ParentStuff-well I think we finally have to do it....

oh this is especially frustrating because as a young guy, we worried about his weight...keeping up with his height. Our doc even mentioned that we should keep him on whole milk for a bit longer than the usual recommendation because that was a good way to plump him up a bit. We'd make sure he has some calorie dense things to eat during the day etc. I guess we did too good a job? Or maybe his height slowed down...but it sure doesn't seem that way! He's still 97th percentile height for age...

grrr...he's really not "fat" anywhere but that gut...and boy whatta gut! LOL.

Gina, it might be best to make it a family type change of lifestyle?  And really low key on Eli and his gut?

Kids can be so sensitive to things said, even things not said in a negative way.  When I was a little girl, my Mom made a comment about how big my feet were.  For YEARS...like until I was 50 plus, I thought I had the worlds most enormous feet.....ummmm, I'm a size 8, AVERAGE shoe size in the country.

You're a sensitive and loving parent so I'm sure I don't even need to make a suggestion though.....

I agree with Glenda on making it a family type change.  I know you have no problems with weight and I have no idea about your hubby, but it probably isn't a bad idea to have fruits and even veggies to snack on.  It will help set up a lifestyle that will most definately benefit them when they are older too.  And it never hurts to get them out and get them a little more physical...plus it wears them out! 

 What I do with BF (lol) is subtly restrict his portions at dinner (as in, just make sliiightly less than usual) and then offer fruit smoothies as dessert. Usually an hour or two after dinner (we eat early) so he has time to get hungry again.

Everything I've read says more frequent, smaller meals tend to be more helpful than the traditional 3 big meals a day. So maybe restricting "seconds" at meals can be offest by "scheduled snacks" like fruit, or a smoothie, or yogurt for dessert?

BF's mom is currently hosting a 17 yo foreign exchange student who eats like a MONSTER. She's started serving the "dinner part" onto serving platters (or individual plates, even) and then spooning some of the dinner straight into tupperwares, otherwise she *knows* there won't be any leftovers! Her student still gets plenty to eat (firsts and sometimes seconds, just not thirds!), he just tends to hit up the fruit bowl more often for snacks :)

Edit: we have trouble with fruits and veggies spoiling, too, so we buy a lot of frozen stuff. We always keep frozen fruit on hands for smoothies, and frozen peas/green beans/broccoli to have as side dishes, mix in to other dishes (cheesy pasta with broccoli is a favorite), or just as a, "Here, eat this and stop complaining that you're hungry." ;) Frozen soybeans/edamame also make a really tasty snack with some soy sauce!

Here's our eating day so you guys can have a frame of reference...this is what HAS been...what I want to maybe make changes to.

Morning: Cereal (kids one...cinnamon toast crunch or Pops etc) almost always (he is BIG on routine) a normal "me" sized bowl...seconds sometimes, and he drinks the milk left in the bowl (lowfat milk), followed by a yogurt cup. Sometimes two Eggo waffles instead followed by the yogurt. His sister eats the two Eggo's but no yogurt. OJ or lemonade.

Nothing til lunch. Aside from a the drink leftover from breakfast

Lunch: this varies...usually a PB&J sammich or bologna two slice sandwich...and a side of carrots, chips, or cookies (those 100cal packages they sell now)....and a juicebag. Sometimes a yogurt...sometimes not.

Midday Snack: at 3pm on the dot....yogurt, ice cream bucket (those single serve ice cream things by BlueBell), chips or cookie bag...and a juicebag.

Dinner: this varies widely from fast food....to chicken breasts or fish which we all like...to those little chef boyardee meals....to pasta w meat sauce or meatloaf....it's very wide the variance. Veggie on the side almost always. But portion wise he eats about the same amts that I eat...and seconds on at least one side or item.

Dessert: yogurt....ice cream bucket...or popscicle...cookies or cake if I've made any..snow cone if we go get one.

I mean writing it all down it doesn't LOOK horrible...*sigh* I dunno.

 Hmmm... would it be feasible to cart the whole lot of you (sans 4-legged friends) to a nutritionist? I've always been curious about getting a consult. Maybe if you all went, you could all learn something about yourselves (and get meal/snack suggestions!), and Eli wouldn't have to feel singled out?

I don't know hardly anything about kids/development... I do know BF was an INCREDIBLY fat infant/toddler and eventually just grew into a fairly thin kid with no intervention at all. Is it possible Eli's just going through a growth phase, with his body trying to sort itself out?

yes it's entirely possible...for sure. In the past when he's shot up...he's been very irritable...not slept well....and eaten LESS if you can believe that...then one day you'd look at him and he'd look skinny,,,and be taller. It's really weird how kids do that LOL.

But other parents have told me their kids showed all the above but GAINED weight prior too so maybe he is just doing that.

He loves dearly his fruit and veggies so I will just up those a lot and get us out walking and see what happens.

rwbeagles

In the past when he's shot up...he's been very irritable...not slept well....

OMG, Gina! I'm growwwwwwwing!!!! 

It doesn't look that bad, Gina.  The kids I nannied for were basically allowed to graze on chewy snacks and donut holes all day.  I think the healthiest thing they got was grilled cheese.

Maybe replace the juicebags with one of those no cal, no sugar drinks (crystal light...)?  I know the juice my DH drinks actually has more sugar and more calories than my Mountain Dew.  From my childhood I remember eating, and loving, lots of fruit (which would have plenty of sugar but I think we drank water, never bought any individually packaged type drinks).  Also we had a lot of soup like from a can or box.  Lots of preservatives but calorie-wise, very low (I just know that b/c I had soup every night when I was losing weight).

Not having that fab metabolism of yours...if I ate that much sweet stuff, I'd need to be wheeled around in a wheel chair!  Maybe cut that back a bit and substitute fruits and veggies?  Family walks, or any activity that is family oriented are great too.

rwbeagles

He loves dearly his fruit and veggies so I will just up those a lot and get us out walking and see what happens

This is a good thing that will work on your side.  When I was doing Weight Watchers, and I was still hungry after I had eaten, instead of going back for seconds of the higher calorie foods, I would go for more veggies which I always prepared in a way that didn't add a bunch of calories to it. 

You could also replace some of the juice with water which he probably needs more of anyway.

You could also look into those popsicles that are made from fruit.  They are really low calorie and could replace some of the ice cream.  They are really yummy and have fruit chunks in them. 

Just some simple way to cut some calories while not drastically changing things too much. 

good tips. He likes milk more than water and with dinner we always ask "milk or water"...but he loves ICE water....and any liquid shoved into a sports bottle is like the BEST.EVER. lol...so we can definitely find ways to work more water in...

Good tip about the fruit ices...he really really REALLY likes ice cream and the amount he can put away would probably give you brain freeze just to READ. That's why I bought those little single serve ice cream deals...160 cals is better than say the 200 in ONE Pop Tart. Tastes better too. Maybe intermingling the fruit pops with the wee buckets would help also.

He is a big dairy fan aside form cheese, which means his bones are like bricks but he has a tummy LOL.

eta: we just came back from the school where he scootered almost the whole way there, ate lunch at the playground, then more scootering. He was having a great time. wheee!

Gina, does your grocery carry the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches?  One sandwich has 140 calories, I think, and they are big!   I'm not a huge ice cream fan but DH is and I get these occasionally for him.  Of course, I tested them to be sure they were good.  Yep, good. :)  They have a new flavor, truffles, and they are even fewer calories. I haven't tested that flavor yet but it sounds good.  I slice up bananas and freeze them, great snacks if he likes nanners.

yes he does like nanners...thank you, good idea..they won't turn brown in there right? LOL.

I have seen that brand yes...putting diet things into my cart gives me hives but I will sure check on it for him...the size will be good...he can feel like he's getting something serious LOL.