Teen Weightloss

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cnovak1084
cnovak1084 Posts: 26 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My son is 15 years old, 6'7" and 305 lbs. He really wants to tryout for wrestling this winter but the highest weight class is 275. Wrestling starts in about 3 months so that would put him slightly over the suggested 2 pounds per week weightloss schedule. Any tips, suggestions or resources to help and encourage my son to lose about 30 pounds?

I dealt with anorexia and bulimia in high school so I want to encourage healthy weight loss without it becoming an obsession.

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  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,477 Member
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    I'd definitely talk to his doc first.

    Beyond that, Renaissance Periodization actually has a book specifically for teen nutrition: https://rpstrength.com/fueling-the-adolescent
    In my experience (I've used them for both training & nutrition off-and-on for years), their products and services are always top-tier so I wholeheartedly recommend them.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,029 Member
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    I would talk to the coach and pediatrician!
  • Hiawassee88
    Hiawassee88 Posts: 35,754 Member
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    This is touchy. You don't want him falling down a rabbit hole trying to make perfect weight. Medical professional above the high school coach. Wrestling and disordered eating can become a real thing. How about basketball. My nephews are 6'8". Today, kids are growing tall as the trees.
  • cnovak1084
    cnovak1084 Posts: 26 Member
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    skellyc74 wrote: »
    What is his current activity level like. Simply adding in a daily walk/workout and cutting back on sugary snacks, fizzy drinks and reducing portion sizes could make a huge difference and doesn't require that much effort. He is quite tall so he would still need quite a big calorie requirement every day. He could simply swap out sugary or overly processed carbs for more protein and wholefoods first. How does the rest of the family eat? Could you all benefit from making some changes which would encourage healthy eating rather than crash dieting for him?

    He is in football right now. He has 45 minutes of weightlifting 3 days per week and conditioning and practice for 1.5-2 hours 6 days a week. This week he started going on 30 minute walks in the evenings.

    He did ask me to stop buying soda. Our whole family needs a diet overhaul so I am having his help with the grocery list and shopping each week. This way I will buy produce that he will actually eat.
  • cnovak1084
    cnovak1084 Posts: 26 Member
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    JBanx256 wrote: »
    I'd definitely talk to his doc first.

    Beyond that, Renaissance Periodization actually has a book specifically for teen nutrition: https://rpstrength.com/fueling-the-adolescent
    In my experience (I've used them for both training & nutrition off-and-on for years), their products and services are always top-tier so I wholeheartedly recommend them.

    Thanks. I'll check out this book!
  • cnovak1084
    cnovak1084 Posts: 26 Member
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    Hiawassee88 wrote: »
    This is touchy. You don't want him falling down a rabbit hole trying to make perfect weight. Medical professional above the high school coach. Wrestling and disordered eating can become a real thing. How about basketball. My nephews are 6'8". Today, kids are growing tall as the trees.

    I tried to encourage basketball instead, but he isn't very interested. I think he wants to participate in wrestling because a lot of his football team mates are in wrestling.
  • Hiawassee88
    Hiawassee88 Posts: 35,754 Member
    edited August 2022
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    cnovak1084 wrote: »
    Hiawassee88 wrote: »
    This is touchy. You don't want him falling down a rabbit hole trying to make perfect weight. Medical professional above the high school coach. Wrestling and disordered eating can become a real thing. How about basketball. My nephews are 6'8". Today, kids are growing tall as the trees.

    I tried to encourage basketball instead, but he isn't very interested. I think he wants to participate in wrestling because a lot of his football team mates are in wrestling.

    Understood. As with gymnastics, a lower center of gravity is an advantage for wrestling. The shorter wrestler has an unfair disadvantage for football and usually rides the bench. Each body size has unique advantages. The only thing we can control is our body fat percentage. Wrestlers tend to be in the lower ranges. Wishing you the best, Mom.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,184 Member
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    At this stage of life, I would suggest keeping your son's focus on performance, rather than needing to lose weight, which I know is his ultimate goal. Which foods keep him feeling good through practice and workouts? How does he feel after he eats different kinds of food? What food choices support his goals, (even if they aren't what he'd probably pick to eat at that particular moment, lol)? I would be careful to frame food as a tool, rather than moralizing different foods or seeing how little you can stand to eat.
  • hilaryhill
    hilaryhill Posts: 156 Member
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    Look into intermittent fasting for him, maybe just no eating after dinner and skipping breakfast. I bet that's all it would take to drop the extra weight fast.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,732 Member
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    Hiawassee88 wrote: »
    The first diet of your life - can ruin your life.

    And that honest truth my friend is why I've spent so much time in the past posting on many "I want to lose 10lbs for spring break", and similar, threads....
  • Hiawassee88
    Hiawassee88 Posts: 35,754 Member
    edited August 2022
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Hiawassee88 wrote: »
    The first diet of your life - can ruin your life.

    And that honest truth my friend is why I've spent so much time in the past posting on many "I want to lose 10lbs for spring break", and similar, threads....

    It takes a village. It's our job to take care of kids and critters. I don't know about you, but it feels like the final countdown before the big fireworks finale. It's time to make this count. Kids and critters thrive on routine and consistency. Wildlife doesn't have to diet. You won't find a creature in the wild that needs a diet.

    Parents can pass their inner dialogue onto children. Instead of focusing on weight, remind them of the amazing things they can do at those tender ages. Their minds are a wide open highway. Let's not clutter it up with multi-crap food rules and regulations.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,365 Member
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    My SO is 6'9" so in the same height range. He's not 15, however. :D 305 would be very overweight for him although admittedly he doesn't carry much muscle.

    I'd be very cautious about calorie restriction in a young person who is still growing, they need fuel for optimum growth. Switching to better quality nutrition sounds like a much better plan... less "empty" calories from sugary stuff, fast food, etc. More fruit and veg never hurt anyone's growth.

    A friend's very tall son was a bit chubby as an adolescent and it sort of worked itself out naturally as he grew older. I don't think he changed his eating at all and if anything his activity level decreased as he gradually gave up sports.
  • cnovak1084
    cnovak1084 Posts: 26 Member
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    Thanks for all the feedback! We've been focusing on making better food choices, an apple instead of candy and more activity. He gets plenty of exercise during the week, he has 2 hour wrestling practice and 1 hour weight room every day Monday-Friday. Now we're trying to get some movement on the weekends. He hasn't lost any weight, but he's dropped inches. All of his shirts and hoodies that fit him just right in September and all baggy now.

    He is a big boy, not just in height but stature. His shoulders are more than 30 inches wide. I'm doubtful he can get below 270 and still be healthy.
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,531 Member
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    cnovak1084 wrote: »
    He is a big boy, not just in height but stature. His shoulders are more than 30 inches wide. I'm doubtful he can get below 270 and still be healthy.
    BMI calc shows 6'7" and 270 pounds is 30.4, which is obese. BMI is a poor metric for someone with above average muscle mass though. The Navy method is a simple way to measure body fat %. You could try that.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,365 Member
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    For reference the SO at 6'9" needs to stay below 240 to keep his A1C out of prediabetic range. I think 220 is the top end of normal weight for him on the BMI.

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