Chapter 3: Don’t make your kids fat.

I think one of the main reasons we have many kids that are obese in America is we make them eat everything on their plate.

I have seen many kids that can out eat a grown man. We give kids man size portions and tell them they need to finish their plate.

I may be crazy but I think the job of parents is to help train our children’s palate. This where we fail so often. We don’t teach our kids to each balanced portions that include things that are green.

You may say I don’t feed my kids vegetables they don’t like them. To that I say Yes your right. They have to be taught to like them. Scientists say it takes about 15x to start to develop an appetite for something.

How do I know parents don’t feed their kids vegetables. Well, when I go to the grocery store and buy vegetable for our family and the person checking me out keeps asking me what each vegetable is, and I say broccoli, red pepper, anise.

The last thing you can do to help your kids stay thin and live a thin life. When they ask for food say no. Kid’s learn to early that I should eat when I am bored. Your kids should only eat at the same specific times each day. Kids being hungry is not a bad thing. It just means they will be more likely to eat the yummy brussel sprouts you have prepared for them.

1. Breakfast
2. Snack
3. Lunch
4. Healthy Snack
5. Dinner

A couple of links for you.

(This is my fourth post on this to see the rest follow this link)

Deceptively Delicious – A book Jessica Seinfeld wrote about tricking your kids to eat good. Sometimes deceit is a good thing.

Child Size Portion Guide – A portion guide for kids of all ages.

If you need to catch up:
The Introduction
Chapter One

Chapter 2: Just because it’s there you don’t have to eat it.

Another rule I live by that has served me well so far in life is do not eat it just because it’s there.

Scenario – You go to a friends house they bring out a big plate of cookies, everyone has one cookie,fine. There are two cookies left they sit on the plate they taunt you. You feel compelled as either a good guest or a lover of cookies to eat the remaining cookies. DO NOT do this.

Scenario – You go to the movies and get a bucket of popcorn (I’ll address the buying of movie popcorn and candy goodness later) roughly the size of a two year old human. You start eating you family has all reached their limit and have stopped but you paid 25.99 and are going to get your moneys worth. You eat the popcorn just because it’s there. Never do this.

Scenario – Any time you eat at the house of any Italian BEWARE they are skilled in the art of overfeeding their guests. I know I married into a family that are amazing cooks but also try to overfeed every person who walks through their doors.

Say no to food that is extra and above. Eat till you are satisfied and not full.

If food is there taunting you it is not your responsibility. Do not eat it and you will be one step closer to living a thin man’s life.

Chapter 1: NEVER get full.

I think this is one of the foundation blocks to staying thin. I remember the day I uncovered this truth. I was 9 years old. We lived in the midwest. There where these new restaurants that were becoming very popular, we got our first one “The Royal Fork”. A restaurant where you pay one price and can eat as much as you want.

This was an amazing idea for a fourth grader. I can eat as much as I want. And you know what I did? Eat, eat and eat some more. I had Chinese, Italian and most importantly “Desert Bar.”

I was in heaven. I ate and ate and ate. I remember getting up from the table and was feeling a bit strange but the gravity of my decision didn’t hit me till we got into the car. My dad pulled out the packed parking lot of The Royal Fork. I was siting in the back of the car and with every turn my father took I was more of the impact that my decision had created. With every turn my dad made I felt pain in my full belly.

What did I do? I made a foxhole prayer and asked God to help me fell better and if he did I do whatever he asked of me.

And it was through his situation that I learned the art of not getting full. I can literally count on one hand the amount of times I have eaten till I was full.

So to lose weight and keep it off. Stop eating till you are full eat till you are satisfied. When you eat till you are full you train your body to consume more and more quantities of food.

Thin Man’s Guide to Losing weight! Chapter 1: never get full.

One thing that people who are trying to lose weight do that has always mystified me is that when they are looking for advice they often seek it from those who themselves are trying to lose weight. So instead of hearing what are the things that help you maintain a life of thinfulness. They are often caught in the latest get thin quick scheme. Many of which perplex me, one of my favorites has to be the diet that tells you that for breakfast 1 piece of toast is evil and should be replaced with 3 pounds of bacon and 12 eggs.

Over the course of the next few months I will give you chapter summaries of what i believe to be the proper ways to lose weight and keep it off. As someone who didn’t weigh 100 pounds till 9th grade and currently fluctuates between 140 and 145. The last thing I thought I would ever do is give diet advice but after having many friends diet and hearing everyone’s diet techniques over the years that are mostly cheap marketing ploys to sell more books based on the word of mouth buzz created by rapid weight loss. I decided that I think the secret to thinness is found within the lifestyle choices of the thin.

Lastly I realize that I do not want to bore all of you who stop by to hear about Uptown or children’s ministry I will try to keep my “Thin mans guide” posts short and pithy.