Fitness Book

Summer weight loss camps are a fun way for children and teens to learn about being healthy while having fun.  These camps range in price from around $1000 for a single week to the upwards of $8000 for the entire summer.  You might be thinking, that’s like a year of college tuition!  For the family that cannot budget in a summer weight loss camp for a child, there are other equally fun alternatives to definitely consider.  But before reviewing the alternatives, it is important to have reasonable expectations in order to prevent yourself from putting pressure on your child.

 

When thinking about the expectations a parent should have for their child when it comes to losing weight in order to be healthy, it is important to consider what is medically necessary verses what you want to see your child look like.  In that regard, think about what your child would want to do and how you can encourage and motivate him.  There are three areas that you will need to address if you want to help your child lose weight this summer.  These three areas include physical activity, diet, and psychology.  Below you will find examples of how you can address these areas and make a special connection with your child that will automatically promote good eating habits, self-esteem, and of course a healthy weight!

 

Physical activity: If your child is very inactive, it might be helpful to plan some sort of outing on a Saturday or weekday afternoon where to get to the outing you have to walk a lengthy distance or stand for a while.  Also, you could just plan for your child to participate in a sport with other kids his age OR you can participate in a sport with your child and take time to teach him or learn with him about it.  For example, if you’ve always wanted to play tennis or you’re good at tennis, let your child come along for the journey.  Another example would be making bike riding a ritual.  You could plan on going every weekend (weather permitting) and even for just 15 minutes after you get home from work.  Furthermore, it seems like everyday video game consoles are coming out with ways to get the kid or entire family to be more active.  Some video games feature sports or activities that involve moving around right in your own living room.  This is one way to connect with the child who forever wants to play video games.  This not only will promote having a healthy weight, but also bonding between the two of you and the whole family.  Soon enough, your child will look forward to being active.

 

Diet: If your child loves to eat, like most people do, it might be a good idea to let him do a lot of cooking that is of course age appropriate.  Often, people who cook do not build up enough of an appetite to want second servings because they have spent a great deal of time smelling the food and manipulating it in some way.  You can have your child always help you prepare breakfast, lunch, or even dinner for the entire summer.  This way, you can use this time to teach him or her about how you try to make the meals healthy and fun.  An added benefit of your child being in the kitchen helping is that they can offer input as to what foods should be prepared.  Usually, kids are well rounded so even though they might initially say “We should have ice cream for dinner” with some encouraging, they might also mention meat or vegetables.  This makes mealtimes so much fun and kids who might not usually eat the “healthier” foods are more likely to when they’ve participated in its preparation.

 

Psychology: Talking to your child about what concerns he has or things he finds important or not important will help you understand what your child is thinking on a daily basis.  You might find that your teen thinks a great deal about his or her social life and that preoccupies them so much that they stress and overeat.  Or you might find that your little 6 year old really cares about playing outside so much that he or she prefers to eat quick food like cereal, chicken nuggets, or drink milk/juice all day long in order to get back outside where the action is!  These things will help guide your decisions on what you say to your child when offering encouragement or motivation to be at a healthy weight.

 

Focusing on these three areas at home on a daily basis is definitely a good alternative to paying for an expensive summer weight loss camp.  And the best part about keeping your child home is that you will be forced to get more involved with your child, which we often lose between taking care of work and other social responsibilities.