How to explain to my kids I'm dieting?

Bobby__Clerici

We have 5 kids...and none are fat but healthy and athletic.
I see that they eat well but not as I do given my restrictions. They eat burgers, hot dogs, pizza and foods I enjoy but in much greater doses of moderation.
I don't make the whole family suffer just because I am losing weight.
They understand that I am working on my fitness goals and can't eat the processed trash they get to enjoy.
My example to them is as one who bucked up in the face of obesity, lost the weight and kept it off going on 13 months.
And I still eat very well given my challenges.
Life is to be lived :drinker:

just because they're thin and athletic doesn't mean they're healthy.

I don't dwell in the arena of "what if" but reality.
Given that too many kids are fat and weak, I am content with kids that are not.
Good enough.
I am not going get diet Nazi on them. That's why some get obsessive about food.
No thanks....:noway:

stunningalmond

Just tell them you are getting healthy and changing the way you eat for good because what you are doing is not working. My mom put me on the diet rollercoaster throughout my childhood and it was so unhealthy. Live by example and show them all the great things fruits and veggies have in them. Show them exercise too. Kids need to be taught how to take care of their bodies. My kids always ask, every time they eat a veggie, what the vitamins are in them and things like will it help with their eye site like carrots or will it help prevent cancer like garlic and onion . You can even print out a list and have it on the refrigerator. Then they will be excited to eat well too. You are their guide to eat well. Do it for you and for them.

This is so true. My 6 year old has asked me how many calories she has left (oops!) and I tell her that she is so active and eats really well and doesn't need to worry about calories. I try to stress that it's more about being healthy than numbers.

It's amazing what they pick up on without you even knowing!

wlkumpf

true we dont' need to go nazi on them, but my kids prefer homemade healthier pizza to the store brand cardboard.
They enjoy the all beef, lite or turkey hotdogs as much or more than the junk ones and the turkey with cheese are fantastic!
They have not complained about the sarah lee low cal buns yet
They like the lite spaghetti sauces
They adjusted to skim milk
They have only had lite ranch, lite cottage cheese, lite sour cream and lite cream cheese
They have a love of gardening and fresh vegies

Moderation is the key, but simple substitutions can be as well, get the allfruit jams and the lite cheeses and string cheeses, the whole grain tortillas or something your family can adjust to.

Once it becomes the norm they will stop complaining and they will see from an early age that healthier is ok and not horrible or not just to be used when you want to drop some pounds. They are lifestyle changes and should be implemented family wide, I was buying lite cheese for my husband and myself and regular for the kids, then realized every person is going to be fighting obesity, why not set them up with healthy habits NOW! If we are worth the extra investment they sure are too.

they and my husband draw the line at turkey bacon and sausage (and that I can't blame them, they need to make a few improvements on that)

mizzie1980

My daughter is 9, so she picks up on more. I've told her that I let myself get really unhealthy by not exercising and eating unhealthy foods. So now I'm working to fix that by exercising and eating right. I've also told her that, FOR ME, part of getting healthier is losing weight, but that is different for everyone. And I've stressed to her that she is very healthy the way she is (she likes to eat healthy foods and she's very active), so she doesn't need to make any changes.

We've also talked about how worrying too much about your weight can be bad and I've shown her pictures of women that were very underweight and talked about how that's just as unhealthy as being very overweight.

But, with younger children, I think just saying "Mommy is trying to get healthier" is probably all the explanation they need.

FlaxMilk

If you want to balance out the explanation and not make it just about losing, tell them that weighing and measuring your food means you get just what your body needs, not too much but also not too little.

LizardQueen4PointOh

I actually haven't called it a 'diet', even though every way you eat is a 'diet'. It can be a healthy diet or an unhealthy diet. My 7yo son has noticed me checking the scale often (I know, step away from the scale - but it doesn't affect my positive or negative energy either way) and likes to weigh himself. I tell him often that he doesn't need to worry about his weight so much because he is very fit and trim. He needs to gain because he is growing. My 4yo daughter wants to exercise with me, which is fine as long as she's not underfoot.

My kids are all about 'snacks' and like oatmeal cream pies, honey buns, etc. I haven't been buying them lately and they've had to eat whatever healthy snacks I had on hand for myself. So, I went last night and bought all kinds of healthy snacks that I know they will eat from past experience: mini-slim jims, chewy granola bars, craisins, yogurt covered raisins, banana chips, yogurt, apples, bananas...