When I was growing up I had much of the same problem as your neice. I was very active but a little bit overweight. It really bothered me and I was always trying to figure out a way to lose weight. I was also embarassed though and even though I wanted to lose weight, I would not react well when my mother would try to give me advice. I would suggest that you tell your neice that if she is interested in getting some help from you that you would be pleased to help her and give her some advice and resources. Leave it in her hands to decide what advice she wants. Tell her that she can call you or the two of you could meet sometime to talk. She probably doesn't want to talk about it in front of her mother who obviously gets defensive about the food that she feeds them.
I eventually figured out for myself what I needed to do and that may be what she needs to do ultimately. Although you are concerned about her, unless she is obesely overweight, she has time to get back on track when she gets older. I think it is great that you want to help, but it is like with any personal problem, it has to be something that she really wants help with.
This subject is unfortunately familiar. I received all kinds of advice as an overweight teen and while I wanted to lose weight, I didn't want it badly enough to stop eating the crap I consumed on a daily basis. All of the helpful advice made me really defensive about what or how much I'm eating and to this day, I still get defensive. (DH comments often about how it always seems like I'm eating and even though he's just trying to get my goat, it bugs me. I try to relax about it but sometimes end up biting his head off.)
I would echo Jo's advice... let her know that you're available for help that she needs it but make it clear that she must ask. Obviously, your SIL isn't going to react well and your comments just put her on the defensive. If the larger niece isn't currently working out, perhaps you could offer to give her some training and maybe the nutrition part of it will follow.
A lot of people honestly feel that eating Lean Cuisines or Healthy Choice dinners every night is healthy because they aren't eating McDonald's or Taco Bell. Which, I suppose, technically is true but I think we all know the quality of frozen dinners compared to freshly prepared food. It's a process and it takes people their own time to "get there." You can't go from Big Macs to tofu. :) I think that Jo's right... she has lots of time to turn it around. But she's got to want to and that's the most important factor here.
Just a thought...Could she come live with you for a week during the summer? Use the excuse of wanting her to do something with you, and while you've got her you could teach her what processed foods are and what is good for her-but don't push her to eat that way. I eat horribly, I wish I had somebody to teach me healthy eating habits when I was in hs.
You could share some shocking information about genetically modified foods such as:
It seems that genetic modification of foods has begun to take precedence, as roughly 75 percent of U.S. processed foods contain some GM ingredients, including foods such as:
Cooking oils
Boxed cereals
Grain products
Frozen dinners
A grocery manufacturer’s group, Grocery Manufacturers of America, explained that nearly every product with a corn or soy ingredient, as well as some containing canola or cottonseed oil, has a GM component. The numbers speak for themselves: More than 80 percent of soy and 40 percent of corn raised in the United States is a GM variety.
If that interests her, give her the URL to one of your favorite websites for that type of information.
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When I was growing up I had much of the same problem as your neice. I was very active but a little bit overweight. It really bothered me and I was always trying to figure out a way to lose weight. I was also embarassed though and even though I wanted to lose weight, I would not react well when my mother would try to give me advice. I would suggest that you tell your neice that if she is interested in getting some help from you that you would be pleased to help her and give her some advice and resources. Leave it in her hands to decide what advice she wants. Tell her that she can call you or the two of you could meet sometime to talk. She probably doesn't want to talk about it in front of her mother who obviously gets defensive about the food that she feeds them.
I eventually figured out for myself what I needed to do and that may be what she needs to do ultimately. Although you are concerned about her, unless she is obesely overweight, she has time to get back on track when she gets older. I think it is great that you want to help, but it is like with any personal problem, it has to be something that she really wants help with.
Jody
This subject is unfortunately familiar. I received all kinds of advice as an overweight teen and while I wanted to lose weight, I didn't want it badly enough to stop eating the crap I consumed on a daily basis. All of the helpful advice made me really defensive about what or how much I'm eating and to this day, I still get defensive. (DH comments often about how it always seems like I'm eating and even though he's just trying to get my goat, it bugs me. I try to relax about it but sometimes end up biting his head off.)
I would echo Jo's advice... let her know that you're available for help that she needs it but make it clear that she must ask. Obviously, your SIL isn't going to react well and your comments just put her on the defensive. If the larger niece isn't currently working out, perhaps you could offer to give her some training and maybe the nutrition part of it will follow.
A lot of people honestly feel that eating Lean Cuisines or Healthy Choice dinners every night is healthy because they aren't eating McDonald's or Taco Bell. Which, I suppose, technically is true but I think we all know the quality of frozen dinners compared to freshly prepared food. It's a process and it takes people their own time to "get there." You can't go from Big Macs to tofu. :) I think that Jo's right... she has lots of time to turn it around. But she's got to want to and that's the most important factor here.
Just a thought...Could she come live with you for a week during the summer? Use the excuse of wanting her to do something with you, and while you've got her you could teach her what processed foods are and what is good for her-but don't push her to eat that way. I eat horribly, I wish I had somebody to teach me healthy eating habits when I was in hs.
Paula
You could share some shocking information about genetically modified foods such as:
It seems that genetic modification of foods has begun to take precedence, as roughly 75 percent of U.S. processed foods contain some GM ingredients, including foods such as:
A grocery manufacturer’s group, Grocery Manufacturers of America, explained that nearly every product with a corn or soy ingredient, as well as some containing canola or cottonseed oil, has a GM component. The numbers speak for themselves: More than 80 percent of soy and 40 percent of corn raised in the United States is a GM variety.
If that interests her, give her the URL to one of your favorite websites for that type of information.
OK, I'm the gym rat nerd for today!
I was thinking this would be a good topic for a QOTW.
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