Recommendations for a fat teen boy

On Tue, 10 Oct 2006 20:41:11 -0500, Brian Link <blink.TakeThisOut@visi.com> wrote
in misc.fitness.weights:

>My poor son, the one with bad scoliosis, has ballooned up to a
>gigantic size. I'm worried about diabetes in his future.
>
>He's 17, and weighs a hundred pounds more than me, so I can't pick him
>up and haul him to the gym.

Bring him to the Hudson on the 28th and maybe the powerlifting will
motivate him into lifting/exercising.
 >> Stay informed about: Recommendations for a fat teen boy 

"Brian Link" <blink.RemoveThis@visi.com> wrote in message
news:2ohoi2hqe4b5n76bme7gq5bbn5l8l61v00@4ax.com...
> My poor son, the one with bad scoliosis, has ballooned up to a
> gigantic size. I'm worried about diabetes in his future.
>
> He's 17, and weighs a hundred pounds more than me, so I can't pick him
> up and haul him to the gym.
>
Why does it have to be to the gym? What physical activities does he like to
do? Most people who are regular exercisers (whether it's weight lifting,
bike racing, running marathons, etc.) aren't really doing it for 'exercise'.
It's an activity they love doing. Help him find physical activities he
enjoys and then may want to get good at.

jb
 >> Stay informed about: Recommendations for a fat teen boy 

Dnia 2006-10-11 Brian Link napisa³(a):
> danger of falling over. A decent gym program may help him with his
> scoliosis.

From what I've seen, one handed overhead lifting is hard to beat. Go
to YouTube and find loads of kettlebell drills, just do them with
dumbbells. I advised this kind of exercises to one person with
scoliosis and nothing helps better than that.

For losing fat high rep vigorous workout in kettlebell style should be
a gem. It surely helps with posture problems. I know; I've seen it
work.

> Mostly I'm looking for folks with similar problems with their own
> overweight kids,

Nobody here knows your son as well as you do. I'd try to find if any
of his friends would be interested in some exercise and then getting
both of them outside.

He's 17. Your opinion matters little in comparison with an opinion of
his friends, so try to get help from his friends.

Do not _tell_ them what to do. Ask them. Show that you care, show
that you are willing to help them, but do not tell them what to do.

I'm tired so maybe I'm not excessively clear, but the idea is that your
son must find some sort of solution. If you ask him what he thinks you
might be surprised how much his ideas mirror yours. Then ask him why
he fails at what he thinks would be a good solution. Then try to
discuss what could be done to fix it.

Do not give orders. Ask questions and listen attentively to answers.
Try to help but do not force your ideas on others.

> Frankly I think if I could get him to go along with a fairly modest
> regimen, given his age, genes and testosterone levels, he'd drop
> weight quickly enough to motivate him to see it through to the end.

It looks like you got a chance. Best luck.

--
Andrzej Rosa
 >> Stay informed about: Recommendations for a fat teen boy 

On Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:32:49 -0500, John Hanson
<jhanson.RemoveThis@northernlinks.com> wrote:

>On Tue, 10 Oct 2006 20:41:11 -0500, Brian Link <blink.RemoveThis@visi.com> wrote
>in misc.fitness.weights:
>
>>My poor son, the one with bad scoliosis, has ballooned up to a
>>gigantic size. I'm worried about diabetes in his future.
>>
>>He's 17, and weighs a hundred pounds more than me, so I can't pick him
>>up and haul him to the gym.
>
>Bring him to the Hudson on the 28th and maybe the powerlifting will
>motivate him into lifting/exercising.

Thanks, John. I wish I could get him lifting long enough to realize
what a benefit his genes give him. In our earlier trips to the gym, he
added 60 pounds to his bench press in a month. He's a friggin monster
waiting to be unleashed.

Of course, there's the issue of his scoliosis - but we've seen
scoliotic lifting champs (can't recall the lifter's name atm). I can't
see how getting stronger can hurt you, no matter what the underlying
issue (scoliosis, arthritis, etc).

BLink
--------------------------
"The worst thing about censorship is [redacted]"
 >> Stay informed about: Recommendations for a fat teen boy 

Brian Link wrote:
<snip>
> > Brian Link wrote
> >>My poor son, the one with bad scoliosis,
[...]
> Thanks, John. I wish I could get him lifting long enough to realize
> what a benefit his genes give him. In our earlier trips to the gym, he
> added 60 pounds to his bench press in a month. He's a friggin monster
> waiting to be unleashed.
>
> Of course, there's the issue of his scoliosis - but we've seen
> scoliotic lifting champs (can't recall the lifter's name atm). I can't
> see how getting stronger can hurt you, no matter what the underlying
> issue (scoliosis, arthritis, etc).

I won't agree with that as there could be an injury result from
lifting. Not saying there would be, but maybe, right? Best to check
with an expert in that field.

Having offered that, I was so quick to point out the problem of
"forcing" someone to get in shape that I forgot the poster hanging at
Gold's Gym in Carlisle. Their Gold's has a chiropractic practice
located inside the gym. That particular chiropractor has a poster that
displays a patient with scoliosis and their before and after
chiropractic pictures. I don't recall exactly what the poster was
offering, but it seemed to me that the idea was to show that
chiropractic could be a solution for scoliosis. Aaaaaanyway, long story
even longer...

Have you investigated chiropractic wrt to your son's scoliosis?

--
Curt
 >> Stay informed about: Recommendations for a fat teen boy 

I say whip him around the dressing rooms with a wet towel!
 >> Stay informed about: Recommendations for a fat teen boy 

On Wed, 11 Oct 2006 23:59:15 -0500, Brian Link <blink.DeleteThis@visi.com> wrote
in misc.fitness.weights:

>On Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:32:49 -0500, John Hanson
><jhanson.DeleteThis@northernlinks.com> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 10 Oct 2006 20:41:11 -0500, Brian Link <blink.DeleteThis@visi.com> wrote
>>in misc.fitness.weights:
>>
>>>My poor son, the one with bad scoliosis, has ballooned up to a
>>>gigantic size. I'm worried about diabetes in his future.
>>>
>>>He's 17, and weighs a hundred pounds more than me, so I can't pick him
>>>up and haul him to the gym.
>>
>>Bring him to the Hudson on the 28th and maybe the powerlifting will
>>motivate him into lifting/exercising.
>
>Thanks, John. I wish I could get him lifting long enough to realize
>what a benefit his genes give him. In our earlier trips to the gym, he
>added 60 pounds to his bench press in a month. He's a friggin monster
>waiting to be unleashed.
>
>Of course, there's the issue of his scoliosis - but we've seen
>scoliotic lifting champs (can't recall the lifter's name atm). I can't
>see how getting stronger can hurt you, no matter what the underlying
>issue (scoliosis, arthritis, etc).
>
Lamar Gant and me:-)
 >> Stay informed about: Recommendations for a fat teen boy 

In article <8niri29fhcu4u5ur6bhoshg4iuer6ujirq.DeleteThis@4ax.com>,
Brian Link <blink.DeleteThis@visi.com> wrote:

> On Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:32:49 -0500, John Hanson
> <jhanson.DeleteThis@northernlinks.com> wrote:
>
> >On Tue, 10 Oct 2006 20:41:11 -0500, Brian Link <blink.DeleteThis@visi.com> wrote
> >in misc.fitness.weights:
> >
> >>My poor son, the one with bad scoliosis, has ballooned up to a
> >>gigantic size. I'm worried about diabetes in his future.
> >>
> >>He's 17, and weighs a hundred pounds more than me, so I can't pick him
> >>up and haul him to the gym.
> >
> >Bring him to the Hudson on the 28th and maybe the powerlifting will
> >motivate him into lifting/exercising.
>
> Thanks, John. I wish I could get him lifting long enough to realize
> what a benefit his genes give him. In our earlier trips to the gym, he
> added 60 pounds to his bench press in a month. He's a friggin monster
> waiting to be unleashed.
>
> Of course, there's the issue of his scoliosis - but we've seen
> scoliotic lifting champs (can't recall the lifter's name atm). I can't
> see how getting stronger can hurt you, no matter what the underlying
> issue (scoliosis, arthritis, etc).
>
> BLink
> --------------------------
> "The worst thing about censorship is [redacted]"

Get him to a good Chiropractor...
Get references.

2 years of manipulation therapy got rid of my scoliosis back when I was
in high school.

I've had a straight spine ever since.
--
Peace, Om

Remove extra . to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson
 >> Stay informed about: Recommendations for a fat teen boy 

In article <MPG.1f9895cb3e8519e098a56b RemoveThis @News.Individual.net>,
fish. <fishcakes RemoveThis @tanksville.com> wrote:

> See the problem you have is you think being unfat is a secret, when it's
> simply a matter of not being a pig. The mere fact that your son has
> reached elephantine proportions without you stopping him should be
> screaming this point to you.

Fish...

With all due respect, teenagers have a problem with self control,
and I don't know of a single parent that can truly "control" a teenager.

It's not fair to make that kind of judgment.

What would you suggest he do? (He did ask for suggestions), jail the kid
in his bedroom and feed him thru a slot in the door?

That'd get him arrested here.
--
Peace, Om

Remove extra . to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson
 >> Stay informed about: Recommendations for a fat teen boy 

Brian Link wrote:
> My poor son, the one with bad scoliosis, has ballooned up to a
> gigantic size. I'm worried about diabetes in his future.
>
> He's 17, and weighs a hundred pounds more than me, so I can't pick him
> up and haul him to the gym.

No, but can you get him to go for a family hike with your entire family?
What about a bike ride? Roller-blading? Playing volleyball in the
yard? My experience with parenting teens is that I can't get them to do
what I SAY, but I can get them to join me in what I DO. My son
regularly rides his mountain bike with me in the park while I run, for
example, and my daughter is usually happy to go play badminton with her
Dad. But there's no way I could drag my daughter into the gym.

> We've been very judicious in buying groceries - lots of fruits &
> veggies, lean meat and low-GI bread, but he manages to find a way to
> build snacks out of high-fat, high-starch foods. And since he's
> semi-autonomous, he can go to McDonald's or Taco Bell on his own now.

Does he know how to NOT be obese? Does he understand he's choosing
obesity? If so, you have to let him choose it, just as we've got to let
our friends, parents, partners choose it: because we don't run their
lives and we can't make them share our values.

I think your role here is education: make sure he KNOWS how to not be
obese, and KNOWS he's choosing it, then get off his case.

> I have no doubt he'd benefit from resistance training, not only for
> his weight, but to address the fact that he's gotten my wife's side of
> the family's genes - he'd be tearing up phonebooks if he worked for a
> month (my wife's dad is a monster - no rippling muscles, but strong as
> an ox, and my son got his body type). Also, the proprioceptive regions
> of his body need help - he can't squat an empty bar without being in
> danger of falling over. A decent gym program may help him with his
> scoliosis.

How about Highland games? Or strongmen competitions? Perhaps he
doesn't want to do squats but would be happy to haul around stones...
with the provisio that you're there doing it, too.

> Mostly I'm looking for folks with similar problems with their own
> overweight kids, or the kids themselves that I've seen post to this
> newsgroup, and who've solved those problems. What persuasive arguments
> have you used to get the kid to the gym?

Nothing really gets my kids into the gym, but I've had a lot of success
getting them to go swimming, kayaking, canoeing, rollerblading,
bicycling, hiking, playing ultimate frisbee, soccer, and badminton with
me. But, again, the key phrase is "with me" and usually I mean with the
entire family.

I didn't really start my transformation until my oldest was 13 years
old. At that point she was used to a life of sloth and gluttony and
it's been a hard hard sell to get her to integrate exercise into her
life (though her diet appears to be fine.) My younger kids think it's
more normal and are less reisistant and I really think it's because they
grew up with activity being such a commonplace part of life. I regret
not giving that to my oldest. What about you: how old was he when you
decided to stop being a lard-ass?

> How do you "teen-proof" your
> refrigerator to guarantee they'll be eating decent food?

This is so patently obvious that I'm not sure how to even answer. Uh, I
do the grocery shopping. Duh! Are you buying chips, soda, bread,
crackers, frozen junk food, sugary cereals? Or are you buying lean
protein, brown rice, barley, veggies, salad fixings, apples, yogurt,
maybe some cheese, skim milk? We have raisins & oatmeal & popcorn &
eggs & low-fat cottage cheese & lots of fruit. We make protein powder
smoothies with frozen blueberries and put cheese on rye crisp fiber
crackers and munch on celery & peanutbutter.

What are YOU doing?

> Frankly I think if I could get him to go along with a fairly modest
> regimen, given his age, genes and testosterone levels, he'd drop
> weight quickly enough to motivate him to see it through to the end.

Teach him how, and when he cares enough to bother then he'll do it.

> Thanks for any info.

Go look in the bathroom at the wall above the sink. As THAT person for
help. Eat healthier as a family and act healthier as a family and your
family will be healthier. Or at least know HOW to be healthy themselves
when they're grown up.

Dally
 >> Stay informed about: Recommendations for a fat teen boy 

Dally wrote:
> Brian Link wrote:
> > My poor son, the one with bad
[...]

PARENTING!

Kidding.

> How about Highland games? Or strongmen competitions? Perhaps he
> doesn't want to do squats but would be happy to haul around stones...
> with the provisio that <snip>

Provisio's not even a frigging word. Of course, iirc, I butchered
proviso myself elsewhere in this ng... but at least I spelled it
correctly. ;o) Otoh, using it in the correct context however misspelled
is better than spelling it correctly, but using it improperly, imo.
Point Dally.

Hmmm. Point deducted, though, almost immediately as you mentioned
TRANSFORMATION???? What transformation? Was /it/ worse "before" than it
is currently?

> Dally

--
Curt
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