Keto for my 11 year old son - day one


#7

Thanks all. We are on day two and this morning I had a VERY grouchy child that wanted his cornflakes for breakfast (with added sugar no doubt).

We made bacon and eggs for breakfast and JJ didn’t want any. I compromised and cooked a hamburger patty for him sided with lettuce, cucumber and celery.

The morning was tough as he kept looking in the pantry (but bless him, he did not cheat) and I feel that he was having sugar cravings.

This afternoon he is happier after sausages and again salad for lunch, and a smart mum (me!) heading to the store again this morning - for low carb tomato sauce and coconut flour. I scored some cocoa powder and 70% dark chocolate, and promised to make cookies tomorrow (moderation, of course). With the tomato sauce with lunch, he could not tell any different. I only put a small dollop on his plate.

JJ did report earlier that he had a headache, so I gave him a glass of ice water. Trying to keep him hydrated is tough!

However, he hasn’t been hungry all day - and I sensed that he was looking in the cupboard only due to the sugar craving.

I will admit, I cheated with breakfast. I had french toast with my bacon. Don’t tell JJ, he will kill me! :smiley:

All in all, so far so good. We are still under 20 grams of carbs for the day, and dinner will be chicken tenderloins with salad. JJ has complained a bit, but I know that he is serious about getting healthy. He could have cheated, yet didn’t.

With the dark chocolate, I am unsure how much to use in cooking? Chocolate period feels very carby to me…


(Khara) #8

If he’s headachey try a bit of salt. I like to drink beef broth. It goes fine as a drink with lunch or even as a snack. Some others on here use supplements. And the being grouchy will/should greatly subside if he’s satiated. Make sure he’s never hungry. Just choose low carb foods when he is. Have lots of options on hand for when he’s panicking… deviled/hard boiled eggs, cheese, meat, small amounts of nuts. Make sure he understands that his discomfort right now is due to carb withdrawal and that he won’t need to live with this discomfort forever. It will pass and once it does he will start to feel great. If together you can get him on the healthy track now, his life will be so much less difficult as he becomes an adult. It’s probably hard for him to look so far ahead but life is tough right now because of his health and it will only get harder to correct as he gets older. He should know this. Additionally, is there a way you can help him to take ownership of this way of eating? It might really empower him if he is self-teaching, problem solving, recognizing how his body feels and learning what to do, reading nutrition labels, choosing meal plans, and trying a new recipe once a week? Best wishes and KCKO both of you.


#9

Thanks Khara, I’m encouraging lite salt as it has potassium as well. Early days.

Hubby and I have noticed that JJ’s breath is bad, so I’m hoping it is the start to ketosis. I refuse to make him pee on a stick to check.

I know that water weight is the first to go, but I swear that after one day his face is looking thinner! Maybe wishful thinking.

He’s still hating me right now for the diet.


(Carpe salata!) #10

You have lots of love and stamina. You are the one who is really helping.

One day he will be so grateful…


(Sjur Gjøstein Karevoll) #11

My own face got considerably thinner pretty fast too even before I lost mentionable weight. I chalk it up to reduced inflammation, since inflammation can cause you to puff up.

Also, don’t go too hard on the potassium. Your body won’t flush out excess potassium to the same degree it does most other minerals so you have to be concerned with over consuming it over long periods. I prefer to get my potassium from potassium rich foods.


(Linda Culbreth) #12

I agree with Lauren Don’t become a short order cook. Cook healthy for you and J.J. and enough for the hubby and big brother. If they don’t want to eat it, then you have another meal for the two of you. They can chose to eat what is fixed, cook what they want, or smear peanut butter and jelly on their white bread.

Up the healthy fat intake. And up the salt and water intake - that will probably take away the headaches. Also, no diet sodas or other diet with artificial sweeteners drinks, or snacking between meals. Really limit the use of these artificial sweeteners -they have a history of really spiking up insulin (and so do snacks, a lot of cheese, and nuts & seeds - that cheese and nuts & seeds I only use at meals).

As far as the chocolate goes, in a few days or week or two, when all the sugar is out and his cravings go away, he might even enjoy just eating the tiny square of chocolate by itself -

Here’s a link to an awesome, and I do mean awesome keto waffle - slather a lot, and I do mean a lot of butter on it. This recipe makes 3 waffles in my waffle iron. So at least double or triple the recipe and serve everyone with them.Everyone in the family should enjoy them. J.J. is sooooo fortunate to have you as mom!


#13

Day three, and this will be my last for a while, as the first three days are the hardest.

JJ is up and down at the moment. We bought him clothes yesterday and today they are too big. I know it’s water weight, but it was enough for his to want to keep going - yay!!! Tomorrow I will take him shopping for a dress size or two-smaller shirts.

Tonight our 15 year old said he wanted to go Keto, this may have been after watching the Mayweather/McGregor fight. Anyway, the keto way is rubbing off on him.

Hubby has still yet to succumb, but he’s eating healthy anyway. :slight_smile:


(Linda Culbreth) #14

Sounds like huge wins all the way around to me!


#15

I know I said that the last post would be the last for a while but today was TOUGH!

I took JJ for a haircut and the hairdresser offered him a small lollipop afterwards. Arrrghhh!!! Remember, that he is 11 years old, new to keto and only a few days in.

I couldn’t say no as it would have only embarrassed him. That would have been a big no no considering his social phobia.

Two hours later he had a massive sugar crash and after a meltdown I succumbed to one chocolate chip cookie - remnants from the pantry stash (these are now packed away out of the pantry, to be given away). I estimate that the lollipop and cookie took him over 20g carbs.

What a fail! Soldier on…does anyone know the extent of damage one lollipop and one choc chip cookie has done? Do we have to start over?


(Doug) #16

No, you don’t have to start over. :slightly_smiling_face: Yes, probably over 20g carbs (the lollipop is right about 13 by itself), but really - no biggie in the grand scheme of things.

I remember being 11 years old. You’re getting some “adult” awareness, but still definitely a kid. It’s a tough time, no matter what, the struggle against parental authority is underway. There’s probably a pretty good tangle of cravings, habits, wanting to be thinner, more healthy, etc. You’re in for the long haul, though, Jools, stay strong.


#17

Thanks Doug.Today was a nightmare!

On the positive side, JJ is 1kg less on the scales. This however, did not help him with the cravings for carbage.

His older brother today told him that he could see a change (in terms of defined cheekbones), and I think that helped. JJ may not believe me, but he idolises his brother.

Tomorrow is another day. :slight_smile:


#18

Kids love progress diaries and journals to spur them on. Why not take a pic in the same spot everyday and make a flick book for him? Kids need to see that what they are doing matters, and makes a difference. A weekly treat that is special just to him. A walk around the local zoo for 2 to 3 hours, or any kind of thing he enjoys where cunning exercise can be deployed!


(Doug) #19

Good for JJ’s older brother! No small thing to have him on JJ’s side here.


#20

I agree Wishbone, and JJ refuses to have his photo taken. He looks so handsome with his new cut and I’m going to play it for all it’s worth. Just need to get him back on the wagon.

Funny story, this morning JJ was craving cereal and I said I will compromise. You can have half a weetbix with milk, no sugar. He just sighed and said, ‘I’ll just have sausages’. Hahaha.

So, I cooked his sausages in olive oil sided with lettuce, cucumber and celery. As I handed it to him he said, ‘this doesn’t mean I"m still on Keto mum’. I almost lost it laughing. :smiley: Small wins, he’s adapting slowly. Just need to get rid of the damn sugar cravings!


#21

Organic, nearly carb free sausages of course. :slight_smile:


(Linda Culbreth) #22

The first couple of weeks can be really rough on the sugar cravings. Hang in there.

Here’s a tiny suggestion, print up some business cards and have something like this on it: “My child is deathly allergic to certain items. Please help us by not offering any kind of edible treats. Thanks!” And then hand them out when you meet someone that might offer that blasted “just one won’t hurt” carbage treat.


#23

I’m sorry, I would rethink this approach. I think statements like this should be reserved for those real life and death situations involving food or environmental allergies. I’m afraid if many people did this, we’d create a “Cry Wolf” situation and people will begin to think, “Oh, it’s probably not a real allergy.” I would prefer us not dilute the urgency and care that most people should exercise when they hear the word “allergy” (and especially when used in conjunction with the word “deathly.”)

My two cents, only because I feel strongly about this issue due to personal experiences.


(Linda Culbreth) #24

In my opinion, slow death by diabetes is just as deadly as fast death by peanut or shrimp allergy or milk and wheat allergy as my son had. I had to be his advocate - and I had to be quick before it was a battle to take something away from this cute little kid that was crying and screaming at the top of his lungs in public because somebody, somewhere, gave him something that would toss him in the ER in an hour and in ICU for the next couple of days.

Each parent must do what they feel is correct. In my area, every bank, every hair cutting place, every insurance office, and many other places pass out the suckers and candy bars. It’s like trick-or-treat year round. Until these well meaning folks who pass out this stuff get educated and stop it, the spiral of obesity and all that goes with it just feds itself. I know, one sucker will probably not knock someone over. But, the cravings that it triggers and then the fulfillment of those cravings day after day after day will do someone in. “Just one won’t hurt” is a lie, a dangerous, deadly lie.

Speaking of trick-or-treating, stickers make a good alternative to carbage. Wish the sucker/candy bar people would buy stickers. They’re cheaper anyway!


#25

Thanks all.

Justme, I think the sugar cravings have gone. Not one mention of carbage today, despite there being chocolate icecream in the freezer.

Yesterday he weighed in 1.5kg lighter (all up total over 5 weeks - only on keto for less then a week, and the water weight has been lost this week). He’s so happy!!

He’s also full of energy! So much that I can’t keep up - bring on hubby and 15 year old son to pick up where I left off at the end of the day. There is only so much foam sword fighting, chasey and hide and seek that I can do - not to mention squeezing in school work.

Speaking of school work, yesterday we watched the documentary In the Defence of Food, and I asked him to design a poster for kids displaying healthy foods. Looks great!

Today we discovered that he can have pork rinds (in moderation). Oh happy days! The snack that keeps on giving.

We leave for Thailand in one week, one day. I’m praying everyday that he get’s so used to the keto way that he won’t be tempted as much by all the buffet food and carbage. But I will just let him go for it on the holiday, and re-start again when we get back.


(Linda Culbreth) #26

That is great news!

You might warn him (and any others doing keto with you) that doing the carbage on the trip may make you feel bad and may set you way back on your keto journey. I’ve seen people posting about that time and time again in various places in this forum. And, then let him make his own decision - he might decide the carbage is just simply not worth it! And he really might decide that after he’s done some of it.

Oh, Jools, there are so many things that can be made with the pork rinds that he will enjoy from waffles to “keto puppy chow” to breading for fried chicken. My trouble is I like them too well!