Hi Amber, thanks for your question. In order to reduce your fat mass I would recommend you reduce carbohydrates, as these are the most readily stored macronutrient and if not used for energy will be stored as fat. I'm not sure how much of your daily diet is carbohydrate but I would look to have about 15-20% carbohydrates in order to lose some weight. When you're doing exercise ensure you're having enough protein to keep your muscle mass stable and ensure you're having healthy fats in your diet such as avocado and oily fish, as these can be used for energy also. You may also find it helpful to work out how many calories you should be having so have a look at a BMR calculator online, input your weight and height etc. and this will tell you how many calories you need before exercise. Then there is an equation underneath the calculator that tells you how to work out how many more calories you need for exercise. If you would like to lose weight you can reduce this total slightly, usually by about 500 calories to lose 1-2 lbs a week. I hope you find this helpful.

Hi Shkurta
Thanks for your question. The best approach would be to see a nutritional therapist that could pinpoint the issues that have led to their weight gain.

In general, the most problematic food for children is food rich in sugar – sugary drinks (juices, cola, squash etc.), sugary snacks (biscuits, chocolate, candy etc.), added sugar to food and drinks, and sugar released from refined products like white potatoes, white bread, white pasta and white rice.

You could replace sugary drinks for water with squeezed fresh orange and/or just pure water, offer them as snacks nature’s candy – dry fruit + nuts and fruit (especially fruit lower in sugar like blueberries, blackberries and raspberries) and replace refined products for whole grain varieties.

Another problem which is common is the lack of vegetables in the diet. They are rich in fibre that keeps them full and provide them with slow-releasing energy and also supply nutrients that are needed for health as well as weight loss and maintenance. It would be a good idea to include vegetable soups or salads for dinner and provide them with snacks like vegetable sticks with hummus.

Try to replace unhealthy snacks like crisps and biscuits with nutritious snacks like apple with almond butter, oatcakes with hummus and dark chocolate with nuts. Also try to cook homemade meals to avoid added sugar and unhealthy refined fats.

Lack of exercise predisposes child to obesity especially if its coupled with a diet high in sugars. Make sure your kids get at least 2 hours exercise each day – it could be brisk walk, playing with their friends, cycling or going to fitness/dance classes.

Hope this general advice helps a little but I can only guess what the problems in their diet could be and these are the most common ones.
Good luck!

Andrea

Hi Georgie, thanks for your question. If you're looking to lose weight 0.5kg to 1kg a week is considered healthy. Losing large amounts of weight quickly can increase your risk of putting the weight back on again, and more, so losing weight steadily is generally recommended. You can do this by cutting out refined carbohydrates such as white flour products and sugar, ensuring you have protein with every meal, healthy fats such as oily fish, avocado and olive oil and filling half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as greens and salad vegetables. Although you don't have much time to exercise try to go for a brisk walk for 20-30 minutes a day, which will help weight loss as well as promote good health. I hope this is helpful.