What do I tell my child?

I'm starting Lighter Life next Thursday and I don't know what to say to my 3 year old little boy when he notices I'm not eating. I've always been very keen to encourage healthy eating and he's also very sharing with his food. I don't think he has a real concept of "mummy's fat" or of other people being fat and I'm not sure I want introduce the idea of dieting to him at his age.

Any ideas? What have you said to your younger children.

My son is only 2 and it just hasn't cropped up yet. I try to eat soup from a bowl with a spoon when we all sit down together so at least mummy is "eating". For breakfast I have my "coffee" (vanilla shake) and we sit down together at 4 for coffee time - he has some toast or a biscuit and I have my bar. I wouldn't make a big issue of it and he probably won't even notice!! X

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Hello! I have been meaning to reply to this for a couple of days but never got a moment. I worried about this too - my daughters are 6 (just) and 2. I didn't worry about explaining to the youngest but having watched my own Mum do loads of weird diets over the years I was anxious that my own weight loss shouldn't negatively affect my daughter. I explained to her quite simply that I was carrying more weight than was healthy and it was getting uncomfortable for me and this was a good, doctor-approved, way of sorting that out. It meant Mummy was going to be eating some different soups and things for a while but would go back to usual eventually. I also explained about the groups, and when I had a couple of "pop-ins" she was interested and asked to come too and met my LLC and saw what it was all about.

I always try to be frank with my children (within reason!) as I think euphemisms and being awkward etc can cause more difficulties. She has totally accepted what I did and has at time been really sweet and supportive too. (Tells me I'm looking "taller"!!)

Good luck!! Hope this is useful!

Hi there
My children - aged 5,12 and 13 when I did LL didn't notice i wasn't eating. I would always eat soup from a bowl with them and every now and then would put myself a meal out then just pretend to eat it.

I was very concerned not to make a big deal out of it for the same reasons you stated - but tbh they were not at all interested in what I was eating as long as they had food!

daisy x