Weight Issues

If you know me, you know that weight is something that I have struggled with all of my life. When my husband and I were dating, I had recently lost a significant amount of weight. One day my knight said "I will still love you even if you gain all of the weight back." Well that did it. From then on I was madly in love with this man who could have so much unconditional love for me.
 Princess has struggled with her weight as well. Last year at this time Princess's weight had crept up to an unhealthy number. Her doctor knew that a certain medication was the culprit so we tried to limit carbs and provide more nutritious alternatives. This was to no avail. Her weight continued to climb. Finally in May her doctor took her off of that med.
What followed was the worst summer and early fall ever as we tried to find another medication to stabilize her moods.
Finally in October, her doctor decided to try something new that she had never tried but that several of her other colleagues had met with success. I was scared out of my wits but decided to take a leap of faith.
Right away we noticed big changes. Princess could pay attention.  She seemed to have matured over night. She could sit still. She did not have so much extra energy. Best of all she was no longer aggressive. For us this has been a wonder drug.
The flip side of it, is that it has exaggerated Princess's food issues. Oh it was great when she first started to lose all of the extra weight. Of course my pocket book didn't like it. It was fun to see her slim down. That is until I started to see her ribs stick out. Even my husband noticed it.
So in late December I made an appointment with the pediatrician. We went in under the guise of having the doctor look at her chapped and bleeding hands. Then after the doctor gave us the name of an OTC cream and a prescription for another, I asked Princess to go to the waiting room while I talked to the doctor.
The doctor informed me that Princess was not in dire straights yet. According to her growth charts, my daughter, was in the 60th percentile. I was shocked to say the least. I thought she'd be more in the 30th percentile.
I asked for some advice as her other doctor wanted to put her back on the medication that had led to the weight gain in the first place. She suggested that we meet with a nutritionist that she would set us up with. She also recommended that we give Princess Pediasure 2-3 times a week at the end of the day if we felt that she wasn't consuming enough calories. She said that she and Princess's other doctor will continue to monitor her weight on a monthly basis.
In my opinion the weight loss is not only caused by this new medication but by at least two other factors. Princess dislikes the way many foods feel, smell and/ or taste. She even told me that she doesn't like the way sliced potatoes feel on her tongue. She will only eat grandma's mashed potatoes because they don't have any lumps. She also has food anxieties. She is afraid to try something new for fear of not liking it. These two factors really came to a head at a recent family gathering. When it came time for dinner at my cousin's house, Princess took one look at all of the food and became overwhelmed. I asked her what was wrong. She told me that she needed a "cool out." So we went into the living room where she informed me through tears that there was nothing there that she liked. I know from years of dealing with this that I would get no where if I just told her to try. So I asked my cousin's son for the makings for a PBJ. He happily obliged. So while the rest of us ate yummy prime rib and scalloped potatoes. My child dined on a PBJ and a banana. I am so thankful that no one said a word of criticism.
I have learned that for the time being when we are dining out whether it be at a restaurant or someone else's house, I will be bringing an emergency meal for Princess just in case.
I do worry that these eating habits could develop into an eating disorder as I see some of the early signs of this.
Like my husband modeled for me me, I will love my precious child no matter what her size. I just want her to be a healthy weight.
I would ask for your continued prayers as we battle this. We are so thankful that Princess is doing so well in so many areas but know that she continues to struggle in other areas. Thank you for your support and love.