From Rachel - 01/26/04 - IP#: 24.31.201.xxx  Click here to reply  
Hello. I am not a parent, but I wandered to this sectoin of the site and began reading some posts. For my entire life I have been a heavy child, I weighed 155 pounds when I was 12. Well I believe it all started when I was 90 pounds and my doctor told me I needed to lost 10 pounds... from that moment on I just began gaining weight like crazy. Mostly from sneeking the food my mother told me I couldn't have. I would cry myself to sleep at nights, thinking my mom loved my brothers more because they could have desert after supper. It wasn't until I was 12 when I decided I hated being fat. I felt completely deprived and didn't want to waste another day of my life being fat. I went on Weight Watchers, following my mother's adivice, and lost 5 pounds in the first week. I am now 129 pounds and 5' 6". I've never been so happy and I can say I am actually proud of my body. I'm still looking to lose 10 more pounds. Unlike when I was younger, I actually exercise because I want to, not because I have to. My advice is to stand behind your kids, celebrate every little step, and never give up on them. I know my parents never did and I love them so much for it. They stood beside me through all of this and I can see it in their eyes how proud they are when we go shopping and I can look in the regular sizes. Believe in your kid, they will lose when they are ready, just give them a little push.
Reply from jooliet, Child's Age 12 - 01/28/04  - IP#: 195.93.32.xxx
thanx for your message it has made me feel im doing the right thing by encouraging my daughter to eat healthy and exercise i just hope that one day soon like yourself she will decide for herself its time to do something about getting to a healthy weight iwonder if she could e mail you to hear your sucess story beacause i understand how hard it is for her sometimes .