The number of overweight children has greatly increased since 1990, according to the Office of the Surgeon General. There is only so much you can do to help your child lose weight--at some point, he will need to make healthy school lunch choices, avoid high-fat, high-calorie snacks, and exercise. Bringing your child into the process of developing a healthy eating and physical fitness plan will increase your chances of helping your child lose excess weight.
Step 1
Discuss with your child her weight situation and how she feels about it. Ask her if she is willing two work with you to create a diet and exercise plan. Write down a list of her favorite foods and physical activities.
Step 2
Meet with your child's physician or school nurse. Determine your child's healthy weight range and over what time period he should lose how many pounds. This will help you create diet and exercise plans. Learn the amount of calories your child should eat each day to lose weight. He'll need to burn 500 calories more than he eats each day to lose 1 lb. of weight per week, according to MayoClinic.com.
Step 3
Calculate the number of calories your child will burn from each type of exercise she will be doing as part of her weight-loss program. Use free, online calorie calculators or charts to determine how many calories per hour she will burn cycling, swimming, playing tennis, using a treadmill or other activities. Write an exercise schedule with the number of calories burned each day. Your child might not exercise every day and might perform different activities, so include specific numbers for each day to help you create daily menu plans.
Step 4
Write menus for each day, using your doctor's or nurse's recommended calories for weight loss, taking into account the number of calories your child expects to burn each day. Create first-draft menus with your child using nutrition labels and online calorie calculators, such as the one available at LiveStrong.com's My Plate, to adjust the first draft plan. Include breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, an after-school snack and dinner. Research the calories in your child's current, favorite foods. This will help him learn how many calories and how much saturated fat and cholesterol his favorite foods contain--and how they contribute to his weight problem. Ask him to create healthier versions of his favorite foods. For example, skip the meat on pizza and add veggies. Use lean ground beef or ground turkey for burgers and pass on the cheese and mayo.
Step 5
Write a contract with your child, outlining her responsibilities. Include her pledge to eat the meals and snacks you plan each day, not to eat extra, unhealthy foods and to exercise on the agreed-upon days. Offer a reward for sticking to her contract and for meeting weekly weight-loss goals.
Step 6
Witness each exercise session, or participate with your child to encourage regular physical activity. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends some physical activity each day, with cardio exercises done for 20 to 30 minutes at a time.
Things You'll Need
- Online calories charts and calculators
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