"sneaking" food - Page 2

[applecider]

I was going to also suggest possible yeast? I know that people with an overgrowth of yeast (candida) crave sugar, natural or otherwise. My DS being one of them.

[zebra15]

Im going to gently suggest the begining of an eating disorder. While your DD is only 6, food can be used as a control device. She may not even be aware of what she is doing. The sneaking, hiding, and lack of choices make me think this. (lack of choices compare to many houses). Being HS you also say there isn't 'social pressure' but there still is - social pressure exists everywhere, not just in the classroom. Again I dont know the family issues, your DD issues and I only suggest it very gently as something to consider.

[AllisonR]

Originally Posted by jrabbit

We've been working on better family communication in general, and better ways to accommodate hunger ... with the morning orange juice ... and her OWN stash of chocolate protein bars (permission to eat half at a time, one time a day), we're hoping to curtail the "sneaking" part.

thanks to all.
--janis

I keep thinking about this thread, so I am coming back one more time. Just my opinion here, but choice of OJ and a protein bar - with "permission to eat half at a time, one time a day" sounds to me like a control issue. I'm not there, so I can't see your whole day, but your posts sound like options are really minimal and very controlled. If her body is telling her she needs more, due to hypoglycemia, allergy, vitamin or mineral deficiency, or no other reason besides plain hunger, but you are controlling her food access to such a degree, then her coping with this lack of control will be by developing an eating disorder.

I'm sorry, I know you have a lot on your plate right now, but maybe you should listen to her clues and let it go for a while. I mean really let go. I'm saying this because I have BTDT when my DS was born and starved and I way over compensated. And it became a problem. And the solution was to let go - really let go. Offer food, offer options, not just at mealtime. Not count what was/was not eaten, at all. And trust that the child can self regulate. They will, and in a healthy way.

[jrabbit]

Again, thanks everyone for such considerate advice.

I have been watching her food behaviors, and she's been much better lately - no sneaking of food, as far as I can tell.

Just to comment on the protein bar situation. I don't think it's over controlling of me. I am not telling her when or if she can eat it - just have it available, and I'd prefer if she only ate half at a time. We've tried so many breakfast-type bars, and this is the only one she likes. It's got 18 grams of protein, and I just think that's overkill for a child of her age who actually does have a balanced diet otherwise.

She has total free access to all the foods at all times, provided she does NOT take the food out of the kitchen area. I think the sneaking problem was a control thing on her part because it seems to have stopped. She still binge-eats periodically, but it doesn't seem to be anything more than her body just cycling through different needs.

==janis

[peaceful_mama]

One of my kids especially has a major love of popsicles

obvious sugar concern there.

when they're not there, she doesn't have a big problem with it.

I think what I am going to start doing is only have X many available in a week. When they are gone, they are gone.

Maybe you could do the same thing with the protein bars, since you mentioned they're expensive? It still allows you to control your budget, but *not* her eating...
though I do get the concern with eating a bunch of chocolate covered protein bars in one sitting.
I have known people who have taken that approach though and the kids tend to get over their fascination with the particular food pretty quickly once they're given this level of control, and then have to live with the consequence of not having any more for a few days.

also with other sweets. (I do limit ice cream to once a day when we have it, but also I only buy at one particular store where 'decent' ice cream is inexpensive, or when there's a sale at same price somewhere else I happen to be, so it's limited by that as well, for one example.)