12 yr old low carb

was this recommended by a nutritionist? did they give you any example recipes/meal plans? you should ask

pinterest has a ton of low carb recipes, just search low carb. there's one ive tried that are pizza cups (put low-sodium ham slices in a muffin tin, fill with sauce, veggies, cheese turkey pepperoni or sausage) and bake in the muffin tin. i can vouch for those - they're delicious.

I would suggest going to his pediatrician. Since it's medically related, they will probably refer you to a registered dietician/nutritionist to assist you.

IMO, 20 lbs in 4 months is really hard to do for an adult, let alone a child. I would not do ANY kind of calorie restriction with a child unless under the supervision of a qualified doctor. I understand he's 100 lbs overweight, but that's all the more reason to go to his doctor. Kids need way different nutritional needs from us adults, low carb or not.

This.

I'm been attempting low carb and I haven't even been able to lose 5 pounds a month, and I do weights and cardio on top of the diet restrictions. 20 pounds sounds pretty tricky! I second the dietician, but in the meantime there are lots of low carb ideas on Pinterest as well! The pizza crusts made from califlower, pasta from zuchinni, etc.

I would suggest going to his pediatrician. Since it's medically related, they will probably refer you to a registered dietician/nutritionist to assist you.

IMO, 20 lbs in 4 months is really hard to do for an adult, let alone a child. I would not do ANY kind of calorie restriction with a child unless under the supervision of a qualified doctor. I understand he's 100 lbs overweight, but that's all the more reason to go to his doctor. Kids need way different nutritional needs from us adults, low carb or not.

This.

^Ya that.

Why does it have to be "low carb?" Was this recommended by the MD? Why can't it just be getting more exercise and eating a bit less?

I've been morbidly obese since I was 12. My mom was always putting me on some diet or food plan. I would eat what she gave me and then get food from the vending machine at school and secretly eat all the junk food on grocery day behind her back. I don't know if putting a child on a food restriction will help or hinder. All I know is, I developed an eating disorder because of all the diet garbage my mom forced on me. I am almost 30 years old and I have, only now, started getting help and learning myself through research how to eat healthy and moderately.

Try to add more fruit and vegetables to their diet by making the same meal for everyone saying that you, as a family, need to eat healthier. Don't have junk food in the house at all. Use a dehydrator to make veggie and fruit chips. Have fruit available on the counter for snacking. Maybe an after dinner family walk too. Wal-Mart sells a vegetable pasta maker for around $5. It's great because you can turn zucchini and yellow squash into strips like noodles. Serve those up with lean hamburger and spaghetti sauce and presto, yummy and nutritious food.

You don't have to take my advice I just thought I would chime in and maybe offer a different perspective.

I would suggest going to his pediatrician. Since it's medically related, they will probably refer you to a registered dietician/nutritionist to assist you.

IMO, 20 lbs in 4 months is really hard to do for an adult, let alone a child. I would not do ANY kind of calorie restriction with a child unless under the supervision of a qualified doctor. I understand he's 100 lbs overweight, but that's all the more reason to go to his doctor. Kids need way different nutritional needs from us adults, low carb or not.

This.

And take away the Xbox. Start exercising with him.

poor kids going to have NO energy! why not switch to a healthy diet with fruits and 100% whole wheat instead of candy / white processed bread...way better than cutting carbs for a kid..

I mean it would be easier to cut out the fast food / candy and other junk food instead of cutting carbs

Does it have to be low carb? I've lost all of my weight by just counting calories and moving more. Low carb is hard for most people, and I can imagine especially so for a child, being so limited and restrictive. What's the rush for anyway? Also, are you consulting a doctor about this? Any diet, especially for a child, should involve a doctor's supervision. Just my two cents anyway...

Get him under a barbell and out for runs. Careful with how low carb you go as he needs the energy. Lots of fruit and veggies, solid amount of protein and dietary fats, and speak to your doctor about how much of a calorie deficit is appropriate.

I still say instead of cutting his carbs and depleting his energy and making a 12 year old feel like crap and potentially cause damaging weight loss and re gain by cutting carbs and the weight gain when he adds them back in later it could completely throw his body out of whack

you should just cut out fast food and processed meats and get rid of chips / cookies / pop tarts / sugary cereals / soda / sugar drinks and replace them with 100% whole wheat breads / oatmeal for breakfast and healthier meats for lunch and dinner and adding in lots of fruits and veggies to every meal... for snacks instead of cookies and other 12 year old treats give him fresh fruit or some whole wheat crackers or whole grain popcorn you can also bake homemade muffins and cookies made with fruit instead of sugar and use whole wheat instead of white flours and you can replace white sugars with honey / raw sugar / fruits

@kristydi: I have no idea if the Dr. was a pediatric endocrinologist or not. I will ask my wife on the matter.

Please don't ask advice this important on a forum! Carry on with the professional care that you started.

Good luck.