My pediatrician warned me that my daughter was overweight. If you looked at her you would not think she as obese. She was not the thinnest girl but she did not appear to be the picture of obesity. However, she was uncomfortable in certain clothes due to her weight. It was also obvious in certain clothes that she had a few problem areas. Quite honestly, I was worried she would gain more weight and have a difficult time. We all know that teens do not want to be known for anything. Nothing negative and nothing positive. They seem to not want to stand out…until they do.
I knew I had to be creative in how I expressed my concerns over her weight. I did not want her to feel bad about herself but I also wanted to give her the tools to lose weight. I decided to focus on health. I also decided to implement changes for the entire family and not just her. I noticed as time went on she began to make better decisions. She no longer asked for soda. She was careful on how much sugar she ate. In addition, she made better food choices. She did not eat unless she was hungry. Food was not recreation. She also decided to play volleyball. This was a big thing for her since she hates to be athletic or work out. However, she decided to pick a sport she thought she would like and try it anyway. She gave her all during the practices and games. She improved over time and began to enjoy playing. She was not a particular diet or work out routine. She did not weigh herself. She did not have a picture of a dress to motivate her. She just decided to make one good decision and then make another one. The end result was weight loss. Over time, she lost weight and looks great. She always looked great.