Little check up.

My son had to get a vacine today so I asked for him to be weighed. He is 5'9 and 176 pounds. That puts him in the overweight catorgory on the bmi.. I see on my last post I weighted him on my scale and it was higher. So he either lost a couple pounds or my scale is off. but then again.. I don't remember what time. From august when he got his 9th grade check up he has gained 1.5 pounds. I am okay with that. He seems to be having a better understanding about limiting your treats and deciding what you really want.. Yesterday, I had hid a cookie in the dishwasher and left him a note that I hid a cookie and he had to find it.. Unloading the dishwasher is his job. So later in the evening, he texted me can he have an ice cream bar. I said no cause you already had the cookie. So he asked if he could have the ice cream tomorrow. So today, he says he wants to push his ice cream bar to the next day so he can have Halloween candy!! So we may still have melt downs about food. We are making progress. We are being seen at a new clinic. My son's doctor was booked when we neeeded the physical asap for school and this new doctor that is a school based clinic seems to be better for him. He doesn't scream over the shots with her. So I asked if we could come there for all our needs. She increased one of his ashthma medications due to weight. He doesn't go back until Feb for the last vacine.

How heavy is the book bag

We kind of tricked my son into weighing himself! I have been getting comments that he looks slimmer. He has been carrying around a super heavy bookbag and to had him weigh with it and without it.. the bag weighs over 20 pounds! Well, anyways, before school started in late August he was 175 lbs. Now he is 178 pounds. That is 3 pound gain in about a month. I am so unsure if that is a good thing or bad. He is getting taller.. I can't say if he has gotten taller in a month ect.. He finally has a PE class but otherwise isn't getting much physical activity in. I do make him come on some walks in homework allows it. Next month, he goes back to the doctor for a vacine so we will see what is then.. Also, is weighing in once a month ( say that cause its been a month) a really good way to track if he has lost or gained? Do boys get the added water weight? ect. I cook breakfast for him Monday thru Friday! I don't count his calories but aim for at least 500 calories. He has a late lunch. We are not in control of what he eats for lunch. Dinner is usually pretty healthy. We don't count that either but sometimes I have a rough idea because I am counting mine and I don't cook seperate meals. We do allow some treats but not a lot. Sometimes, though, I do think we could do better with this. I do notice my habits are better if he is around. I won't over do it on sweets if he is around to see it.. but if he isn't home and I hang out around a big selection of sweets it could be bad. Well, anyways, just wanted to do a quick update on his weight.. even though I am not sure if that is a good thing. Like I said. People have made comments about how he is looking good.

update

It's been way too long since I updated about my son Stephen.. We no longer do counseling for him. We didn't feel it did any good and caused other issues in our life that were counter productive in our goals as a family.. Health and fitness being one of them. The school year took up so much time and spending another two hours on our butts made it harder to lead an healthy life style. The physical stats of my son right now from his 9th grade physical is that he is 5'7 and 175lbs. We can't get any doctors to come out and say he is overweight but from all our reading he is overweight. He is the same height as my husband who weighs 140 pounds and I am slightly taller and right now weighing in at 174 lbs. It's so odd to have our weight so close together. Mom's are suppose to weigh more than our kids and since he is growing up we are in that stage where we are pretty much the same.. I told him when we go to our favorite water park next summer when it says heaviest in the back that is most likely going to be him cause I imagine he will grow a bunch this year. Stephen's allergies right now are being controlled with one over the counter allergy medication. one prescription based nasal spray and a chewable ashtma/allergy pill. I wanted to talk to his doctor about his medications but we had a hard time getting in for a physical so we went to a school based health clinic for his physical. Stephen got a couple vacines and for the first time didn't cry and throw a fit at the office. There was some melt downs at home and I admit part of that was cause my husband likes to make a joke out of stuff and he doesn't like jokes and getting shots ruins his whole day and people shouldn't laugh at him.

My son's eating habits still need improving. I think we have came a long way and sometimes he says things that surprise me because he is saying I had a little of this cause I want this later.. ect... and that is how quite often I plan my meals. He is always wondering what the next meal is and what we ate ect. I try to cook for Stephen how I eat and keep his meals smaller but then I do wonder am I feeding him too little? And that's why he gets all weird like I am going to die if you don't give me food. During the school year, I cooked him breakfast most mornings. That was harder to do during the summer. I think summer time was slightly easier to keep his eating in check because he is with us more compared to being away and making his own choices. Stephen's father did get an ymca membership part of the school year and into this summer he would come get Stephen for the YMCA. They mostly goof off in the pool but that's better than nothing. This summer when I would run and Stephen was home with me.. I would have Stephen ride his bike so he did a lot of biking that way. Babysitting has been an issue. So on Wed I drop Stephen off at my husband's job with his bike and they would bike home about 10 miles. I believe Stephen is down about two months from a check on his weight that I did. I don't weigh him often but when I do.. I make it a family thing where we all check our weight. I am not good with recording it but pretty sure he has come down two lbs. The vacine he got will require him to go back two more times so hopefully we will get good weights on him then. Stephen just finished his very last week at camp. So he was a litle sad and teary eyed last night and so was I. It's such a great place and I know he will miss going. i feel so bad for him.

Stephen hung out with kids I am sure because with family nights I was able to see that he was liked but Tyler's favorite place to be was with the camp counselors that he has spent the past 4 summers hanging out with. In about a week and half he will start his first year of high school. Such a huge milestone! I don't know where to begin to get him ready.

This vacation from school has been rough on my son. We have seen some outbursts that we haven't seen in a while. He gets obsessed with the tv and I admit we didn't set any rules on it and that is our fault. I know we need to come up with something for summer time. Right now he seems to have a cold plus an upset tummy. I hope he is feeling better for tomrrow. We need things to go back to normal around here. It doesn't help that his father and stepmother haven't been around. She is suppose to get him even if Dad isn't home. Last time it was her turn I didn't send the text the day before to see if everthing is going as planned. On Friday evening I wrote her and asked if she had planned on getting him. She wrote back and said sorry she forgot it was Friday and has been sick in the bed. She offered to get him the next day but I suggested not to and if she was better in the week to call and she could get him for a night or two. We have heard nothing. He wanted to go to Grandma's and I called and asked and she said she is sick. I said the same thing if your feeling better and would like to have him to call. No call back from her either.

update

My son has been free of major meltdowns for about a month. It's such a huge change that I find myself wondering when the ball is going to drop and go back to the fits of rage. My husband and I were watching prison shows on netflix and they showed a guy with mental conditions going nuts and it made me sad cause it reminded me of my son's fits of rage. I feel so bad for people with mental illnesses. They get so caught up with drugs and jail. My son is still eating quite a bit and sometimes the lunches he decribes from school make me a little jealous. They sound so tasty. We slowed down a little bit on him coming with me to the Y but today he came and we signed up to have Breakfast with Santa. I was a little embarrased when she asked me who I was bringing and mentioned my granddaughter. When we got home it was my son's bedtime and he was upset because his day involved shower, breakfast, school, homework, the Y, medication and brushing teeth and bedtime. He was mad cause he never got to sit and watch tv in his chair. I explained to him that had he not been with me at the Y we wouldn't have signed up for breakfast with Santa so sometimes you just have to give a little to get a little. I weighed my son while we were there and he is the same. He hasn't gained any weight in at least nine months I believe. I hope my dieting isn't depriving him of food. I really don't think so because during the week the only meal we eat the same thing is dinner. I haven't been taking him to counseling and made an appointment for the week of Christmas. I figure I shouldn't just wash my hand of the couseling for the moment. He is struggling in school a little bit. I think a lot of it is for failure to turn school work in even though he finished it. When my husband gets on him about turning stuff in or working on some homework he tells us he has something more important to do for school. I wish I knew what the more important statement realy means to him. All and all He is doing pretty well.

On Friday, I took my son to the doctor as a walk in to get a check up and more medication for the adhd. My son actually lost a couple pounds but since he grew an inch he didn't seem to concerned about it. He did say that it's something to keep an eye on. All the reviews from the teachers seem to say that the medication is working. The Doc did suggest taking him off for a week to see if it's really making a difference. He did say but if we feel that it's working then maybe why mess with things. I asked Stephen what he thought about going off medication for a week and he said no way. For a kid that hates medication to say that then I think we don't try it. On Saturday, he was with his grandma and forgot to take his medication. He came home in a strange mood and was talking up a storm and jumping subjects and I got a little short with him. I asked if he had one too many chocolate bars because he was driving me nuts. He told me he didn't take his medication cause they had to go to church. I asked my son to just go to his room and give me a few minutes. He came out a little bit later and said he took his adhd pill. I felt rotten! I never want my son to think that I don't love him medicated or not. It was too late to really be taking it and I told my son to never take medication on his own. Last week was a bad week for him at the Y. Well, not bad but he didn't really use the time to work out or hang with people. He is really focused on using the computer and it irrates me that they have them there. I didn't take him yesterday tot he Y and tomorrow I am going to The Rock to do aqua zumba so I won't be taking him with me. I am exicited to try aqua zumba and the fact that they have a hot tub. My husband asked why don't I switch memberships and I am not ready to let go of bringing my son with me to the gym. Homework has been going pretty smoothly. We haven't had any major meltdowns in that department. I wonder if the whole go to Dad's weekend is a cause of some of it. Dad is driving a semi truck and new wife has been getting him but she was sick so he stayed home with the exception of spending Saturday night with his Grandma on Dad's side.

I haven't written in a while. We have been using adhd medication for a few months now and the reports are in saying he is pretty focused but there is still some issues of not always doing all his work. I know there is an homework booster he can take but not sure I want to go that route. He still has an obsession with food but we try to combat that will offering healthy lower calorie foods and I think we are doing well. My son hasn't gained weight in quite a few months but is growing taller. His Allergies and asthma seem to be doing well. Our biggest issues has to be hand downs the meltdowns that no one else quite gets to see but us.

I really haven't felt like writing much on here. There isn't a whole lot that has changed. My son still wants to eat all the time. The good news is that I don't recall too many of the fits being about food. He just can't stand to think food might get thrown out and feels like it should could ate. Today, I found some nuts and I knew they been in there for a long time. I said, "I wonder if these things expired? Before, I could look my son said can I have some? LOL If someone wonders how old something is... my first thought isn't to eat them. Luckily, there were expired by 4 months and he still didn't want to eat them. About the first half of the summer, we took him to the day camp and sure he got some physical activity there but due to the high temps and the lack of a ride we didn't keep up with taking him there. He goes to the Y with me about once a week and mostly I do zumba and he is suppose to work out. I don't think this is working cause I don't think he really does anything without someone watching. We eat pretty healthy but at times it's hard because one we run out of money to keep the fresh fruits and yogurt on hand and two my husband just doesn't seem to get doing lunch and making it a well balanced meal such as having a sandwich, fruit and yogurt.. compared to two sandwiches. I suppose I could have always packed my sons lunch before I go but then that leaves zero choice to my son. We have two more weeks of summer, then my son goes to another week of sleepaway camp and then school will be starting. I am hoping he gets gym and a school year without so much crazy stress.

doc visit

My son went to the doctor today and weighed in at 148 lbs and 5 foot two inches. He agreed to take him off the nasal spray. We talked about the add dx and he said he could handle giving the medication to him but would want the doctor at the other clinic to start it with their findings.

School ends tomorrow and looks like Stephen won't be going to summer school. We will have to figure out a way to pass the time. Probably a little summer camp and our visits to the ymca.

I was at the YMCA and I ran into my son's doctor. It was cute cause here comes this man coming down the stairs and I am getting ready to up them and I spot a guy with a while tore sideways down his crotch. We look at each other and it clicked on who we were. This is probably easier for him cause he seen me the way I am always am and I seen him with the doc coat and a whole in his pants. HAHA my husband wanted to know why I was looking at his mid section. Anyways, he asked what was new and not sure if he wanted me to just say everything good and move on but I used this chance to brag about me bringing my son to the Y and how he was diagonosed as having ADD and how I thought his inhalor makes his hungry. It was easier to talk to him since he seemed so much more real. He seemed willing to discuss taking him off the medication and said bring him to see me. We actually have an appointment coming up next month. For the record.. I didnt have my son because he was with his Dad.

I have been trying to find the right balance in getting myself to the Y alone and bringing my son. Sometimes, I bring him but I don't watch him do whatever he is doing. As of right now, I don't want him doing any cardio or strength training unless I can be in the room because they are allowing him to be there before he is of the age that they say they must be. Tonight, I devoted my time to him but I didn't hover. I did ten minutes on the stair stepper and I seen that he was on the elliptical. He didn't last the ten minutes on there but he moved over to a bike and did about 20 minutes. We then did some strength training which I really dislike being in that room with mostly men. I weighed him. I hope that doing it about monthly or maybe even bi weekly doesn't make him feel bad. He weighed 150 lbs which is one pound more than the doctor's scale a month ago. I think overall that is pretty good. He is still a growing boy so I suppose we are going to see gains.

I haven't wrote in here for almost a week. We had a little bit of a rough week with two appointments to the place that is doing the assessments for my son. We missed out on the Y because of this. We did go yesterday and I took both of my sons. We go at peak hours and it makes it hard to find two or three of the same machines together and basically I wasn't with my son while he did his exercise. I suppose I could just stand around and do nothing while he works out but I don't think I have the courage to just stand there. My son jumps machines and both of my boys headed down to do strength training machines while I finished my workout. I did Zumba again. It's the 3rd time and it's still hard to keep up. I have to modify some moves cause I can't jump well and when they do cross the legs thing real fast I think I would mess up and fall. Speaking of falling. I have fell twice this week. Once, in my kitchen and once I tripped over my clients walker. This morning we learned that Stephen spent his allowance on gatorade for himself, pop for his brother and ice cream for himself. This kind of not what I expect out of our Y visit. Well, I better get to bed. I woke up with a head cold during the night. I don't think I drank enough water after Zumab.

I made it to the Y three times this week again. I spent one day between being with my friend and my son. I spent the next day trying out Zumba. My son was with me and wanted to go to a class too but the instructor didn't show up. This makes me very upset. They did create a room for 13 to 17 year olds but it almost looked like they tried to hide the room with dark shades. The person in charged told me my son could stay in there. My son is 12 so by rules he shouldn't. On the other hand though I don't have to have a babysitter for my son at the Y. I struggle with getting my workout in and his. My idea of burning calories and breaking a sweat are different and I have to be able to let go and remember that even if he is scattered brained and jumps from machine to machine that it beats him sitting home watching tv. I caught him watching me do Zumba and I didn't like knowing he was watching and motioned for him to go away. I explained that watching it wasn't bad but watching Mom is weird to Mom. Tonight, my son tried out some of the new strength training machines they put in for the adults. I barely knew how to use the old ones and now I don't have a clue. I went and did a water class on my own. I feel bad cause most of the cooking is falling on my husband's shoulders if I am going to the Y three days in a row. I work 36 hours a week plus the babysitting at the church so I don't always have a chance to go and or do the cooking. I have been doing the myfitnesspal and counting calories and never sure if I am on it right or not with the measurements. I told myself that I wouldn't get serious enough to weigh food but I found myself wanting one. My husband told me to wait until this weekend but came home with one tonight. It will be interesting to see if I have been off and which way. I have been getting up 15 minutes earlier than my son. This gives me some time to wake up before eating breakfast with my son. I am trying to get my son's eating habits kind of close to mine. Not that it's always the same. I used to just eat cereal and now I measure out cereal and most of the time get fruit and yogurt. My breakfast usually is under 400 calories and I wonder if this is a safe amount for my son. I am not really counting his calories but I know the average that I am consuming so his is pretty close to be the same. He hasn't been giving me any issues over this now. I hope to get to the Y at least one more time this week. Hopefully, I can go on my own. Maybe, do another Zumba class.

Friday, my husband told me that my encouraging Stephen to eat different foods besides his cereal has been falling aside. I am not trying to take his cereal away but do want him eating less of it and more of other items. I think I am going to start waking up a little bit before my son to get myself more fully awake and so I can actually take time to cut an apple, peel an orange ect. Hopefully, this little plan of mine will work. Mornings are always rushed and not a lot of wriggle room for extra time for eating or fussing over food.

I been to the Y three times this week. I am really liking the water class but I think I will give it another week and then take a break from it. I don't want to get bored with it. My sister came with me today and she seemed to be having a hard time but it's a lot harder than it might look. I bought my son today for the first time this week. By the time he got done with his homework we only had 15 minutes for cardio and then I sent him for his class and I went to my class. Only thing they didn't have his class and he followed my instructions to come swim laps but his attention span is short so he ended up getting bored and quitting. We seen him up above and motioned him to come down to the pool for a little bit and we just mainly relaxed in the pool. My son is getting more of a workout either at the Y or by us taking a short walk but he continues to obsess about food and gets ticked off if we add things to our food like green peppers and onions. Today, my husband cooked a pizza and he left them off his portion but he still freaked out. It's just frustrating when the first thing he talks about is food before he says hello or anything. I am just trying to take things one day at a time. I am measuring out somethings he asks for like his nuts that he loves. I am trying to teach him about portion control and choosing food from the different food groups in our meals.

We couldn't make the Y yesterday due to taking my son for a mental health assessment which took ALL day. It was horrible! We did make it to the Y today and met my sister. I have to learn to be more patient and not be a drill Sargent for my son when he is on the machines. He kept pushing the buttons and starting over and I sort of feel like I can't get into my workout because I am worried about what he is doing. I have to keep reminding myself that any movement my son does is better than sitting on his butt. I just kind of miss my "me" time. We came home and made chicken wraps and they were yummy. I am trying to get my son open to more than just chicken and cheese and he ate it with tomatoes too. I log my food and exercise on myfitnesspal and my son is asking me to do that for him. I really don't think it's the best idea. Maybe, a food journal or something but don't want to go high tech with him. I want him to make better choices but don't want him to ever feel like he is on a diet.

Stephen's Doc appointment went pretty good. He is having some allergy problems but I think it's cause when we trust that he will take his medication when we are not watching. He weighed in at 149 lbs and 5 ft 2 and half inches. The doctor didn't seem overly concerned with the gain but that could be cause he gained two inches too. He still is pushing for me to take him for a mental healthy assesment which I am going to make myself do on Friday. I wish I didn't have to do it. I love my son and I don't want him to think something is wrong with him. My goal is to come up with an arrangement that will get him to the Y more than once a week. Yesterday, we took a 20 minute walk and that wasn't something he wanted to do. He just loves the Y. I am wondering if I weigh him monthly at the Y will it give him issues. He is suppose to go back to the doc in a couple weeks following the mental health assesment so that will be interesting to see if he gains or stays the same or loses.

Let's move!!

Stephen was given an orientation at the YMCA. It's really not suppose to happen until he is 13 but I think they are allowing this because I raised a concern about the classes were not happening like they said they would. He loved going but it was a hit or miss if the instructor showed up or not. He has already used the treadmills and bikes on a couple occasions but the orientation makes us following the rules. So far, he likes it. He does have a short attention span so he will try to machine hop but I try to stop that. Tonight, we did 30 minutes on a treadmill and ten minutes on a elliptical. We were shown the ropes on how to use the strength machines. When the guy said he would show us I heard my son say, I don't want to workout in there. Once the guy was showing him how it worked and let him get a feel for it he was hooked. After we did the cardio, we did strength training. This is an area of the Y that I haven't been using because I have never felt at ease in there. Mostly, I was just letting my son use the machines and reminding him to go slow. It's not a raise. I did do a few of the machines and he was like the work out police trying to tell me how the machines work. It was cute. Shortly after five pm, we arrived at 2 pm, my friend came with her daughter for a water class that she wanted to try out with me. I let me son have free time to be on his own except I wouldn't let him sit on the computers in the lobby that they recently put in. I really don't get why they even put those things in. My friend and her daughter enjoyed the water class and might come back on Wednesday with me. I have to try to come up with a workable plan that will get my son exercise at the Y and also get my own time. I really didn't feel like I got much of a workout in the cardio because I just can't focus on myself when I have to listen to Mom Mom Mom. haha I am sure I will figure it out. I recently just free up sometime because I kind of got fired from MELD. Plus, a couple months ago, I got four hours out of my work week. I had my son get on the scale so I know what he weighs and he is up to 149. It's a 20 lb gain from one year ago. He goes to the doc on Wednesday so I will know then if the Y scale was correct and also what his height is at. I thought I recorded his weight from his very last appointment in December but I don't see it.

Today, my sons and I worked out at the Y. We did 35 minutes on a treadmill and 10 minutes on a bike. My 12 year old son is suppose to get an orientation on the cardio machines Monday. We might have some issues though because it says he needs to be 13 but the manager told us it was up to me. I don't want to be a Mom who gets herself to the Y but not her kids. Hopefully, we won't have any trouble.