Re: what is a healthy weight for 3 y.o.

[Guest guest]

Elaine,

As I've mentioned to you before I share the same concerns. My 4 year old is

also taller/beefier than average. But shealso doesn't get sick often like the

other kids we come into contact with. She weighs around 36-37 pounds and has

baby fat on her arms, legs, face etc.. My 8 year old son was the same way and

he perfect now. Not too thin or chunky. And these NT babies sure grow fast

too as my 2 1/2 month old is also larger than other babies his age and older.

Elainie

[Guest guest]

I don't know whether this is normal or i should be concerned. I'm noticing

my daughter, who will be four in July, is beefier than other kids her age,

who are pretty skinny, especially the girls. I'm big (six feet, broad

shouldered, etc.) so my kids are big to start with. But she's just got more

padding. She's not fat, but still has a little padding around the knees,

under the chin, etc. Her tummy kind of protrudes but it's not flabby. She

eats lots of good NT stuff (her fave is a bowl of whipped cream lightly

sweetened with maple syrup), but because i have slowly changed my diet

during her short life, she is no stranger to junk food. She only gets her

hands on that stuff occasionally these days. Otherwise she is stronger than

average compared to kids her age and doesn't stop moving all day, so I know

she's healthy. I think all this media focus on fat kids has me overly

worried. I would appreciate feedback on when the baby fat is supposed to go.

Elaine

[Guest guest]

Elaine,

My kids are not gluten free (long term sourdough breads) although I try hard

LOL!

I think todays super skinny child is not normal. I look at pictures of my

older dd's when they were little and I'm shocked at how skinny they were.

They're

slim now but on the normal end of slim.

I'll post a pic I took this morning of dd and put it up at SP.

Elainie

[Guest guest]

>She only gets her

>hands on that stuff occasionally these days. Otherwise she is stronger than

>average compared to kids her age and doesn't stop moving all day, so I know

>she's healthy. I think all this media focus on fat kids has me overly

>worried. I would appreciate feedback on when the baby fat is supposed to go.

>Elaine

My daughter was getting really chunky, as was my DH. When we

went wheat-free, both of them lost weight (and most of

their " snackiness " ... they get full faster). I can't say exactly

why that happened ... and it didn't work for me (I'm losing

weight now, but on the Warrior Diet). But food allergies,

or maybe just the way gluten works, seem to make people

eat too much. They both still eat junk food on occasion,

but non-gluten junk food. They both gave up pop on

their own too, which was interesting (it exists, it is out

in the garage, but no one drinks it).

Anyway, you can keep an eye on it and see how it

goes. I DO worry about it myself ... growing up is

hard enough without worrying about weight at

the tender age of 6 (as my daughter was). Her two

best friends are both way overweight now. But I think

the way to handle it is to change the TYPES of foods

that are available, not to put the kid on a diet.

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

Thanks Elainie, i recall photos of your daughter and mine looks very similar

in terms of body fat. I asked this question because i'm wondering if this is

the way they're supposed to be, instead of super skinny like so many of

their peers. I'm encouraged that your son got leaner. And my NT baby is so

much bigger and heartier than other babies too, and walking months earlier.

We've gotten really good about keeping my daughter's diet pretty healthy and

whole, and i'm slowly, secretly moving things gluten free.

elaine

> Elaine,

> As I've mentioned to you before I share the same concerns. My 4 year old is

> also taller/beefier than average. But shealso doesn't get sick often like

> the

> other kids we come into contact with. She weighs around 36-37 pounds and has

> baby fat on her arms, legs, face etc.. My 8 year old son was the same way and

> he perfect now. Not too thin or chunky. And these NT babies sure grow fast

> too as my 2 1/2 month old is also larger than other babies his age and older.

>

> Elainie

[Guest guest]

Is that a sorghum bread? I was wondering if you can make a sourdough starter

with something other than wheat or rye. Doesn't it need the gluten?

elaine

>

For what it is worth, you can use the " white bread " recipe with some

> sourdough starter or citric acid and make a decent loaf. My daughter

> REALLY likes her toast in the morning, and she still gets it ... it is GF

> but it tastes awfully good. Given the choice between high-glycemic and

> high-gluten, the high-glycemic seems to be a lot less harmful.

[Guest guest]

>My kids are not gluten free (long term sourdough breads) although I try hard

>LOL!

For what it is worth, you can use the " white bread " recipe with some

sourdough starter or citric acid and make a decent loaf. My daughter

REALLY likes her toast in the morning, and she still gets it ... it is GF

but it tastes awfully good. Given the choice between high-glycemic and

high-gluten, the high-glycemic seems to be a lot less harmful.

-- Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

>Is that a sorghum bread? I was wondering if you can make a sourdough starter

>with something other than wheat or rye. Doesn't it need the gluten?

>elaine

The " white bread " recipe isn't sorghum ... it isn't healthy at all as far

as vitamins. But smothered in butter it isn't bad. It tastes

like French Bread ... very white, crispy, and light. The kids love it.

As far as sourdough, you can make it with any grain. You need something

like Xanthan gum (or kefilli) to make it hold a rise. (you can make

flatbread with *anything*). But the yeast and lactobacilli don't care

at all, they will eat any starch or bacteria.

Actually I'm considering going to flatbread ... we used to go

to a great Indian restaurant and eat tons of the stuff. But

flatbread can be good with any grain, so why not make it?

-- Heid Jean

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

What is the white bread recipe? I grind my own grains (although I did

purchase a huge lot of sprouted spelt flour and rye flour).

Elainie

[Guest guest]

My 7yo dd is just about the tallest child in her 2nd grade class,

except for the one girl who is actually old enough to be in the 3rd grade.

She was 9 lbs. 3-1/2 oz. when she was born, and 22-1/2 inches long.

IIRC she was in the 95th percentile on the growth charts. I like to

kiddingly say that she looked like a 3 month old when she was born!

I didn't have much milk, so she had milk-based formula for the first

year. When she turned 1yo, she went on whole milk. When she turned

2yo, the current conventional advice was to put them on 2% milk, so

that's what we did. She drank 2% milk until she was 5-1/2 yo, when I

started reading WAPF and changed back to whole milk.

She had grown steadily until she was 3-4 yo. Then I noticed that she

stopped outgrowing her clothes and shoes so quickly. But when we went

to whole milk, she outgrew 2 pairs of shoes in 1 semester. She also

outgrew the other children in her class.

I have a picture of her on the Easter Bunny's lap when she was 4yo,

and another when she was 5yo (after we switched to whole milk). I

also have a picture of her with a friend who is eating the

conventional low fat/high carb diet. Her 4yo picture and the friend

look " too lean " to me, now that I'm used to her whole milk self. In

the Easter Bunny pictures, she is wearing the same dress both years.

You can see that her face looks fuller in the 5yo picture, compared to

the 4yo picture. And there's more cheer in her countenance. She

smiled in both pictures, but I just see more cheer in her eyes in the

5yo picture.

In the picture of my dd and her low fat friend, my dd's face looks

fuller, but you can see that her body is not fat. The friend's face

still looks " too lean " like my dd's face looked when she drank 2%

milk. My dd's face looks more cheerful than the friend's.

Sorry that took so long to describe...I should just post the photos!

Now, you might not think the low-fat faces look too lean. In a way,

dd looked more like a model when she drank 2% milk.

Anyway, even though dd looked more like a not-quite-bulemic model when

she drank 2% milk, I know that she got sick less and had a better

temperament when we switched to whole milk. And her strength and

energy level rose dramatically. We still have to walk the 3 miles

from home to work once in a while, but we only take about 1 hour, with

only 1 or 2 stops of 1 minute or less. There's no way she would have

been able to do that if she were still drinking 2% milk or skim milk.

Bottom line, if your 3yo is strong, has energy, has a good temper, is

not sickly, and can wear clothes off the rack, I'd say she's doing

fine. You might want to make sure she doesn't get too much sugar, and

give her regular opportunities to run and play.

> I don't know whether this is normal or i should be concerned. I'm

noticing

> my daughter, who will be four in July, is beefier than other kids

her age,

> who are pretty skinny, especially the girls. I'm big (six feet, broad

> shouldered, etc.) so my kids are big to start with. But she's just

got more

> padding. She's not fat, but still has a little padding around the knees,

> under the chin, etc. Her tummy kind of protrudes but it's not

flabby. She

> eats lots of good NT stuff (her fave is a bowl of whipped cream lightly

> sweetened with maple syrup), but because i have slowly changed my diet

> during her short life, she is no stranger to junk food. She only

gets her

> hands on that stuff occasionally these days. Otherwise she is

stronger than

> average compared to kids her age and doesn't stop moving all day, so

I know

> she's healthy. I think all this media focus on fat kids has me overly

> worried. I would appreciate feedback on when the baby fat is

supposed to go.

> Elaine

[Guest guest]

I am just starting the switch to a healthier diet, my almost 8 yr old is a

chunck. She can't wear the clothes off the rack, she is not obese but heavy. We

have her on a swim team and soccer for excercise, any suggestions on what to do,

my first step that I am working on is eliminating processed flour and sugar. We

own a cow so she drinks whole raw milk. I am glad I found this list, I have

been lurking for a few days and you all sound wonderful.

Laurie

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