g - the non-growing eating machine

It was time for g's physical today. We took her in to see her usual doctor and he checked the usual stuff. I was so disappointed that g didn't gain any weight or height since her last visit. What's worst is that she not only didn't gain but she lost on both counts. She lost about 1/2 lb. Due to probably some measurement error, she also lost 1/2 inch. What gives!!! I could blame the fact that g is perpetually on the move, but I was at a loss as to how to explain the loss considering that she seems to always be eating.

Case in point, we had gone to beach picnic last weekend (pics & video coming soon) and she ate almost the whole time that we were there. Upon her arrival, she ate a bowl of mixed vegetables and pasta and a desert of watermelon and a whole banana (the genetically altered variety ~ huge), then more watermelon. She took an hour nap and upon awakening, she ate more watermelon. We went swimming and when she returned to the picnic table, she had a tomato, fishballs,a peach, more tomato, a cheeto, an 8 oz bottle of milk and more watermelon. She took a nap in the car and upon arriving at home, she ate another half of a tomato before she went to bed for the evening.

Before you think that this is an abberration, the day after the picnic. For breakfast we gave her some cereal and milk. We went out for a drive and she was eating more cheerios in the car while she drank 8 oz of milk. For lunch, she ate a bowl of sweetened tofu (her new favorite food, she had a typical adult portion). She drank more milk and she went to nap. After her nap, she ate a scrambled egg, half a large tomato, a whole snow pear, a slice of cheese, a slice of whole wheat bread, some goldfish, gerber fingerfood and a glass of diluted juice in a span of an hour. We then took her to the playground where she proceded to burn all the calories that she had just injested. When we returned home, I made her a dinner of sweet peas and steamed fish. She only ate half this time and drank half a glass of milk.

Upon analysis of her diet for the last 2 days, I saw a pattern. She tend to have vegetables and fruit throughout the day. Her diet is really light on meat although I try to always have a protein in there. She has a diet that I would love to have, an ideal balance of all good nutrient except that it's a little light on the fat.

What is more comforting though is that the doctor didn't seem alarmed at this at all. He told me that all kids' growth plateau at this point and when we described to him her typical diet he said that she eats well and we should just leave her alone. He also said that kids should learn that they eat for themselves, to solve the problem of hunger and not to please or annoy their parents.

I am encouraged by this bit of news because I have been trying really hard to instill the concept that food is JUST FOOD. It's not love, not comfort, not a bargaining chip, not a battleground. One eats to live. This comes from my own issues about food. Thus far I am happy with how she is. She seems to eat what she wants and has no hesitation to ask for more if she wants and will let you know in no uncertain terms if something does meet her high standards of consumption. Her grandma is worried that she eats too much and does not know how to stop. I believe that instinctively kids know when they are full. I see this in g. Despite her heavy eating yesterday, when presented with a full plate of peas for dinner she ate half her usual portion and pushed away the rest. Although it goes against the grain of my "nothing-left-on-the-plate" upbringing, I don't force the issue if she indicates that she no longer wants to eat. It was hard in the beginning because I did have a tendency to want to make her finish her bowl of food. I have come around. Now if I can only convince grandma....