Four year old daughter, 75lbs

laurenk182004
laurenk182004 Posts: 1,882 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone! I need help... My daughter is 4 years old, almost 5. She has a large frame like myself and her father do. She is 46 1/2 inches tall. She actually weighs 74lbs currently, as she has lost 1 pound. I am counting her calories (without her knowing of COURSE).

I am trying to get her down to a healthy weight before she starts school next fall. Kids can be cruel! So all I have done so far is space her snacks and meals out more and introduce healthier foods. I have also removed the cookies and chips from the house.

She has no clue that I am concerned about her weight or my own, I make sure to never speak about it in front of her because I always want her to feel she is perfect no matter what! She is a wonderfully sweet little girl and I want her outlook on life to remain innocent and not be tainted with worries about weight. She's four! Ya know?

So anyways, my question is this. Does anyone know how many calories she should eat?! I know it's got to be more than what I eat to lose weight.. I have her on 1600 right now, but I have no clue wether this is high or low?

In my eyes she looks only slightly heavy, but she towers over other children her age and wears a size large in kids clothing. I want to fix this for her befor she knows what's up with weight.

Ramble ramble... Advice? Be kind, I'm not an evil mother or anything, and she is still getting plenty of her favorites, just healthier versions.


Thanks is advance! - Lauren
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Replies

  • axialmeow
    axialmeow Posts: 382 Member
    I would consult her pediatician asap. Maybe even get a referral to a dietician who works specifically with young kids. But good for you for being proactive with her health.
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
    I think it would be a good idea to consult with your pediatrician to determine what a healthy weight and calorie intake would be for her.
  • rompers16
    rompers16 Posts: 5,404 Member
    I agree with seeing a doctor. Also get her as active as you can...playing tag, playing jump rope, sign her up for gymnastics or something along those lines. Good luck.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    A quick google brings up this:
    http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html

    And on that - how about trying to up her activity level a bit (I don't know active she is, of course)
  • Mini_Medic
    Mini_Medic Posts: 343 Member
    Easiest way for kids to lose is more play and exercise. Sounds like you are taking steps in the nutrition direction to help her get more quality foods which is awesome. Maybe get her involved in a dance/gymnastics class or a sports team? Group activities are very motivating and excellent for kids fitness and health and fun too!
  • Sunray777
    Sunray777 Posts: 10 Member
    I commend you for taking action - you're a great mom. I don't know the calorie count, but have you thought about taking her to a nutritionist?
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    You need to talk to her doctor.

    Edit to say that my 4 year old is about the same height but only 45lbs. She is in the upper percentile. So, if you are aiming for a "normal" weight, that would be at least a 30lb weight loss. Not healthy for such a little one.

    The doctor is probably going to advise you to let her grow into her weight. By this, he/she will mean that you hold her weight steady as she gets taller (maybe lose 1-2lbs here and there).

    For right now though, you should focus on getting her active. Make sure she is getting plenty of physical play time. Take walks as a family. Get some active games for the Wii and play them with her. Where you lead, she will follow. My daughter mimics me doing pushups all the time and has wanted to sign up for 2 sports since I started getting healthy. She is following my lead. Your daughter will too.

    Talk to her about foods that are healthy - give fruit and veggies for snacks. She will subconciously start to make better choices. My daughter does. Cookies go stale in my house, but strawberries get eaten in 2 days. Once again, it's about you taking the lead.

    And don't worry about other kids - they aren't as mean as you think, especially at that age. My daughter has several obese children in her class and on her sports teams and I have yet to hear (or hear of) one child making a comment.
  • markymarrkk
    markymarrkk Posts: 495 Member
    I would consult her pediatician asap. Maybe even get a referral to a dietician who works specifically with young kids. But good for you for being proactive with her health.

    This ^ .... good luck mom, kudos :)
  • FitandFab33
    FitandFab33 Posts: 718 Member
    Definitely consult yor ped AND speak with a dietitian. I say "and" because doctors actually get very little training in nutrition and dietetics. For a child, the goal is NOT to LOSE weight.. it's to slow down the gaining of weight so that growth can catch up and weight balances out.
  • Brianna72994
    Brianna72994 Posts: 887
    Talk to her doctor!

    Also, it depends on her diet and activity level
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
    :( I would definitely take her to a nutritionist and a doctor to run some blood work.

    My daughter is 4 and 40 inches tall and 34 pounds.
  • CharityEaton
    CharityEaton Posts: 499 Member
    talk with the doctor and then google the nutriton guide from the FDA website. Also keep in mind that if she is bigger, then she is bigger. My 10 year old has always been much bigger than the other kids too. She is now almost 100 pounds at the age of 10 but she is not overweight. Don't get me wrong, she is not stick thin but she is well-proprtioned for her height and I do watch what she eats more closely than my other two kids.

    P.S. my kiddo weighed 20 pouns at 5 months...36 pounds at one year.....it started to slow down once she got a little older though! : )


    edited to add: if you go to my profile and look at my pics...there is a picture of her this summer pitching at her softball game.....not a huge kiddo but much bigger than most kids her age! : ) Don't stress too much over it!
  • djc315
    djc315 Posts: 585 Member
    I think you have some great suggestions, getting her into a sporting activity would be fun for her! It can be anything, even just meeting to play with other moms/kids at the park to play.

    Also, how much milk does she drink? Or juice? Those are huge factors for anyones weight. I know my friend had a "slight" issue with her son gaining weight and she cut back on his milk. He still gets it, obviously, but it isnt with every meal. He thinned out and honestly before I never thought he WAS heavy but now you can see he was. KWIM? So if he gets juice, she mixes it with equal parts water and juice (which is so rare) and he gets milk at dinner or if they are out.

    I think the main thing right now for her is to get her (more) active. You shouldn't have to say "no you can't have that piece of cake" while you are at a birthday party. But you CAN say no to cookies at home.

    When it comes to dietary advice for a child, I would ask her pediatrician.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I would consult her pediatician asap. Maybe even get a referral to a dietician who works specifically with young kids. But good for you for being proactive with her health.

    Agreeed! I also like the idea of getting her involved in an activity - maybe gymnastics or martial arts.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    Definitely consult yor ped AND speak with a dietitian. I say "and" because doctors actually get very little training in nutrition and dietetics. For a child, the goal is NOT to LOSE weight.. it's to slow down the gaining of weight so that growth can catch up and weight balances out.

    This. You need to stay proactive healthy for your entire family.
  • campi_mama
    campi_mama Posts: 350 Member
    So looking at a chart for average height/weight for a 5 yr old....she's tall for her age (average is about 40"). She's almost 7" taller than "average". Looks like she should be about 60 lbs for her actual height. Talking to the pediatrician is not a bad idea (some will even answer email questions). As others said, get her moving, feed her healthy stuff and see how it goes.
  • LillysGranny
    LillysGranny Posts: 431
    Get your family doctor to refer you to a dietitian who specializes in children. Because they are growing rapidly, unless their weight is posing a health risk, often the recommendation is to let the child's height catch up with his or her weight--that is, stop gaining but don't actually try to lose. Drastic cuts in NUTRITION can set your daughter up for things like osteoporosis and anemia down the road. There are also mental and behavioral problems that are associated with inadequate nutrition. Until you can talk to a dietitian, the main thing you should be trying to do is eliminate empty calories and added sugars.

    I commend you for recognizing this problem and working on it now--before it actually becomes a health or social problem for your daughter. Also, for recognizing that this is a family issue, not a child issue. The best thing you can do for your daughter is help her learn to love a variety of healthy foods--especially colorful veggies!

    Good luck to you!
  • laurenk182004
    laurenk182004 Posts: 1,882 Member
    Well I cant post the picture...facebook photos not allowed or something?

    Thankyou for the advice...I know I should get her into the pediatrician, and I do have an appointment November 20th. I was just hoping maybe someone else who has been through a similar situation could shed some light!

    This is a link to a picture of her
    https://www.facebook.com/laurenk182004/photos_albums#!/media/set/?set=a.4015033608199.2162600.1052083789&type=3

    Also, I have an issue with getting her into any classes because I dont drive. I never have had a license. I have panic attacks which pretty much keeps me at home most of the time except to grocery shop and other things, which my mother drives us to go do.

    My husband is gone 9am-10pm right now as he is self employed and its the holiday season.

    I have had her outside daily. We live in a nice neighborhood and all, but shes young so I go out with her, and the baby, so it cant be an all day play event sadly, and we've been dancing in the kitchen just about daily together.

    I suppose I should try to chill out a bit, but I want her to be a normal healthy weight, and I want to go about it the right way, even between now and her appointment. I dont want to be underfeeding her or overfeeding her.

    The reason she got to this weight is comination of things, some of it due to me being lazy, and some of it due to me being on bedrest for the last 8 weeks of my pregnancy, but mostly it's that when my husband is around he gives her chips and cookies constantly, so I have put him on a diet too and nobody gets cookies and chips lol

    OH GEEZ another novel...I'm sorry!
  • opus649
    opus649 Posts: 633 Member
    That weight for that height puts her above the 97th percentile... well above it.

    Take her to a doctor. IMMEDIATELY.

    http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/html_charts/wtstat.htm#females
  • laurenk182004
    laurenk182004 Posts: 1,882 Member
    So looking at a chart for average height/weight for a 5 yr old....she's tall for her age (average is about 40"). She's almost 7" taller than "average". Looks like she should be about 60 lbs for her actual height. Talking to the pediatrician is not a bad idea (some will even answer email questions). As others said, get her moving, feed her healthy stuff and see how it goes.

    Thankyou so much for looking this up for me! I didnt even think to do that!

    And thankyou to everyone else, you guys are being really kind. I was sort of afraid to post this honestly.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
    I would make an appointment to see her pediatrician with out your daughter. Then there is no way for her to accidentally over hear what is going on. She may be able to refer you to a dietician who works with kids.

    While you are taking her foods to a healthier level and portioning them out right, also look to get her moving. Jump roping rhymes can be fun as well as skipping and such with that age. (skipping has other brain function importance.. so do that anyway)

    Good for you for being proactive on this! My brother in law let my niece's weight get a bit out of hand when she was younger and she got back to a healthier weight with out too much difficulty.
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
    I agree with the others that you need to see her pediatrician. And 1600 is an appropriate amount for an ADULT WOMAN, not a 4 year old child. My daughter is 5, and rarely eats over 1000 calories in a day. Maybe a nutritionist can help too. But I think you are doing a great job as a mother by not discussing weight and body image in her presence, but make sure she knows the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods.
  • ElleEmmeKay
    ElleEmmeKay Posts: 62
    livestrong.com says 27-50lbs is normal... I am almost finished with my bachelors degree in nutrition and would love to talk to you more if you'ld like. Please add me!
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    I would ask her doctor for sure. You can probably just give the the office a call, something simple like that I'm sure the nurse could easily answer.
  • wildcherryhoney420
    wildcherryhoney420 Posts: 24
    I really commend you for doing this. I wish my parents would of done something like this for me... Instead they chose to give me whatever I wanted and how much I wanted of it...
    Definitely seek help from a dietician. Kids ARE cruel. I know first hand. There wasn't one grade where I wasnt bullied...
    But having no parental support for me is why I am where I am today...
    Your being a great mother!!!
  • JessyLovesJCS
    JessyLovesJCS Posts: 169 Member
    Could she be going through a height growth spurt? I know my tall kids will gain weight then gain height. Just an idea!

    My 3 kids have always been "off the the charts" for weight and height. Super tall! My older two are a bit chubby and we're working on proper portions and healthier choices and more exercise.

    I think you've gotten some great advice! Healthy foods and exercise will go a long way!
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
    Am I the only one surprised people are calling her a good mom and shes doing the right thing when her child is almost twice the weight of a normal child? A 4 year old does not have the ability to get that overweight by themselves, its totally on the parents. I'm sorry if I am coming off harsh but you really need to consult with someone like a dietitian because your not making the right choices for her. 1600 calories for a 4 year old??? To me that seems high but I dont know.
    This is not going to work unless you get your act together too. If your eating twinkies and McDonalds then shes going to want it too. Figure it out because this is sooo wrong.
  • reshapinrose
    reshapinrose Posts: 31
    My daugher was the same from the age of 5 when she had her tonsils out, she got rather large and she towered about 2inches above everyone else in her class.....she's turning 13 next month, in all that time I was watching her weight she never lost anything she would run laps of the oval, played indoor soccer, netball, last 12 months playing basketball, the only time she looked liked she lost weight was when she had a growth spurt.....not to mention finding clothes that fit from the age of 8 she was in womens clothes ....not very fashionable!!! well that girl is now 5'10 and gorgeous!!!! hit puberty 12mnths ago,she took alot of flak at school as you do apparently when you dont fit into the typical mould,but what your doing is fine lots of vegies, only 2 bits of fruit a day, I nearly freaked when the dietician told me that, these are the books I would recommend "symply to good to be true" ...They are australian you can check out her website and she's also on facebook.....Good luck to you's both!!
  • melonclarinet
    melonclarinet Posts: 163 Member
    I agree...take her to a doctor/nutritionist. But until then (I know it can take time to get an appointment) here's what I found:
    So, it looks like 1600 is still on the high side, but you don't want to change too quickly. Even if she's at the size of a 6 year old, her highest caloric intake would be 1600.

    Caloric needs jump quite a bit as kids enter the school years and become more active. According to the USDA, for boys, 4 and 5 year olds need between 1,200 and 1,600 calories each day, 6 and 7 year olds should consume between 1,400 and 1,800 calories. Eight-year-old boys need 1,400 to 2,000 calories daily. For girls, the average 4 year old needs 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day, and 5 and 6 year olds should eat between 1,200 and 1,600 calories each day. A 7-year-old girl needs 1,200 to 1,800 calories daily, and an 8-year-old girl needs 1,400 to 1,800 calories each day.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/256927-how-many-calories-should-a-child-be-eating/#ixzz2CFPSN1db
  • tracyanne13
    tracyanne13 Posts: 5
    Lauren - I think it is admirable that you are ready to admit that even a 4-5 year can have weight issues. I believe that we as parents need to take the ownership of the problem. Just wondering if you have had any medical tests ie: blood etc to rule out some medical reason for her heaviness ??? if this is ruled out then it sounds like your awaareness of the problem is getting you started already on making her a Lighter healthier little girl.
    Get her MOVING - fun games and exercises - move to lose and burn to churn - if you make it fun she will not see the exercise as a Chore. hope this helps :smile:

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