How to explain to my kids I'm dieting?

I don't think kids think about it that much that they really need more of an answer.

What you've said is enough.

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.

I would say well I dont want too much of it that I'll waste it and have to throw it away.

My eldest daughter is asking lots of questions about food and if it is healthy or not, I think it was linked to something
She was doing at school just before Christmas. I have explained to her that all foods give us energy in different ways
And as adults we have to balance the amount of food we eat to the amount of energy we need. She doesn't need to as she is a child
So she needs more energy than her mummy as she still has to grow.
She is also asking about the good benefits of different foods like carrots.

The only food rules we reallly have are
1) chocolate is never a morning thing, only after lunchtime onwards - you would think I was being evil to my children
as I refused to allow them to eat chocolate until after their first birthday!
2) chocolate cereals - Never!
3) you don't have to like all veg, but if we are eating as a family everyone has some. Even if it is a "no thank you" desert spoonful
as they are always good for you. This applies to the adults too! Mummy doesn't like peas!
4) don't take too much you can always come back for more if you are still hungry.

I told my 9 year old that your body only works properly if you put proper fuel in it (the car ran out of petrol a while back - that helped :-)) and that I was rather silly and ate lots of bad things that my body didn't need and that I'm going to make proper choices now and make sure that I eat well. I discussed portion size a bit - that I was eating more than my poor body needed - and that by checking how much it needs and giving it the right amount I'm being kind to myself. We discuss choices a lot, and how its ok to eat a little of everything, but to consider your choices before you eat it. I'm certainly not going to tell her (or my older two) not to eat chocolate or not to enjoy a dessert - in my mind we shouldn't eat to live - but that if we do things in moderation and make sure we move and keep fit then its all good.

My young (5) niece asked me why I was weighing my bread when I ate her place once- I told her I was measuring ingredients for making a healthy Aunty Mutant.
She liked that

That sounds perfect to me. You can talk about portion size and things like that. Talking about health instead of appearance is a great way to explain things without giving them a complex. And don't go on about it. Just answer their questions straight and matter-of-fact and then do your thing.

My eldest son asked me why i was "dieting", and "exercising so much". He's 5.

I had already previously had a chat to him about how food is like fuel for us, i explained it really simply. Like how a car needs fuel to drive, we need food so we can move around and have fun - without being tired.

So in regards to the weight loss/dieting i just said, "Son... you know the way you have to eat your food for energy, to grow up tall, and strong? Well... when you're an adult you need food for energy, but you've already grown up as tall as you can. You don't get any taller. When you eat too much food, and you don't need it for energy, you just get wider, and your tummy and other bits get bigger... and when you get too wide for your height, you're not as strong, or healthy. So Mummy is trying to get fit, to get healthy and strong." He seemed to understand and accept that explanation

It's hard to know, but I would try to keep it towards health and not mention weight loss at all.

Kids notice more than you'd think, even at a young age. Health was never mentioned when my mom dieted, so I thought just losing weight was the important part. I copied her fad diets and once decided to just have rice and water.

I tell my kids that their body is still growing so the calories bit is not something they need to worry about. At their age the focus is on nutrition to help their body develop well. They need to focus on getting in some good food and not just their beloved junky food. When we get older, our bodies stop growing and we need only a certain amount to stay in a healthy range. For that reason, I focus on calories as well as nutrition. I also explain that sometimes adults stop moving around so much like kids tend to do. As a result, I have to teach myself to love and embrace all that exercise again. I do tell them that as long as they continue to move around a lot and not just sit in front of video games, then they have that part made. I stress over and over that for them the focus is getting in some good foods to help their bodies to grow and develop properly.

Of course maybe the calorie bit shouldn't come up at all, but I have been discussing it with my husband and they hear it.

My teenager came home and told me that he learned that cheese is not good to put on broccoli because it is too high in fat. I do not want my kids to be afraid of food or fats. I told him that people say that because fat has more calories. In a good well rounded diet, cheese and fat are not enemies. The bigger problem is that adults sometimes go out of whack with their portion control and don't exercise enough. I have stressed to my teenager that his body is growing and that food is important for that. He doesn't need to restrict it. He just needs to watch the junk. In the meantime, he now goes to the gym and does a little bit of weight lifting. I talk about how food fuels your exercise, etc.

I'm not the best model but I try to model at least my thinking about making better choices at times because I think they need to also look at what they choose for food.

How old are they? I mean I don't think you have to explain anything to them. You do the food shopping so buy cleaner foods (fruits, vegetables, turkey, chicken etc) and just introduce them and substitute those foods with any crap they normally eat. Plus if they cry about it just tell them to go get a job and they can purchase whatever they want.

You are learning to eat healthy ... Good for you!

My seven yr old was taught a lot about "healthy eating" in school (yr 1). Some of it was good and it seems to be built on this year.

We have just been building on what the school is teaching. We explain that in years gone by we didn't make the healthiest choices regarding food and exercise and now we want to put it right so that we can do all the activities that the kids want to do.

We have had to talk about it a a lot as some of what the school is teaching I don't completely agree with, especially as my 7 yr old is very fit & active and needs the right food to keep her strong.

just be honest, but emphasise the fit, healthy and strong side rather than the body image.