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Of course, while many parents are now being advised that they should be putting their kids on a diet should they wish to prevent potential health problems, many parent are at a loss as to just how they should go about doing so.
Stay healthy and set a good example:
Setting an example is without a doubt the single most important thing you can do. Let’s face it; if you stock your kitchen cupboards full of sweets, chocolates, chips and soda-pops, you’re essentially setting your child up for a disaster. Instead, make sure your kitchen cupboards are rather stocked full of nutritious foods but of course, focus on healthy snacks that kids enjoy eating such as cheese, nuts and a variety of fruits.
Maintain a positive attitude:
For example, rather than telling your child that he or she is overweight and needs to loose weight, you can suggest that as a family, you all need to eat healthy foods.
Likewise, rather than always focusing on the foods which need to be avoided, you should make more mention of those which are suitable. In other words, rather than saying you can’t eat chips, you could suggest that they help you prepare a nice healthy fruit salad with some yogurt topping. Of course the same also applies with regards to kids fitness: rather than telling them to go and exercise, you could suggest that you both take a walk or go kick a ball around. The secret here is; a positive approach gets a far better response when dealing with kids.
Eating healthy as a family:
Even if only one child is overweight, it’s crucial that you don’t single them out by insisting that he or she should eat a different meal to the rest of the family. Remember, even if you’re not overweight, you will still benefit from a healthy diet.
Most important of all; meals should be a family affair and as such, everyone should be encouraged to take part in the preparation of meals, in addition to eating as a family.
Watch the size of those portions:
It’s a well known fact that buffet style meals encourage over-eating so essentially, you should try to avoid these as much as possible. Furthermore, make sure that vegetables account for the largest percentage of a meal and always try to ensure that kids wait at least 10 minutes before having a second serving. Even better; try to discourage second helpings altogether.
Start everyday the right way with a healthy breakfast: It’s long since been proven that by eating a healthy breakfast; you set yourself up for the entire day. As such, always ensure that you and the kids start your day with a healthy cereal which can be eaten together with low fat milk and/or yogurt. To round the meal off, you can also include some granola bars, whole wheat toast or peanut butter sandwiches.
Fit exercise into the schedule: It’s essential that physical activities are seen as being a family affair and as such, you can schedule a half hour walk each evening after meals. In fact, if finances permit, try to enroll the entire family into an activity that the kids can enjoy. Remember, if the kids don’t enjoy it, they won’t want to do it. If all else fails, simply turn the music up and have a crazy dance party in the house each evening for thirty minutes or so.
Don’t give up:
It’s crucial that you take into consideration that at times, living a healthy lifestyle can be challenging. However, you need to persevere, no matter what.
Dan Clay is a renowned Sydney personal trainer & real world fat loss expert. Click here children’s personal trainer Sydney for more information on his Sydney kids fitness programs.
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