Food tracking app for kids
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lisaepell
Posts: 103 Member
My daughter is 10 and little frustrated with the weight that she's gained this winter. I know most of it is on me (not being as focused on what she's been eating) and now that she's starting soccer again, I'm hoping that some of the winter weight will come off easily. I'm going to sit down and go through some of the science behind CICO with her. She likes math and science a lot and I think it might be helpful for her to track her food intake and exercise for a little while to see how it all works and hopefully she can get a better understanding of how her food intake can impact her weight. Are there any apps out there that you all recommend for kids? I know I've seen some mentioned on the boards but I can't remember when or where. Thanks in advance!!!
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Replies
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Does her pediatrician think she needs to lose weight?12
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Does her pediatrician think she needs to lose weight?
We haven't gone for check up recently, but I know that she's gained about 10 pounds since last summer. I'm not looking for her to be on a diet, I really just want her to understand how people gain and lose weight and give her the knowledge as she grows, so she doesn't wind up spending her adulthood trying to lose it. I'm not super concerned, but hoping to head this off at the pass and give her some tools.4 -
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Please talk with her pediatrician. You could set her up with a life of food issues. With soccer starting it should rebalance.12
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I mean you are the parent but it kind of seems to me that if she thinks you are concerned about it, it might make her more concerned at an age she is still growing and might even need those extra pounds.9
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Might help with a better of understanding of nutrition https://www.choosemyplate.gov/
I have to echo some of the above concerns about calorie counting at such a young age though. Perhaps just focusing on ensuring she has good habits around food and exercise would be better.
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Anecdotally, my first 10lbs came off with just adopting the habit of "eat a damn vegetable" and being a bit more active. That's a great, simple lesson that is health rather than weight oriented. Every meal a veg or fruit in a decent proportion might be a harmless way to swing things.1
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Or simple things like eating snacks like potato chips from a plate not from a bag. Instead of making it an emphasis on weight just make it an emphasis on good habits.6
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Does her pediatrician think she needs to lose weight?
We haven't gone for check up recently, but I know that she's gained about 10 pounds since last summer. I'm not looking for her to be on a diet, I really just want her to understand how people gain and lose weight and give her the knowledge as she grows, so she doesn't wind up spending her adulthood trying to lose it. I'm not super concerned, but hoping to head this off at the pass and give her some tools.
Talk to her pediatrician. Kids go through growth spurts, and 10 is not too early to be starting toward puberty.
The last thing your daughter needs is a mother who is obsessing about normal weight changes in a child.11 -
+1 for letting your pediatrician in on this discussion, and +1 for being mindful about insuring as much as possible that your daughter is not neurotic about weight - I say "as much as possible," because as much progress has been made in the last decade about body-positive self awareness, not enough has been.2
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Thanks for the responses. For the record, I have not expressed any concerns to her, she noticed this morning at urgent care (ear infection) that her weight was a lot higher than she thought it was, and I am trying to find the right mechanism to give her the knowledge and help her feel healthier and more confident. I am not looking to put her on a diet or start her on calorie counting, rather have her understand what she's putting into her body and how it work (food as fuel, less junk). I love the book suggestion and we'll check out choosemyplate.org together tonight. Thanks again!!3
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Thanks for the responses. For the record, I have not expressed any concerns to her, she noticed this morning at urgent care (ear infection) that her weight was a lot higher than she thought it was, and I am trying to find the right mechanism to give her the knowledge and help her feel healthier and more confident. I am not looking to put her on a diet or start her on calorie counting, rather have her understand what she's putting into her body and how it work (food as fuel, less junk). I love the book suggestion and we'll check out choosemyplate.org together tonight. Thanks again!!
A good response is "of course you have gained weight! You're growing!"
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Thanks for the responses. For the record, I have not expressed any concerns to her, she noticed this morning at urgent care (ear infection) that her weight was a lot higher than she thought it was, and I am trying to find the right mechanism to give her the knowledge and help her feel healthier and more confident. I am not looking to put her on a diet or start her on calorie counting, rather have her understand what she's putting into her body and how it work (food as fuel, less junk). I love the book suggestion and we'll check out choosemyplate.org together tonight. Thanks again!!
She needs reassurance that this is NORMAL, not reinforcement that she could be concerned.11 -
I kind of wish there were some kind of app that counted servings of vegetables and fruits for kids, but a paper checklist would probably work good for my kids (they are young), with bonus points for getting a rainbow of colors.
But calorie counting for 10? No.10 -
It concerns me that at age 10, she’s thinking about her weight and whether or not it seems high. That’s the most worrisome thing to me in this entire thread. It’s one thing to talk with your child about how the human body works; it’s another thing entirely to encourage tracking calories at such a young age unless her pediatrician has recommended that. Talk to her pediatrician. If her pediatrician is concerned, then ask them to have a conversation with your child about nutrition.10
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Agreed. It's an absolute travesty that something like 50% of American 13-year-old girls wish they were thinner, and no adult has any business putting those kinds of thoughts in their heads. I would say she is too young for CICO and definitely too young to be logging her food. My childhood was severely affected by my mother's food issues and despite the fact that I was never truly overweight I was absolutely convinced that I was. It took years for me to sort out all that body-shaming crap as an adult.
Assure her that it's normal and healthy to gain weight as she grows. Remind her that sometimes, especially early in puberty, different body parts grow at different speeds so she might notice changes in weight or body shape that are just fluctuations as her body prepares for a growth spurt. You mention that you hope soccer will help these 10 lbs "come off" but have you considered that they might be there for a reason?
I would also advise against using the phrase "junk food" or putting too much emphasis on which foods are "bad". This is harmful too. Food is fuel, even birthday cake and soda and all the "sometimes foods" that are an important part of childhood. Focus less on what she "shouldn't" be eating, and more on what she "should", fruits and veggies and whole grains. She has probably learned in school that veggies=vitamins, protein=muscles, grains=energy, etc. and I think that would be an appropriate lesson to bring up. Somebody else mentioned that counting her servings of fruits and vegetables and teaching her that different colors=different vitamins, etc. could be fun and educational, and I second that! It will follow that if she is eating more healthy foods, she will be less hungry for the less healthy snacks, but that shouldn't be the main focus.
Forgive me if I come on too strong, but I feel strongly about this topic. Your daughter will encounter so much negative crap from the media and even from classmates or other adults. You can't walk down a supermarket aisle these days without seeing Atkins protein powder and Special K "Lose 10 lbs!" magazines and garbage. The odds are stacked against these kids when it comes to developing a healthy body image. I work with kids and I struggle with this myself, trying to protect them from the unhealthy things I've been taught.11 -
It concerns me that at age 10, she’s thinking about her weight and whether or not it seems high. That’s the most worrisome thing to me in this entire thread. It’s one thing to talk with your child about how the human body works; it’s another thing entirely to encourage tracking calories at such a young age unless her pediatrician has recommended that. Talk to her pediatrician. If her pediatrician is concerned, then ask them to have a conversation with your child about nutrition.
It stood out at me too. It occurs to me that anything other than reassurance and just working on good habits which should probably be done mostly by setting a good example could be throwing gas on that fire. But, again, I am not her parent and these threads can get a little too judge-y sometimes. Parents make lots of mistakes and whether this is one or not is really unknowable from a few posts.
Edited to change "is" to "could be"3 -
I've read some pretty judgmental things on these boards so I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the responses I received and the fact that people jump on one thing without reading more.
I was an overweight kid and became an overweight adult without anyone telling me that I should be eating healthier or exercising more. I want to make sure that I do right by my daughter and was hoping that there were people out there who would respond with some guidance rather than judgment.
I love my daughter more than life itself and the only thing I have ever told her is that she is strong, smart and that I love her. My post was simply looking for some advice so as to avoid making a mistake. As I said I don't want her to count calories, and that is not my goal. I am pretty loose with CICO myself and there are no off-limits foods in my house and I try to teach all of my kids moderation, so my "junk" comment probably should have been more mindless eating, sorry.
Is it worrisome that she's 10 and is concerned about her weight? Of course, but she's her own person with her own opinions and no matter how much I tell her she's growing and I'm not concerned and she shouldn't be either, that's not going to change what she sees when she looks at her friends and what's on TV. She's my oldest and I'm in unchartered waters here and could have used a little less judgment.14 -
I don't see judging. I see a lot of "you need a professional to help do this safely" and "your daughter needs reassurance that she is fine". If you see urging for reassurance as judgment, that's on you, and it says a lot about your actual approach. Your baggage and experience as a kid who was overweight, who grew up to be overweight, is coloring your experience here, and your daughter is likely picking up on that.
The best thing you can do for both of you is to reassure her that growing is normal. Want to make healthier food choices? Do it as a family.10 -
My kids always put on weight right before a growth spurt. About the time I thought they were getting a little pudgy they would shoot up an inch or two and the pudge would be gone. The body knows what’s going on. As long as your daughter has activity everyday and eats a relatively balanced diet she will be fine.8
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