version.

meerkat70

Please don't, as has been suggested in this thread, make disparaging remarks about your own, or other children's health and weight. This is damaging to your own kids self perception, but also likely to encourage the kind of play ground bullying of 'fat kids' that you're encouraging your children into by using them as some kind of cautionary tale.

Forcing kids into fitness is generally the way to make them hate fitness activity, and ultimately rebel.

Which member are you referring to?

Me?

No, the poster who suggested pointing to the 'fat kid' and asking if their kids want to be like that....

Bet_Lynch

Please don't, as has been suggested in this thread, make disparaging remarks about your own, or other children's health and weight. This is damaging to your own kids self perception, but also likely to encourage the kind of play ground bullying of 'fat kids' that you're encouraging your children into by using them as some kind of cautionary tale.

Forcing kids into fitness is generally the way to make them hate fitness activity, and ultimately rebel.

Which member are you referring to?

Me?

No, the poster who suggested pointing to the 'fat kid' and asking if their kids want to be like that....

Oh I see, sorry, looks like crossed wires there

Bet_Lynch

[/quote]

I think that was in reference to 'boot camp dad's' post, there was talk of pointing out overweight kids in the neighborhood and asking if the kids wanted to get fat like their friends. The original form was slightly more harsh than the editted version.
[/quote]

I didn't realise it was edited, thanks for clearing that up.

UnderCoverShyGirl

After reading some of the posts after I visited this thread - i had to really think back (my boys are 19 and 21) and you know what, both of them went through a chubby phase that lasted a couple years, at around this same age....as someone else mentioned, all of a sudden around 15 or 16, they got their height and actually my chubbiest son back then is the one with the 6 pack now. My other doesn't eat well, but he got involved in basketball when he went to highschool...the team became a great group of friends who connected mainly through the sport. now that my son is not in HS and no team, he still does a league and he goes to the gym everyday to play and lift weights. he still eats crap and i can't control it overall, but at least he is active...he sounds like your son - he is "big" but not "fat" per se....i can just see if he would eat correctly, the layer of fat would disappear and the muscles would be there....

i do have to confess that i did catapult him into paying attention a year or so ago...and i'm not recommending this, but....basically i was always pointing out that he should stop eating ranch dressing, stop eating fast food, etc...shared with him my challenges, but he didn't really care. Of course, even when they act like they don't care, they hear you :-). He went to tahoe for a week with a bunch of friends. while he was gone i had noticed that my scale went wacky and instead of reading zero, it read 20lbs when no one was standing on it!! I decided not to fix it until after he got home....his first day back, he hopped in the shower. came out all somber. declared he was cutting out fast food and soda. i looked at him and asked "did you gain a little weight?"....he almost burst into tears saying he gained 20 lbs in tahoe. a nice mom would have probably let him know about the scale snafu....i didn't. A few weeks later, after he still had not eaten any fast food and soda (yay), i fixed the scale calibration....next time he showered and weighed himself he was so proud that by eating no fast food or soda, he lost 20 lbs!!! It's a year later, and he still almost never eats fast food or soda....he still eats a lot of junk, but seeing the scale change as a direct result of his effort really made him connect eating that junk with easy weight gain. Of course i told him later...but a looonnggg time later...probably a year.....can't say i'm proud of not telling him the truth, but i'm still thrilled that he was able to see the connection!!

Okay, i'll leave that as my confessional - i guess the lesson here is that we somehow have to help them connect the dots...kids can't see "the future" or imagine how doing things now payoff later...after all, they haven't lived long enough to see it. but i truly believe us sharing our knowledge does stay with them later, getting them involved in a group activity that actually has people they like and that are active can be so good for them, and helping them find "easy" foods that are healthier can really be good (as they love the convenience of grabbing and eating!). My other son is fascinated with smoothies, so giving him recipes, ingredients and a blender was something that worked well for him....

My weight gain started with a few things as a child....emotional tough times that i ate through....and an early love of cheese, butter and mayo....i literally had to learn at 43 years old that i could eat a sandwich without mayo....if it needs to be wet, i use hummus or mustard, and i've replaced my cheese addiction with laughing cows..LOL...so if he has some fattening favorites, maybe you can find replacements for them and that's all you buy.

good luck and don't worry! It will be okay. the fact that you are even thinking about this means he has the support he needs to be healthy and fit...and as you progress, he will watch and see and learn...and you will be teaching him how to eat forever....now that is magical!! I wish i had started back when my kiddos were young teenagers!!