Fun Ideas On How Kids Lose Weight

How Kids Lose Weight can be made fun. With the right approach you should be able to help your kids lose weight without too much sacrifice on their part. Keep in mind that putting kids below the age of 9 on a weight loss diet is not a good idea.

Prevent overweight if possible:

It has been said before and I'm saying it again. Cut down on all the junk your kids eat. It is best if you can prevent it from a very young age. Try and keep all kinds of candy and soda away from them as long as possible. Of course they will come in contact with it once they start mixing with other kids but try and keep it away as long as possible.

Always try and offer healthier options. Offer fruit or vegetable sticks with cottage cheese as snacks, make vegetables a part of at least two meals a day and serve whole wheat bread and pasta as far as possible. Try and get them to develop a taste for unflavored and unsweetened yoghurt for instance in stead of flavored and sweetened. Do not serve low fat or fat free milk though, as they need that fat for normal development.

How Kids Lose Weight Tips:

These tips will make sure your kid never has to ask the question: "how can I lose fat" ever!

Now for the tips to help your kids lose weight.

1. First of all try and get them to be a little more active. Involve them in games that get them away from the TV. Make this fun family time and they will not even know that they are actually doing exercises.

2. Make sure they start the day with a healthy breakfast that includes a whole grain carb, a protein and some fruit. If they eat a healthy breakfast they are less likely to snack on something unhealthy. The protein prevents them from getting hungry too soon.

3. Make sure you pack them a healthy lunch keeping to the same guidelines as for breakfast. Try and think of ways that you can include vegetables as well.

4. Think of healthy snacks for in-between as well.

5. Encourage the kids to drink lots of water in stead of sodas etc.

6. Pay attention to your food preparation methods. Try and steer clear of frying as far as possible. Also do not add too much salt and try and stay away from adding sugar to the food if at all possible.

7. When you do use fat, use healthy ones like olive oil and butter. Margarine should be avoided at all costs.

8. Keep fast food to the minimum. It does not mean never, but only occasional as a treat. Let the kids develop a taste for healthy food.

9. Involve them in preparing the food and they will be more willing to try it.

These are the general guidelines for small children to get them started on eating healthy. This way weight loss will be slow, and it has to be so not to risk your kid's health, but it should be steady. For small kids, even if their weight remains the same, it can be considered weight loss as they are still growing. This really has to be a slow process of installing healthy habits.

How Kids Lose Weight Over The Age Of Nine:

1. The very first thing you need to do is check with your doctor whether your kid can go on a diet. Do not start a diet unless you are sure it is OK.

2. Do not cut out starches completely, your kid needs it. Serve at least 6 small portions of complex starch. As a guideline a small portion of bread weighs about 1oz and a small portion of potatoes weighs about 3-4oz.

3. Make sure you serve your kid at least 3 healthy portions of vegetables a day. Serve as wide a variety as possible. As a guide, 6 half portions of 6 different kinds of veggies are better than just 3 kinds of veggies. Serving smaller portions more often also make it possible to get your kid to eat them all. Slip them in with sandwiches and snacks.

4. It is also important not to skimp on fruit. Your kid can have 4 small portions of fruit a day. As a guide, a portion is the normal size fruit would come in e.g. an apple, a small orange, a 2oz. banana or one small slice of cantaloupe. It is not a good idea to substitute juice for the fruit portions as the fiber is filling and prevents your kid from getting hungry and it helps with breaking down fat.

5. Protein is very important for the development of your kid. Make sure your kid gets 3 average portions of protein a day. You can serve lean meat, lean chicken and fish. Trying to go vegetarian is not a good idea. If you serve legumes make sure it is served with a starch otherwise the body cannot absorb the protein.

6. Make very sure your kid gets at least 3 small portions of dairy a day. Try and get them to eat unflavored and unsweetened yoghurt, low fat cheese and at least half a cup of full cream milk.

7. Do not cut out fat completely as your kid needs fat for the functioning of many bodily functions as well as the normal development of the brain. There also are some vitamins that are fat soluble and the body cannot absorb them and use them without fat. Serve at least 3 portions of fat. This includes fat used in the preparation of food. As a guide, 1 teaspoon of olive oil is a small portion of fat.

8. Make very sure your kid drinks at least 8 glasses of water a day. The water helps with hydrating the body and keeping it healthy. Water also helps with the elimination of waste and toxins. Enough water is also needed for a healthy skin and as a kid gets older and acne becomes a problem it becomes even more important.

9. And once again, get your kid active. Weight bearing exercise is good for the development of the bones and resistance exercise builds muscle that increases the metabolism and helps with weight loss.

10. Most important, easy does it, keep a hawks eye on your kid and make very sure weight loss is not too fast. Slow, steady weight loss is what we are looking for here. In a young kid that is still growing even a standstill in weight can be considered weight loss. Please watch out for any signs of Anorexia or Bulimia and if in doubt, take your kid to the doctor immediately.

11. How kids lose weight is very important and you have to make sure they do it right.

12. For further guidelines have a look at the Food Guide Pyramid Below.

http://www.mypyramid.gov/

Orange: Grains

Green: Vegetables

Red: Fruits

Yellow: Oils

Blue: Milk

Purple: Meat and beans

The Old Pyramid