What do you think of this advice from a nutritionist?

[overcome]

My DSD is 14 and about 30lbs overweight. Her mother is taking her to a nutritionist. Two pieces of advice the nutritionist gave her are giving me pause....

1. Use spray "butter".

2. Cook whole wheat pasta longer than it says on the package so it tastes more like regular pasta.

Thoughts? I'll give my thoughts in a bit, but would like to hear some opinions first.

[Tondi G]

yes my sister went to a "diet" doctor and they told her to use olive oil or pam spray when sauteing her vegetables and or chicken rather than pour oil or melt butter into a pan.

as far as the pasta goes .... she should be trying to limit pasta intake if at all possible but if DSD won't eat whole wheat pasta because it is too "al dente" then I don't really see the harm in cooking it a little longer.

[ellies mom]

I don't find any of that advice to be troublesome.

1. A spritz of spray oil/butter is very very low in calories but gets the job done. It is a lot easier to use a light touch. If you are concerned about the added "ingredients" (lecithin, propellants, etc), you can get an oil spritzer. It may not work for buttering your bread but for cooking it can be the best of both worlds. I do occasionally use spray oil when making paninis. It reduces calories without affecting the flavor too much.

2. I think encouraging whole grain pasta over regular pasta and giving suggestions on how to prepare it is great. When I do health screenings at the free health clinic I volunteer at, I recommend swapping "brown carbs" for "white carbs" all the time. Not everyone needs to be on a low carb diet.

[KpbS]

Well, I wouldn't use the spray as I can't stand the chemical taste of it. I would just use a small amount of butter or oil in the pan or for roasting veggies. For the pasta, I do that with DS's GF pasta. It is really too al dente when cooked for the recommended time. I don't see the harm in it. But for a nutritionist, I would think they would be more concerned about portion size, fruit and vegetable intake, sugar/soda intake, etc. Those things make a much bigger difference in the big scheme of things than butter.

[LexyLou]

I don't find any of that advice to be troublesome.

1. A spritz of spray oil/butter is very very low in calories but gets the job done. It is a lot easier to use a light touch. If you are concerned about the added "ingredients" (lecithin, propellants, etc), you can get an oil spritzer. It may not work for buttering your bread but for cooking it can be the best of both worlds. I do occasionally use spray oil when making paninis. It reduces calories without affecting the flavor too much.

2. I think encouraging whole grain pasta over regular pasta and giving suggestions on how to prepare it is great. When I do health screenings at the free health clinic I volunteer at, I recommend swapping "brown carbs" for "white carbs" all the time. Not everyone needs to be on a low carb diet.

:yeahthat: I don't see anything wrong with this advice. In fact, if she weren't a teenager I would tell her to cut out pasta completely.

[elektra]

I would probably have to see the full recommendation before judging these two items on their own.
Is the nutritionist recommending adding more fruits and veggies to her diet? Drinking more water? Cutting back on portion sizes? Eating healthier snacks etc.?
If not then I can see how just using spray butter instead of real butter or cooking pasta longer aren't going to give her the toolset she needs to turn around her eating habits in full.
But as a part of a bigger plan, I can see those being really helpful tips.
I know that if a nutritionist told me as a teen to completely cut out carbs or spaghetti it would have been really hard to do so. But recommending a healthier kind, including a tip on how to make it tastier, would have been a good first step.
And spray butters can have a lot of artificial ingredients but for weight loss, I don't see harm in recommending that as an alternative to butter.

[rin]

I would recommend trying brown rice pasta; the consistency is much, much better than whole wheat pasta, and you still get the whole grain benefits. IME whole wheat pasta is often kind of gritty, but brown rice pasta (we buy the TJ's kind) is pretty much indistinguishable from regular pasta. You do have to be careful NOT to overcook brown rice pasta, since it will just become a weird gummy sludge, though.

[Elilly]

I would recommend trying brown rice pasta; the consistency is much, much better than whole wheat pasta, and you still get the whole grain benefits. IME whole wheat pasta is often kind of gritty, but brown rice pasta (we buy the TJ's kind) is pretty much indistinguishable from regular pasta. You do have to be careful NOT to overcook brown rice pasta, since it will just become a weird gummy sludge, though.

That is exactly what we use although I use it because it is gluten free too.

That said, without knowing her dietary habits, it is hard to say whether this is "all" you need to do. I too was overweight at that point in my life but then hit a huge growth spurt at 15 and was then slightly underweight for my height. Just my .02

[overcome]

Thanks for your viewpoints.

Yes, nutritionist did talk about many other aspects of eating. Her main focus was on the Healthy Plate and portion control. It was their first meeting.

My concern w spray butter is the fact that is fake and certainly one of the most highly processed food products you can buy.

Cooking the whole wheat pasta longer so it tastes more like white defeats the purpose. That raises the glycemic index and strips it of nutrients. That defeats the whole purpose of using wwpasta instead of white.

I'll be the FIRST to admit that I am a food snob and have VERY strong opinions about food.

I believe everything in moderation bc if you deny yourself, it makes you want it more.

I believe in real food, not processed.

I believe in enjoying a food for what it is wo slathering it w ketchup, ranch dressing, etc.

These are just a few of my food opinions. Michael Pollan's book, Food Rules, Is a perfect example of how I want to eat. Of course, I still eat processed food sometimes and indulge in foods I shouldn't!

Situation w DSD is very complicated (in so many ways!), and I realize taking these two ideas out of context doesn't give you the whole picture. I would expect these ideas from weight watchers/Jenny Craig type of consultant, but not a nutritionist.

We'll see what the next meeting brings!

[amldaley]

Thanks for your viewpoints.

Yes, nutritionist did talk about many other aspects of eating. Her main focus was on the Healthy Plate and portion control. It was their first meeting.

My concern w spray butter is the fact that is fake and certainly one of the most highly processed food products you can buy.

Cooking the whole wheat pasta longer so it tastes more like white defeats the purpose. That raises the glycemic index and strips it of nutrients. That defeats the whole purpose of using wwpasta instead of white.

I'll be the FIRST to admit that I am a food snob and have VERY strong opinions about food.

I believe everything in moderation bc if you deny yourself, it makes you want it more.

I believe in real food, not processed.

I believe in enjoying a food for what it is wo slathering it w ketchup, ranch dressing, etc.

These are just a few of my food opinions. Michael Pollan's book, Food Rules, Is a perfect example of how I want to eat. Of course, I still eat processed food sometimes and indulge in foods I shouldn't!

Situation w DSD is very complicated (in so many ways!), and I realize taking these two ideas out of context doesn't give you the whole picture. I would expect these ideas from weight watchers/Jenny Craig type of consultant, but not a nutritionist.

We'll see what the next meeting brings!

The only thing I disagree with is the everything in moderation. That just does not work for some people b/c they either don't understand moderation or their bodies respond differently to different types of food that yours might.

Some foods just need to be eliminated ALL TOGETHER or at least until the persons palette has changed and until they have trained themselves not to want those other foods.

But otherwise, I totally agree. That nutritionists advice just sounds lazy to me.

As for moderation, a great tool to use is smaller dishes. If you look at a dinnerware set from the 1960's and one from today, you will see our plates today are bigger! We have a bunch of those little 4-6 ounce glass dishes - fruit cups or custard cups they are often called and usually sold with a plastic storage lid. We use those little dishes for snacks and desserts. And even my very healthy, very fit husband is satisfied with one scoop of whatever in that little cup!

Is your DSD's mother open to conversation on this? Is she open to further education beyond the nutritionist? If she won't read your recommendations, I found the films Food, Inc and Forks Over Knives were great eye openers.

Can you demonstrate for you DSD a better way of eating, etc, when she is with you and your DH so she can at least see the difference?

[pinkmomagain]

Something very fundamental you need to keep in mind is that it is very difficult to make kids/teens compliant when it comes to dietary adjustments. Teens just want to be like their friends (don't want to say "Oh, I can't eat that") and they usually want to do exactly the opposite an adult tells them to do. So a professional might give some advice that we might not necessarily agree with as the healthiest option (heck, I have cut out grains/wheat for almost a year now) but they are trying to help the patient be successful (lose weight). Because if the patient doesn't see results, she and her parents won't be happy and won't continue with this particular professional. Food for thought. I am saying this as a mom with a teen!

[Cuckoomamma]

I would be really unhappy with the advice as I also am very concerned about limiting processed foods. I would have preferred that the nutritionist teach her about whole foods as opposed to teaching her diet tricks. To me, teaching a teen to use spray oil is similar to telling her to drink diet soda or use splenda. I think it's a perfect opportunity to teach her about foods.

[dogmom]

I think you don't have enough information to judge it. The nutritionist needs to work to modify and existing food culture in a house. When you are dealing with a child it is a whole families culture. Telling someone to use spray oil is telling them, "No, you don't have to put a huge pat of butter in a pan to cook the veggies." I don't know what the food environment is in the house, but households vary. It just seems strange that you would pick those two things to worry about. If that is the worst advice she is giving, if it is bad, I would be thrilled.

[TwoBees]

Is this the same DSD who was recently diagnosed with ODD? If so, maybe talking to her psychiatrist about the best approach to dietary changes might be a good idea. I would be afraid that the more stringent the changes, the more likely she would be to fight them. In which case, I would start small, like with the suggestions of the dietician, and work towards bigger goals as DSD becomes more accepting of the changes.

[crl]

I think I would stay completely out of it. Her mother is taking her to a nutritionist, so trying to address the situation responsibly. Short of the nutritionist recommending something like dangerous diet pills, I can't see any good coming from getting in the middle or offering commentary from the sidelines.

If you don't want to use a certain product because you are preparing meals for the whole family, I would ask if a substitute you prefer is okay (ie olive oil spray instead of the fake butter). For things like the ww pasta I would simply cook dsd's longer than everyone else's without saying anything.

Catherine

[overcome]

I think I would stay completely out of it. Her mother is taking her to a nutritionist, so trying to address the situation responsibly. Short of the nutritionist recommending something like dangerous diet pills, I can't see any good coming from getting in the middle or offering commentary from the sidelines.

Trust me, I won't mention it (except to DH). That is why I came here to discuss.


If you don't want to use a certain product because you are preparing meals for the whole family, I would ask if a substitute you prefer is okay (ie olive oil spray instead of the fake butter). For things like the ww pasta I would simply cook dsd's longer than everyone else's without saying anything.

Catherine

I'm not asking anyone's permission to do anything. This may sound snarky, but if her mother wanted me to be involved, she should have at the very least asked DH to be a part of this (although I do all the cooking). See, lots of issues here........

[Green_Tea]

Something very fundamental you need to keep in mind is that it is very difficult to make kids/teens compliant when it comes to dietary adjustments. Teens just want to be like their friends (don't want to say "Oh, I can't eat that") and they usually want to do exactly the opposite an adult tells them to do. So a professional might give some advice that we might not necessarily agree with as the healthiest option (heck, I have cut out grains/wheat for almost a year now) but they are trying to help the patient be successful (lose weight). Because if the patient doesn't see results, she and her parents won't be happy and won't continue with this particular professional. Food for thought. I am saying this as a mom with a teen!


I think you don't have enough information to judge it. The nutritionist needs to work to modify and existing food culture in a house. When you are dealing with a child it is a whole families culture. Telling someone to use spray oil is telling them, "No, you don't have to put a huge pat of butter in a pan to cook the veggies." I don't know what the food environment is in the house, but households vary. It just seems strange that you would pick those two things to worry about. If that is the worst advice she is giving, if it is bad, I would be thrilled.


Is this the same DSD who was recently diagnosed with ODD? If so, maybe talking to her psychiatrist about the best approach to dietary changes might be a good idea. I would be afraid that the more stringent the changes, the more likely she would be to fight them. In which case, I would start small, like with the suggestions of the dietician, and work towards bigger goals as DSD becomes more accepting of the changes.


I think I would stay completely out of it. Her mother is taking her to a nutritionist, so trying to address the situation responsibly. Short of the nutritionist recommending something like dangerous diet pills, I can't see any good coming from getting in the middle or offering commentary from the sidelines.

If you don't want to use a certain product because you are preparing meals for the whole family, I would ask if a substitute you prefer is okay (ie olive oil spray instead of the fake butter). For things like the ww pasta I would simply cook dsd's longer than everyone else's without saying anything.

Catherine

I agree with all of these responses, especially the bolded parts.

[TwinFoxes]

I think you don't have enough information to judge it. The nutritionist needs to work to modify and existing food culture in a house. When you are dealing with a child it is a whole families culture. Telling someone to use spray oil is telling them, "No, you don't have to put a huge pat of butter in a pan to cook the veggies." I don't know what the food environment is in the house, but households vary. It just seems strange that you would pick those two things to worry about. If that is the worst advice she is giving, if it is bad, I would be thrilled.

I agree with this and PP who said kids want to be like their friends. It's just not realistic to think telling a teen who is already 30 lbs overweight to eat only non-processed foods in moderation will be successful. I mean yeah spray butter has stuff I don't like to eat, but considering she's probably eating lots of worse foods that are also high in calories right now, I say it's not ideal but it is realistic. Someone who's probably used to McDonalds regularly is probably not going to jump on the rice pasta in moderation bandwagon.

I do worry if you aren't enthusiastic about supporting her attempt, even if you don't agree with the advice, it will give her an excuse to not follow the plan. 30 pounds is a lot for a teen, it will be hard for her to be successful.

[overcome]

Is this the same DSD who was recently diagnosed with ODD? If so, maybe talking to her psychiatrist about the best approach to dietary changes might be a good idea.

Yes, it is. Also diagnosed with ADD and Austism Spectrum Disorder.When I expressed my concerns re: food, behavior therapist said nutritionist had to deal with it. I am not privy to psychiatrist, although I feel strongly that her food issues are psychologically based (as most food issues are).



I would be afraid that the more stringent the changes, the more likely she would be to fight them. In which case, I would start small, like with the suggestions of the dietician, and work towards bigger goals as DSD becomes more accepting of the changes.

Funny thing is...DSD is a rule follower. She challenges them (always asking why? and giving reasons why she shouldn't have to follow them), but she wouldn't dream of not following a rule someone in an authoritative position establishes.

[TwoBees]

Another thought--maybe this is a good opportunity to teach DD how to cook, and spend some bonding time with her in the kitchen? Have her choose a recipe, then discuss how best to modify it to make it healthier, go shoping for the ingredients together, let her prepare it, and serve it to the family?

[overcome]

I would be really unhappy with the advice as I also am very concerned about limiting processed foods. I would have preferred that the nutritionist teach her about whole foods as opposed to teaching her diet tricks. To me, teaching a teen to use spray oil is similar to telling her to drink diet soda or use splenda. I think it's a perfect opportunity to teach her about foods.

:hug5:
Thank you Cuckoomamma. This is EXACTLY how I feel.

[overcome]

Something very fundamental you need to keep in mind is that it is very difficult to make kids/teens compliant when it comes to dietary adjustments. Teens just want to be like their friends (don't want to say "Oh, I can't eat that") and they usually want to do exactly the opposite an adult tells them to do. So a professional might give some advice that we might not necessarily agree with as the healthiest option (heck, I have cut out grains/wheat for almost a year now) but they are trying to help the patient be successful (lose weight). Because if the patient doesn't see results, she and her parents won't be happy and won't continue with this particular professional. Food for thought. I am saying this as a mom with a teen!

Yes, I totally agree with this!! I know this must have something to do with it...you are right.

[Clarity]

I think that the advice from the nutritionist is fine and you really can tailor it to fit your beliefs in limiting processed foods. For example, buy one of these: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=11318517. This provides the minimal "spritz" of cooking oil, olive or otherwise that the nutritionist is looking for but meets your requirements for using real foods.

As for the pasta, if in the transistion from to wheat pasta you cook it softer and until she's embraced the switch then slowly move to al dente, that's really a great way to move her to more healthy eating.

[overcome]

I think you don't have enough information to judge it. The nutritionist needs to work to modify and existing food culture in a house. When you are dealing with a child it is a whole families culture. Telling someone to use spray oil is telling them, "No, you don't have to put a huge pat of butter in a pan to cook the veggies." I don't know what the food environment is in the house, but households vary. It just seems strange that you would pick those two things to worry about. If that is the worst advice she is giving, if it is bad, I would be thrilled.

Yes, and part of the problem is I don't really know what the food culture was in the house before I came along (except for bits and pieces of what I've heard from DH and DSD). Everyone here knows how I feel about food. They all generally like what I cook, which is food that are processed as little as possible, 95% everything homemade, well balanced meals, emphasis on fruits and veggies. I'm not "worried" about those two suggestions....I just found them a little off and came here to get opinions.

[overcome]

Well, I wouldn't use the spray as I can't stand the chemical taste of it. I would just use a small amount of butter or oil in the pan or for roasting veggies. For the pasta, I do that with DS's GF pasta. It is really too al dente when cooked for the recommended time. I don't see the harm in it. But for a nutritionist, I would think they would be more concerned about portion size, fruit and vegetable intake, sugar/soda intake, etc. Those things make a much bigger difference in the big scheme of things than butter.

Yes, these were also addressed. We spend a lot of time figuring out healthy portions and measuring things like salad dressing, etc.

[overcome]

I think that the advice from the nutritionist is fine and you really can tailor it to fit your beliefs in limiting processed foods. For example, buy one of these: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=11318517. This provides the minimal "spritz" of cooking oil, olive or otherwise that the nutritionist is looking for but meets your requirements for using real foods.

As for the pasta, if in the transistion from to wheat pasta you cook it softer and until she's embraced the switch then slowly move to al dente, that's really a great way to move her to more healthy eating.

Great idea! No one has complained about the ww pasta. Thanks to this board I bought some bionaturea sp?and Trader Joes ww pasta and it is really good (even cooking it al dente)! I'm surprised.

[overcome]

Thanks for all the opinions. I find them very interesting to read. You've all made some good points.

So to clarify.....I am not challenging DSD with any of the information she has brought home from the nutritionist. That is why I came here to discuss. I am going along with all the guidelines, except spray butter. I just can't do it. I don't want my 6yo DD to think it is okay to use, and believe me, with the novelty of the spray, she'd be all over it!!!

I know I am cooking in a healthful way.
I know I am well educated about food.
I know that there are many, many, many other issues surrounding DSD and her food/weight issues.

I just wanted some opinions bc I know I am a food snob. :-)

[crl]

I'm not asking anyone's permission to do anything. This may sound snarky, but if her mother wanted me to be involved, she should have at the very least asked DH to be a part of this (although I do all the cooking). See, lots of issues here........

I feel for your dsd in this situation. Mom takes her to the nutritionist, but at dad's house they won't follow the advice. Tough situation to be in as a teenager.

Catherine

[overcome]

I feel for your dsd in this situation. Mom takes her to the nutritionist, but at dad's house they won't follow the advice. Tough situation to be in as a teenager.

Catherine

And a tough situation to be in as a step mother.

I AM following the advice, even though the only way it was communicated to me was via my stepdaughter and some papers from the nutritionist that DSD happened to bring over bc she had just come from the appointment. If this is so important to her mom, it would have been courteous of her to include us, since DSD spends half of her time here, and I am responsible for grocery shopping and cooking.

Trust me, there are many issues going on here, not just food. I am learning that this board may not be the place to come for advice on them.

[MommyofAmaya]

Great idea! No one has complained about the ww pasta. Thanks to this board I bought some bionaturea sp?and Trader Joes ww pasta and it is really good (even cooking it al dente)! I'm surprised.

I second the Misto Sprayer. I got mine at Costco, but they are pretty cheap on Amazon too.

http://www.amazon.com/Misto-Gourmet-Sprayer-Brushed-Aluminum/dp/B00004SPZV

[overcome]

I second the Misto Sprayer. I got mine at Costco, but they are pretty cheap on Amazon too.

http://www.amazon.com/Misto-Gourmet-Sprayer-Brushed-Aluminum/dp/B00004SPZV

Yes, I have one and use it regularly when cooking. It goes along with my philosophy of whole foods so well!

[boolady]

Trust me, there are many issues going on here, not just food. I am learning that this board may not be the place to come for advice on them.

Why? Because people may have differing opinions? I thought that was the point of coming to a diverse community like ours-- you get everyone's insight and experiences, not just yessed to death.

[overcome]

Why? Because people may have differing opinions? I thought that was the point of coming to a diverse community like ours-- you get everyone's insight and experiences, not just yessed to death.

I don't want to be yessed to death....I am glad to hear everyone's opinions. I don't think Catherine's comment ("I feel for your dsd in this situation. Mom takes her to the nutritionist, but at dad's house they won't follow the advice. Tough situation to be in as a teenager.") was kind. It is extremely difficult to be a stepparent and I need support, not blame for not following advice....especially when I am following the advice! Except for spray butter...blech.

[TwoBees]

I don't want to be yessed to death....I am glad to hear everyone's opinions. I don't think Catherine's comment ("I feel for your dsd in this situation. Mom takes her to the nutritionist, but at dad's house they won't follow the advice. Tough situation to be in as a teenager.") was kind. It is extremely difficult to be a stepparent and I need support, not blame for not following advice....especially when I am following the advice! Except for spray butter...blech.

I didn't read Catherine's post that way at all. To me, she was commenting about your DH and the fact that DSD's mom didn't relay the info to him, not about you at all.

[dogmom]

I think part of the issue is coming from the nutritionist's approach and your approach. Although there are many people who believe as you do, especially on the board, that all whole foods is healthy, the less processed the better, the nutritionist needs to stick to things based on well researched evidence. So, something like the DASH diet will overlap with you, emphasis on lean proteins, whole veggies, fruit, minimal processing because it contains lots of salt/sugar/etc. However, butter flavored Pam spray falls into this gray area. A nutritionist can say that with years of clients who think a veggie side includes corn and mac & cheese Pam spray can be a blessing. It can make things much easier to promote the healthy eating and get weight/diabetes/hypertension under better control. You look at it and think, OMG, why would suggest something that comes out of a can with a picture of butter on it? I get it, I would just use some olive oil. Some of the rejection of processed stuff is based in good scientific evidence, not all of it is. And although it seems like a reasonable assumption, it may not be one a nutritionist makes when putting together an entire package. That's why I said I thought it was odd to worry about the spray oil thing. Does that make more sense?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I think that a lot of nutritionists must have to take baby steps. They know many people are on highlyl processed diet and have habits that just run contrary to a whole foods' diet. So, baby steps to even get them to use whole wheat pasta and other simpler life style changes. Hold off on the major diet upheaval for a bit because the odds of success may be higher. Perhaps after a while the advice will change and become healthier? Just a thought.

I remember watching a family on the local news complaining about food prices and how they could only afford balogna as meat. I wanted to go over and hand them big, cheap bags of brown rice and beans instead. I think that food habits are a hard thing to change.

[crl]

I don't want to be yessed to death....I am glad to hear everyone's opinions. I don't think Catherine's comment ("I feel for your dsd in this situation. Mom takes her to the nutritionist, but at dad's house they won't follow the advice. Tough situation to be in as a teenager.") was kind. It is extremely difficult to be a stepparent and I need support, not blame for not following advice....especially when I am following the advice! Except for spray butter...blech.

I am sorry you felt my comment was unkind. I did not intend to be mean.

Catherine

[ast96]

I have a friend from college who is a children's obesity doctor/pediatrician. My own child is overweight, and I have asked her questions about ways to help him maintain his weight until he can have a growth spurt to catch up to it (he's not anywhere near thirty pounds overweight).

Although some of her advice goes against my beliefs about food -- she advises me to give him artificially sweetened drinks using Splenda, for instance, and we do use spray butter too -- she has explained to me that right now, sugar is a bigger evil to him than artificial sweeteners and even processed spray butter is a better friend than real foods at this point. We are trying to get him to a healthy weight first to avoid the very real, very dangerous health problems associated with childhood obesity. Then we can focus on moving him towards moderation and real foods.

For my other children I do stick with the real stuff when I can and when it won't be obvious to my son -- for instance, when I pack lunches, I give them different things because he doesn't eat at the same time they do and he won't know the difference.

Anyway, I understand why you are distressed, and I believe the same things you do. But sometimes there has to be a process involved. Believing in moderation can also include believing in a moderate amount of processed food and artificial aids that can get the kids where they need to be before you can teach them about the rest of it.

[AnnieW625]

I don't have an issue with spray butter at all ESP. if you have tendencies to over eat. A pat of butter or even a half pat of butter to someone who is an over eater isn't a lot in an over eater's mind so they will go with a larger amount without even thinkibg about it. In regards to the pasta I would switch to one of the whole grain blend pastas like Barilla Picolini, Barilla Plus, or Ronzoni Healthy Harvest. To me the blends taste do much better and don't wreak havock with my IBS like whole wheat breads and pastas can.

It is probably not going to be a popular opinion here (and I haven't read all of the responses) but at the various times when I have had bad bouts with compulsive over eating and needeing to lose weight (which has been the better part of the last year for me recently) those pre packaged 100 calarie packs, Weight Watchers or Cliff Z Bars are awesome. For treats I also like single Popsicles or Skinny Cow sandwiches because I am less likely to eat more than one. As much as I have gotten frustrated with Weight Watchers recently the first time I did it it really made me understand portion sizes.

[smilequeen]

I don't overcook my WW pasta, but I had no idea that overcooking it could negate the health benefits over white pasta? Learn something new everyday. Clearly I'm not a food snob ;)

What I think is that the nutritionist has to help with realistic baby steps in this case and you just have to go with it. Make these changes and then challenge her to make more.

I agree that spray butter is kind of nasty, but it's a baby step for her.

[luckytwenty]

I don't have an issue with spray butter at all ESP. if you have tendencies to over eat. A pat of butter or even a half pat of butter to someone who is an over eater isn't a lot in an over eater's mind so they will go with a larger amount without even thinkibg about it.

TOTALLY agree. 100%. I think if the nutritionist told her to switch to Lean Cuisines and Fat Free Cool Whip AND suggested spray butter, I'd be concerned, but a little bit of that stuff to give the flavor of butter without the calories is not going to cause any problems. I'm healthy, thin, and mainly eat whole foods, but I love a little ICBINB spray on corn on the cob and I put it on fresh steamed broccoli for my kids, too. Would rather have them eat five calories' worth of chemicals and get all of the benefits of broccoli than fight me on green veggies and/or become addicted to real butter instead.

[StantonHyde]

Any good clinician knows the mantra "meet people where they are at". That means you have to start with DSD's current eating habits and make gradual changes. She isn't where you are and if you try to put her there, it won't work.

I realize that you want to control what comes in to your home but you need to loosen up with teens, that's just the way it is. And, as you know, you do have to be sensitve to the differences in her mom's home and your home.

Have you tried talking to her about the spray butter? What did she say?