Calorie intake charts????

klmno

Active Member
Hi everyone! I hope everyone is having a good weekend!

difficult child has decided he wants to eat healthier and lose some weight. :) I think he is at a stage where monitoring the calories he's eating on a daily basis would be the most beneficial. Does anyone know of a link where I can download a free chart that would make it easy for him to log in calories as he eats them?

I have found the "calculators" so we know what would be a good range of calories for him to eat daily and I have found programs that require a fee and you can put in what food you ate and it automatically adds it up for you. That sounds great, but we need it to be free. We can make one and print it out if there aren't any available.

Thanks!!
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
My best advice would be to read the labels on any prepared foods. It will help him understand exactly what he is putting in his mouth as he opens the package.
 

klmno

Active Member
That's what we started yesterday, Witz, and it has helped. (I'm not real sure how long this is going to last anyway, but, I'm not going to say that to him- he needs to learn and think about it and I could use losing a few pounds, too!) Anyway, I don't think he realizes yet how much the stuff adds up to each day.

For instance, he'll chew gum to keep from eating (he's on depakote, lithium and risperdal), and he gets hot and drinks lemonade or diet-caffeine free soda or juice or gatorade, sometimes water. He still drinks milk once a day (1%- but he drinks 2 glasses with dinner). He eats fairly healthy snacks, but they still have calories. His weight was never a problem until this past year, so maybe I am partially to blame. From the time he was born until he was about 10, I worried more about him being below average size (Except for those 6 mos of breastfeeding once it kicked into gear- he was pretty "healthy" then), so I would buy p-nut butter snacks, health bars, and stuff like that. Plus, he used to like his vegies better than meat (wierd, huh?) He does eat some chips, popcorn, coookies, but not obsessively- those are pretty much in moderation. He'll eat fruit a few times a week but I have to remind him.

BIG OOPS- we checked that chart to add up what he ate today. It isn't the snacks that is the problem. It is what I AM GIVING HIM FOR MEALS. :( I thought if I fed him a big lunch and dinner that he would eat less in between- thinking it was the snacking that is the problem. Well, he had 10 (yes count them- 10) little hot chicken legs for lunch. That alone blew his calorie intake for the day. His taco dinner (made fresh at home- 2 tacos, very small portion of beans with-cheese and small serving of tortilla chips) didn't help much. Normally, he does get healthier , more well-rounded meals but since he just got out of juvy I was trying to make a few more meals like this, but now...:sick:

He just looked at me and said "Mom- it's you- you are the problem". He was half-way joking, but still....:( At least I can plan his meals better now and I realize that the in between snacking isn't what is doing it.. And, I was trying to keep his carbs low- he apparently needs about twice as much. Go figure...:whiteflag:
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
I'm just thinking out loud here, but aside from the healthier eating, getting him to exercise and just increase his activity level will help a lot too. Maybe going for a couple of walks a day -- maybe one before breakfast and one after dinner...

At least that's what we're trying with difficult child 2 to see if we can slim down the belly he's sprouted since starting Seroquel!
 

Abbey

Spork Queen
I'm not a dietician but here's my 2 cents.

I think you need to abandon the idea of the traditional 3 meal a day thing. You eat when you are hungry. You eat when your body says it needs food...just have healthy foods around. (Sorry dear...chicken wings are not on that list. ;))

Breakfast seems to be the big issue. Have a good breakfast, no snacking until you are hungry for the next meal. Then, that's it.

I'm not a snacker, so it's easy for me to say this. After losing 70lbs. in the last year, I force myself to have a good breakfest for energy, then most days don't eat until late evening. Heck...many times I get up in the middle of the night to have a bowl of Chex Mix.

Milk is NOT a bad thing, especially at 1%. I'd say drink as much as he wants.

Tacos...have you ever tried tofu instead of meat? I swear it's as good as meat and a fraction of calories.

Can't help on the exercise issue. I'm the worst culprit. Maybe (I'm lying to myself right now) it's because it's well over 100 degrees here.

Abbey
 

klmno

Active Member
Well, he just got out of juvy and here, that is a pretty sedate experience. The kids have to get up and help clean something occassionally, but other than that, the most calories they burn are walking to and taking a shower. But, he is getting ready to start outdoor day camp, which will be days full of hiking, zip lines, archery, swimming, etc., so acitivity won't be an issue. Actually, I think part of the problem is that difficult child loves to be active in stuff like that but has NO interest in sports, so when school starts, the acitivity level plummets. I really think this has a lot to do with his mood cycling in laate winter/early spring- when the weather doesn't even permit much bike riding and outdoor play.

does anyone have any suggestions for that?
 

Abbey

Spork Queen
The outdoor camps are GREAT. Went there many years supervising my students and doing things I never thought I'd do. (I think it challenged me more than them!)

I don't know much about mood swings other than I have them. ;)

Abbey
 

klmno

Active Member
difficult child loves them, Abbey, as long as I don't keep him in the same one for too many weeks- then it gets too repetitive. He was in scouts all the way through elementary school and never tired of that until they transitioned to boy scouts- then it did seem different. I was thinking of us joining a gym or the Y after school starts so we could go work out 2-3 times a week- that would help, but I think he would be less bored if he found some constructive activity to do with other kids (boys) from school.

Anyway- let me make sure I'm doing this right...

If the calorie intake for his ideal weight is between 2000 and 2600 per day, does he just need to eat that amount now to lose weight (with exercise), or does he need to go lower than 2000 calories per day? He isn't obese at this point but the charts list him at the high end of moderately overweight, so we need to get it under control soon. I just don't think a starvation diet is a good idea for any teen unless medically necessary.
 

Abbey

Spork Queen
Again, only experience.

My oldest was quite puggy all his youth and teen years. He's also soda addict. (I never bought. He'd search the couches to find change.)

I think it's somewhat natural for boys to be a bit thick, but they grow out of it. Sometimes it's in high school, sometimes later. My son is now 25 and well over 6ft and probably 150lbs. He would NEVER go into a pool without a shirt on when younger.

If he's munching on chips...don't buy them. He might be a tad angry at first, but if he has alternatives like fruit, he'll get over it.

Abbey
 

klmno

Active Member
Abbey, over 6 ft and 150 lbs sounds SKINNY to me.....is that correct?

difficult child is very sensitive right now- he started on AP's a couple of mos ago and drastically gained weight- a lot of weight- and now has stretch marks on his stomach (around his waisteband), the underside of his arms, and other areas of his upper body. Really, it was shocking to me, too. He is bummed over it- I am telling him that they won't always be there- really, I'm hoping that they fade as he gets older. He gained something like 35 lbs in 6 weeks after starting AP's- and he has grown taller so that should have compensated some.

Right now, I truly feel for him- I'm trying everything I know to get him to help himself more, but you know, that is not a difficult child's strong point...

SIGH...
 

Abbey

Spork Queen
Yeah, he's 6'6" and a walking stick now. He doesn't diet, just growth and hormones coming in.

Weight issue is a BIG issue for most people. Like I said, I'd downplay the weight thing and up-play positive food. If all he's got to snack on is a great thing of salad...well, it's salad!!

Abbey
 

klmno

Active Member
Thanks, Abbey, gcvmom, Heather, 1 Day, and Witz- everyone here has had good suggestions that I will keep in mind and try to implement. It is obvious now that this goes hand-in-hand with his self-esteem- especially at the age where a girl noticing him is about the greatest thing that the world can offer ! :)
 
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