Before: Dinner revolved around carbs. Typical Carroll dinners, which often included lasagna and meat with buttery biscuits, were short on lean protein and produce.
After: Dinner rocks with all the right stuff. “Dr. Oz inspired me to plan a week’s worth of meals ahead of time,” says Randy, who is typically the family cook. “On Sundays, I’d blanch three days worth of vegetables—asparagus, green beans, and broccoli. I’d buy chicken and salmon to grill the other days,” he says. “I’m still maintaining the routine, though our schedules sometimes make it tough. One week we were swamped with school activities and parties, but we got back on track the next week.”
Before: Dillon’s goal—get leaner. Dillon’s smart to have a get-fit goal. “When kids have a little extra meat around the middle, their bodies secrete chemicals that deposit fat cells in the body that are harder to get rid of later on,” Dr. Oz explains.
The great news: It’s actually easier for kids Dillon’s age to reverse this cycle because, as adolescence hits, testosterone increases and helps them turn fat into muscle, Dr. Oz says. If you stock your house with appetizing healthy food, no dieting is needed—just encourage daily active time to help your child build muscle, which burns twice as many calories as fat.
After: He’s a leaner workout machine. Dillon’s BMI has improved almost two points, and he’s already lost a pound. He loves breaking a sweat, too. “I really liked getting to shoot hoops with Dr. Oz when he came to our house,” Dillon says. “I’m most proud of how we’re doing activities after dinner together four or five nights a week. Last night we played badminton. It was really fun to hit the birdie back and forth, and my hair was soaked with sweat.”
Next page: Chin up
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