How Much Does Your Child's Weight Fluctuate?

[The Kids Folks]

Okay so we've been WF/gluten-free since October and everyone in our house has adapted really well. My 7yr old DS is now thriving and growing - yeah up one pants size since October!! And has gained a over an inch in height. His weight however, has been somewhat odd. One day I am doing the happy dance b/c his is almost 46 lbs and then a week later his is just over 44lbs. DH tells me not to worry about it as he is definitely growing, no more issues the the chronic C and gas and bloating and is happy!! He's been eating a ton of food, breakfast, lunch, a snack when he gets home from school, dinner, and a snack before he goes to bed.

We are also doing as much of the higher calorie stuff as possible - peanut butter with his apples, whole milk and half and half for his "carnation instant breakfast" hot chocolate (he thinks this is the best hot chocolate ever!!) real butter on everything and other high calorie snacks!

He is a very physically active kid - plays hockey and skates a couple of times a week - pretty much moving all the time!!

So I'm wondering does your childs weight fluctuate this much? And how do you get those calorie burning kiddos to actually gain and keep the weight?

The Kids Folks

[MarsupialMama]

well we have a super super sensitive child and if we could just keep her from getting glutened, she might gain a little!

i've played the weight game constantly - on the scale - to give myself peace of mind but it did the opposite, since one day she would be 19 pounds and other times 17. Weight can greatly fluctuate depending on bowel movements, fluid intake, activity level etc. On a hot day, if he is sweating, it is normal to lose a pound in sweat! So i would suggest you look at other things - more body fat growing, inches, clothing sizes, shoes, etc. Much more reliable as they don't fluctuate from day to day. My 2 year old can easily lose 1 1/2 to 3 pounds in a single gluten incident. Since her intestines shut down and absorb nothing (for about 3-4 weeks until they heal enough!!) her muscles and fat will literally wither off of her in a few days, as her body is living off her fat and muscle stores (since she can't absorb anything through food). Considering she is only 18-19 pounds, 3 pounds is significant!

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to force the pounds on and MAKE them STICK, but I keep a loose log to jot down notes of the victories we have (one more shoe size, etc) to remind and encourage me when she gets glutened, that, yes, this will pass, and yes she will improve again. If you work towards healthy foods and lots of exercise in the sunshine and fresh air, you will make him healthy to where his body will put the fat on in the amount it needs. Remember that "healthy" is what you are striving for, and not necessarily weight. Weight depends on genetics, body mass (muscle vs. fat), etc, so take it with a little grain of salt as well. (Having said that, I know the panic of the weight issue!)

We do baked or sweet potatoes with lots of olive oil and nut milk mashed in, and banana/nut/date/avocado smoothies to get some high calorie carbs and fats into her.

[jmjsmomma]

My son's GI told us that just like in adults, weight can vary a pound or so. We've only been gluten-free for seven weeks tomorrow and my son has gained a pound, but to be honest he only got weighed last week because he had strep....I personally had not weighed him. The fact that he is growing in height is VERY encouraging!

[Mother of Jibril]

Remember that "healthy" is what you are striving for, and not necessarily weight.

That's great advice!

I do think it's important to keep track of weight when kids have an obvious problem (either underweight or overweight)... but who's to say what your son's "healthy" weight is?

BTW... did you know that BMI for kids is partly based on age? My three-year-old daughter is also really skinny, but I've used this calculator and it gave me some reassurance.

Open Original Shared Link