This weight gain will primarily be the not having his meds if they suppress his appetite as he will have been a lot hungrier than usual, however to lose that 20Ib portion and calorie control will be key. too much of a healthy and balanced food will still cause weight increase.
keep to sugar free drinks, fish and pasta meals that include plenty of veg and little sauce are great to lose weight as sauces and oils are what bulk calories in an otherwise healthy meal.
encourage his basketball and any other active sports he enjoys.
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. I'm wondering how y'all handle weight issues with your kids?
Start running with him every morning or evening
I know when my son that was age he was pudgy. I think itās the age. He skimmed out and is tall and skinny now. Heās 14
Buy a good aerodynamic rowing machine. Itās is good for everyone
My son was overwheight at that age as well. Now 14 over 6ā tall and 160. He grew into his weight in a flash. Just an awkward puberty stage.
Keep his meds regulated
Go for walks/runs every single day with him.
Encourage him to be active play more sport or go on bike rides, walks etc. With the healthy food watch the portions too.
Go for regular walks after meals
Enjoy a walks together (or anything exercise related) also not shaming, but get you 2 some one on one and get him involved in the meal planning and cooking and shopping. It really helps to visualize and even helps trying new stuff!!
My son has been on his medication since start of 2nd term and his eating has increased big time but his always been a great eater.
There is also other medication for ADHD you can talk with his paediatrician
Leave the kid be a kid.
The worlds hard enough without trying to force weight loss at 11!
A gap in between taking medications can have negative effects. My step sons mom did this with his medications on the weekends. Not instructed by his doctor either.
Not sure what your situation with those meds are but Iād maybe try and work out some time of routine with everyone for his mediation.
Best wishes
Kids fluctuate weight
My son is 5 and almost 5ft tall pushing 90lbs. Yes I know heās big but Iāve tried everything to get it under control. He does not eat much at all so Iām not sure if thereās an underlying issue or not. Dr said heās fine for now but definitely work on exercises WITH him. Donāt make him do them alone u get up and do then with him so heās not alone
you can control what your child eats. buy only healthy snacks, get Gatorades or flavored water over soda,buy lean meats like turkey, chicken, fish, add greens. go on a walk with him daily
I think itās the age as well.
Wheny son was going into junior high he was on the chunky side, but then come high school he hit his growth spurt. Got taller and dropped all his weight hes now 19 and still skinny.
Have him play outside 60 mins a day. It really helps
Itās pubertyā¦itāll level out in a couple years naturally
Iām in the same boat pretty much, Iāve found being open and honest with my son about my struggles with food and sweets helps him know heās not alone, also trying to be a good example for him and exercise with him helps keep us both motivated to be healthy, I canāt emphasize enough to use those exact words! Weāre NOT on a diet, weāre making changes to be healthy, the rest will follow, if you think you can control what he eats, forget it! Theyāll sneak it out hide it, letās face it, we do it too because weāre ashamed, sit with him and make a pact, do it together! Get healthy together 
best of luck mama, good habits you both create now will follow in his future 
Why was he off his meds?? I wonāt worry about it heās a kid. However playing with his meds like that isnāt good.
Check out Kids Eat in Color for info on the best way to be healthy for kids without bringing weight issues into it!
Donāt mess with medication like that. Not taking adhd can cause suicidal
Thoughts much like anti depressants.
Do it together. Research and track macros. Exercise etc.
Encourage healthy eating, exercise in sports or fun activities (takes away that stigma to a young child to lose weight) so make it as fun as possible, have him involved in your meal planning make him feel apart of it and not just taking orders, eventually he will grow and have a growth spurt and I think you neednāt worry, give him a couple of years and if you feel that he is unhealthy take other measures but donāt stress I think heāll be okay, even talk with with his dad possibly and encourage that he also do the same so everything that youāve tried to do doesnāt get undone when yous arnt on the same page.
Enjoy that he gained the weight because on the med with it being an appetite suppressant they can not fall below a certain weight or percentile or they risk being taken off. Now focus of healthy eating habits and more outside play and activities
Please DO NOT COMMENT on your childās WEIGHT. Body talk (whether āpositiveā or ānegativeā) is unhelpful. And do not encourage any form of āweight lossā or ādietā. This is how you stop the cycle of diet culture which is at the absolute heart of eating disorders and body image issues. I am more than happy to give you an information sheet I give to the parents of my clients (Iām a psychologist) just DM me.
Stopping stimulant medication abruptly will cause sudden and oftentimes dramAtic weight gain. The side effects literally state that
If he is active and especially with sports he will thin out. He will be just fine momma
My oldest was a little pudgey at that age. My little one is almost 9 and I noticed a belly recentlyā¦this time last year she practically had abs! Oldest is almost 15 now and a size 0/1 so itās just an odd age. It all seems to even out eventually as long as they stay active and eat healthy.
Hes 11, donāt worry about it so much so he donāt get self conscious of it.
If you say your overweight too then maybe put yourself and him a meal plan together, plan meals lookup recipes n go shopping together. If your kiddo sees you doing it it will encourage his lifestyle. Maybe try walking or even wrkn out together 3days of the wk.
Never call it a diet, always mealplans.
Try to be on top of(but not over board) of keeping track of your carb snd calorie intake.
Go on learning 2b healthy "adventures " with him and research fun things, Check food fests with farm foods etc.
Once heās back on his meds itāll go down
Itās the age. My son was always a big boy, still is. About 11 to 13 I noticed he was picking up alot of weight (rolls, boobs and his face was super round) he hit 14 and a switched flicked. He is 6ā2" 250lbs. ( 13 years old long photo, freshman wrestling top photo, football at age 7 , football this past spring) Are you and your ex bigger build? Itās probably just baby fat.
Move , move , move . Get a basket ball hoop , a soccer net or a area to hit base balls .
He knows he has gained weight ,Never say fat just start teaching about diet and exercise,if you can make it a time for both of you
Educate the father. My hubby lets daughter snack and eat crap till he saw weight she put on over lock down with no dancing etc. Now he controls meal portions etc as she can eat same amount as hubby if we let her. Sheās slowly loosing it again now
My son went through a pudgy stage in middle school but naturally slimmed down by high school. Donāt stress too muchāthat adds pounds!
Do some activity together that you both enjoy and you both get healthier! Exercise programs on You Tube or DVDs, walking, hiking, biking, martial arts, soccer practice, kickboxing, swimming, hip hop danceāwhatever sounds good to you both. Make it bonding and de-stressing time, and youāll form healthy habits for life. Ask him to create a workout playlist for you to make it more fun. Challenge each other to meet personal goals. Celebrate major, longer-term milestones with a movie in a theater, hitting an arcade together, taking a trip somewhere fun (local fair, museum, performance from the high school play to a major concert). Or a day trip to explore someplace new, using your new stamina walking. Donāt use food as a reward.
-Donāt buy unhealthy stuff or eat out often except where you can get lots of colorful vegetables. If I eat out I immediately put half the protein and carbs (say, steak & potatoes) in a to go container. At home I add colorful vegetables to the leftovers for a second meal. Or split an order with your dining companion/s. Or order an appetizer instead of a full meal. Some places you can put 2/3rds or 3/4ths of your meal in a box for several at home meals. Cut steaks/chicken/salmon up to top salads, make casseroles or soups.
-Eat mindfullyāno phones, reading materials, TV. Talk & play music if you want.
-Use smaller plates, eat smaller portions.
-Drink sparkling water instead of soda. Stick to the edges of the grocery store.
-Double colorful vegetables and halve the carbs in recipes. Add peas & mashed butternut squash to Mac n cheese & use whole wheat pasta. Add mashed cauliflower to mashed potatoes. Get cauliflower crust pizza. Add an extra canned, frozen or fresh vegetable to every meal. Add salsa & spinach to omelets & scrambled eggs.
-Soups with lots of vegetables are filling, healthy & easy to make. Add leftover meat, beans, veggies to broth or bouillon and eat.
-Use leftover chicken, beef, fish or tofu + can of cream of (anything) soup + frozen mixed vegetables (and any leftover vegetables except beets or red cabbage) and bake in a pie shell or phyllo dough for an easy pot pie. Top with mashed potatoes if desired. I also add chopped onions, herbs, celery.
-Add canned beans to casseroles, soups, salads for extra low-cal protein & fiber.
-Dilute fruit juices if you want more than a few ounces & eat fresh fruit instead of juice.
-Be an avid label reader & learn all the names of sugars on the ingredients list.
-Buy plain yogurt and add fruit, jam, nuts, granola or Grape Nuts or even a few chocolate chips.
-Chick peas, nuts, mozzarella sticks, dried fruit, fresh fruit, raw veggies and dip/ranch dressing, jerky, hummous & pita chips all make good, healthy snacks to have on hand & keep well. Air-popped popcorn is good too but doesnāt keep very well.
-Freeze fruit to use instead of ice cubes (watermelon is great) or put fruit or cucumber and/or herbs in water to make more flavorful infusions.
-Enjoy a variety of flavored teas hot or iced any time (skip the caffeine from afternoon on though).
-Think of cheese more like dessert. Donāt automatically add it to everything like most Americans.
-Learn how hot dogs, bologna, American cheese are made. Skip buying them as much as possible.
-Use lettuce leaves vs bread for tacos, sandwiches, wraps when possible. Use hummus or refried beans as a spread vs. mayo or butter.
-See how many ways you can substitute olive oil for butter.
Oh! And eat vegan/vegetarian (try not to use cheese) at least once a week. Tofu dogs, no-cheese vegetable pizza and veggie burgers are acceptable, but get creative with new recipes!
Yes stimulant medication does suppress appetite but it also increases metabolism. So when going off of it (no matter how fast or slow) the appetite comes back 2x as much and the metabolism slows down. They can also feel exhausted/fatigued so they may not be getting as much exercise. All resulting in weight gain.
When he mentions his weight tell him the truth.
Son Iād never tell you, you canāt eat! (bc the meds suppress his appetite so heāll probably drop it, if your putting him back on it) but if your not liking your body baby we can change that! There is always a healthier option pig out on veggies or whatever u want him to eat. Tell him if he is uncomfortable or insecure about his weight he can change it bc he can do whatever 
& u have faith in him or believe in him while he does it ! Offer to walk or exercise with him.
Itās so much easier to change while heās young eating healthy should be a lifestyle choice, & if his dad donāt enforce that fine. Your son will grow to form habits he will remember your wise words about food one day when he looks back. Make it a family thing? Instead of youāve gained weight while you were gone thing ? Maybe thatāll help. If u make him feel embarrassed he will sneak and eat and it will catch up to him one day 
Iād take more of a mommas got your back approach bc kids at this age really rebound against rules.
Also js I took Adderall growing up starting and stopping it messes with your heart & blood pressure (if u wanted to bring that to dadās attention) you got this 
Sounds like because he went off his meds is why. Get him back on āonly of that is what yāall want toā and with his already actives he should lose the weight.
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. I'm wondering how y'all handle weight issues with your kids?
First of all, letās start calling a spade a spade. If heās overweight, donāt lie and tell him heās not. I am overweight and our son is overweight. My husband is not and our daughter is not. Take him to a dietician. Teach him about carbs v/ proteins, healthy vs/ unhealthy and how eating wrong can contribute to type 2 diabetes, heart overload, and other health issues. You donāt have to body shame him to do this, just inform him and let him ādigestā the information and work it into his daily life. In this knowledge is power. Communication is key. Should he continue being chubby, love him and his body. Stress makes weight loss more difficult, so donāt add that into the equation. Signed~ Tubby Mom of a tubby boy.
Portion control. My daughter was over weight. Let her still eat her favorite foods, but smaller portions. And less snacking especially bored snacking. Also lead by example. Cut down your Portion sizes too to show him itās realistic and youāre in it with him. Never went on a diet in my life but portion control and skipping a few snacks and meals has helped me and my daughter both a lot.
Are you or have you put him back on his meds? this might help him some.
My son was short & stout (like 25% on height and 75 on weight) until last year he started hitting growth spurts left & right now hes the same weight 127 but almost 5ā6 and now in 50% on both height n weight
My son Hates veggies but I do broccoli Mac & Cheese, he loves it & u would be cutting the carbs out but giving him something (hopefully) he loves & tastes great
Thatās about the age that most boys start putting on some weight then growing a few inches and thinning back out until itās time for the next growth spurt and doing it all again for several years. I watched my son and most of his friends do that cycle for years. Just watch portion sizes, keep adding healthy and limiting the junk and keep him active.
Once he starts taking his meds again he may loose some of the weight he gainedā¦also hes still growing, he may end up being tall and things may balance out.but you are doing great!
My son bought the insanity workouts when he was around that age, did it for one month & lost 25 lbs.
Less bread and āwhiteā foods as they have tons of carbs. Its not just sugar that you have to be careful of. Aim for wholewheat, like cracked wheat instead of white rice, gluten free pizza base, wholewheat or seeded bread.
Why did you send him without his meds then?
My sons pediatrician told us just to make sure you eat the serving size of things that turn into sugar like pasta. Then if your still hungry eat healthy foods for snacks.
He is also reaching puberty and harmonies get out of whack
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. I'm wondering how y'all handle weight issues with your kids?
Lose some weight yourself and lead by example.
Your actions teach your children more than your lessons do.
I wouldnāt worry too much heāll probably lose it again once heās back on his meds and back at school. Just encourage healthy eating and try not to keep junk in the house just a once in a while treat
Honestly if heās only 11, I wouldnāt worry about it, heāll have a growth spurt or 2 and he will even out. Alot of kids are quite chubby before hitting puberty, but they also eat alot because they are growing.
take him off the damn meds. They shove adhd crap down ur throats. Just let the kid be a kid
You need to speak to his dad, he canāt be having different rules at one house compared to another in terms of something as important as food and therefore health.
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. I'm wondering how y'all handle weight issues with your kids?
PRACTICAL TIPS!!
-If heās going to get less fat, he needs to eat less calories. Low calorie dense foods. As much fruits and vegetables as you can. Instead of omelette with 4 eggs use 1 or 2 eggs and a bunch of whites. Nutrition facts can be up to a certain percent off, but knowing if a food is majority carbs, proteins, or fats can help. Fats have 9 calories per gram, whereas carbs and protein have only 4. So foods high in fat like peanut butter, burgers, hot dogs will all encourage weight gain (ok to have once a day in reasonable amounts). Best of luck to you both!!
Both you and son could take walks together. Great for bonding and it is a healthy activity for you both. Lead by example.
Lead by example. Make a āpackā with him and yourself to become healthy through small steps.
But in all honesty, your son is young and still growing. Most children, go through āgrowth spurtsā until well into their late teens. My youngest grow 6 inches over a summer around age 13. So I wouldnāt worry. He may grow and it will all balance out.
But a healthy life change for you will show how important it is to take care of the body you were given. Some excellent ideas were given here. Find something you can both do together to make positive change. Good luck. Stay positive .
I am overweight myself and my 9yo son has gone from the tiniest kid in his class to being a tad chunky over the whole covid junk. I encourage healthy meals/snacks. He calls himself fat but thinks its great because he was always so tiny, heās happier than ever. Kids go through phases. Growth spurts. Hormones. As long as he is eating a reasonable diet with you and is active, I wouldnāt worry just yet. Keep encouraging healthy eating habits and keeping the junk to small portions as best you can. Encourage activity (making it both fun and daily helps). Heāll be ok!
Speaking as a mom who has a son thatās ADHD, I never not had him stop meds. Itās important to keep them in his system at all times.
Depending on your insurance you could check into gyms, I know some insurances help with memberships, or check with his school our local high school has an indoor pool and track thatās open to the public for a small fee. Keep offering the healthy foods and maybe couple times a week have a big salad with light dressing for dinner. Good luck
Heās old enough to cook healthy meals together till he can eventually know how to cook for himself and you. Veggie omelettes, baked chicken and broccoli, fish and veggies, shrimp stir fry over cauliflower rice. Raw veggies with ranch dip. Making healthy meals, fresh fruits and drinking plenty of water. My daughter has ADHD and sheās learning to cook with me. Sheās more active in swimming and dancing.
My son has adhd and a side effect of one of his meds is increased appetite ontop of him being an over eater when hes bored or anxious. If he gains to much weight he could lose a med. He also doesnt get to start and stop his meds so its odd that your son can just start or stop when you guys choose. Keep him super active as it helps with Weight and keeping his mind busy. Lead by example and have only healthy snacks
Best thing I do with my kids to boost healthy habits is when we do the food shopping I ask their opinion on what healthy stuff we should get, I make it funn like letās find a veg we havnt had in a long time or one we havnt had at all and try it to see how it goes, we talk about the different fruits when we do the shopping
My son has a fascination with trying things that donāt grow in our climate
Every now and then we go to the farmers stall and we do our everything meal we try to get as many different veggies we can into one meal
We make it fun and the kids help with some of the prep when it comes to cooking time,
My kids are still little so itās a little easier to make it a fun game
Exercise together and see how you can improve your diet. But also being active and getting exercise is more important than being thin. I walk every day and hike a lot and Iām a large lady. I watch what I eat but genetics do play a factor. I donāt let it bother me too much
So many good comments! With my own children I found pointedly teaching them about good nutritionā¦ why snack on veggies instead of chips, water instead of soda or punch. Knowledge is powerā¦ and especially since he is going to go over to dadsā¦, but he also has choices at school socials, and friends homesā¦. Teach them good nutrition, and be an example of good nutrition.
I know you donāt want an opinion but please hear me out! Iām not judging in any way but please do use the terms stocky or overweight in front of him or even behind his back. It could damage his self esteem and that could lead to more issues in the future. But maybe have a talk with him about your concerns, talk to him about body positivity and changes are normal and absolutely nothing to be ashamed about. If your worried about his health be mindful that it might hurt his feelings if itās just 20 pounds? Iām not saying thatās nothing but try to put yours in his shoes, what does he see in the mirror every morning, how does this weight gain make him feel. Implementing snacks that are nutritious are great but donāt call them āhealthyā it might give off a negative connotation. Is his weight bothering you because heās changing? Or is it because your scared of his future eating habits. Try to include that when your talking to him, donāt make it feel like gaining weight is unhealthy because that might cause more damage than you know. Sorry if this came off rude? But I hope this helps and I wish the best for you and your family.
If heās back on his meds that should help. Heās in sports thats great, if you want to add more cardio switch/Wii have some great games that encourage itā¦ From kickboxing/boxing/baseball/dace/yoga etcā¦ That you both can do together even. Itās pretty hot out unless you wanna go for walk around7/ 8ish daily. Add a new sport he might be interested in, sports a pricey if it fits your budget look into boxing/kickboxing etcā¦ starting on his own dog walking gigā¦ Get money walk dogs 
I recommend seeing a nutrition health professional (just like how youād go see a mechanic if you had car troubles or a dentist if he had tooth pain). Good luck!
Walking, biking, hiking - fun things that he doesnāt know heās exercising.
From experience with my own step daughter the drs took her off one of her medications she was on and she gained 20 lbs not even from eating different or anything just from switching her meds.
Not too much fruit! Its full of sugar. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are the best fruit option.
Do some homework on the keto diet could be a good option. Also Dr Berg does some really good videos explaining ADHD and why the keto life style suits.
Also he will be able to eat fairly large quantities which for a hungry growing boy is keyā¦ good luck
I think your doing everything u can do just give it time to see if things change. His body needs time to adapt back to been on meds again and eating healthy. if no change by nee year maybe book appointment with dietician or nutritionist. But go you for looking after your kids health
Kids weight change many times in the teenage years . It comes early these days my boy was the same . He is 16 now and still stocky but a healthy boy . Junk food is the enemy . Until the light comes on he probably wonāt listen but donāt give up remind him when possible about healthy choices . He listens but but ignores
Easy to put on h### to get off. But get out and walk with him every day. Start slow work yourselves up to a mile or two. I dropped 50, lbs in six months just walking and discipline.
Smaller portion sizes and no seconds. Gradually reduce a little bit for him and monitor everything he eats. Try using an app to colories. I use MyNetDiary. He should drop the extra weight in 6 months. He will have his major growing at 14 to 16 years. He will eat a lot then which is normal
I love that you are telling him heās not fat . More than likely the weight will drop now that heās back on his meds and back to his regular habits.
If he isnāt severely overweight then Iād just keep doing what youāre doing. Hes active which is good. Just keep suggesting healthy snacks and you guys take walks together. Children and teenagers weight fluctuates often. If heās 11 hes going to be going through a growth spurt soon and that will also help.
For someone who has ADD (me) the meds are a blessing (and Iām 63 so that should tell you something). I wouldnāt focus on his weight so much-kids weight fluctuates a bunch in this age range. He hits the summer between 7th and 8th grade and heāll grow up into his weight. I see geriatric patients and try to get them to eat more fruit and vegetables-I tell them if you have fruit and veges readily available so you can just reach in the fridge and eat them youāll eat more. Like buying a prepped vegetable tray and having the grapes washed and ready to go. My kids would have never taken the time to wash a carrot!
My suggestion is to just maintain a healthy diet in your home. If you donāt buy junk food regularly it isnāt easily accessible everyday. Focusing on weight at an early age isnāt healthy for a childās mental health. Just try to create an environment thatās naturally encouraging a healthy diet without bringing a lot of attention to it and focusing on it.
Iād not worry too much, I was chubby from 11-15 then shoot up and was tall and slim, my eldest boy was chunky at 9-11 then suddenly grew and isnāt at all now, and his previously skinny brother is now 10 and suddenly chunky! So just waiting for the growth spurt whilst encouraging exercise.
My daughter has autism and ADHD. She doesnāt understand the concept of being full and we provide tons of healthy options. Despit that, at 8yrs old she is almost 5ā and 130lbs. Her pediatrician said unfortunately rn we canāt put her on ADHD bc I was told it CAUSES weight gain, but she did order a genetic panel so we could find out what might help her. We do our best to not talk about weight around her and remind her she is loved regardless. Itās hard mama but youāre doing great
It sounds like youāre on the right track mama. My daughter just got off her ADHD meds and shes been putting a little weight on. Itās normal. We just keep her on healthy foods and snacks. I encourage her to eat more since her meds did suppress her appetite. Shes 12 and going through a growth spurt so he will also even out with puberty. Keep going strong mama youāre doing great!!
Just keep doing what you are doing good for everyone. I have diabetes 2 and I watch the diet all the time
Always build him up!! Make sure he is always comfortable in his skin. I have a son that was always big and tall, i made it a point to always make sure he knew inside he had confidence and was comfortable with himself. He is now 20.
My lg gained 16lbs in 5 weeks staying at her dads. I limited her intake a little, cut out snacks/swapped them for fruit and took her out every day, she didnāt lose any of the weight but she hasnāt gained any since then either and that was about a year ago actually and I think thatās the best thing we could have done because thereās no way kids should feel like they need to diet because they donāt they just need to grow taller if that makes sense lol x
I wouldnāt worry to much as lo g as he is eating healthy and is active like you say it will come off naturally at this age.
Your kiddo is 11. Treating weight like a big deal now (when itās likely that once theyāre a teenager theyāll thin out after growth spurts) can be damaging a lot of the time. 20 pounds of being overweight for a little boy is not horrific.
Also, itās easier psychologically if you make sure he knows that āfatā is not a negative word, and that it doesnāt make someone any less valuable or lovable to be fat.
Weight issues have a tendency to be genetic. Losing and gaining fat and muscle wherever our parents did is pretty normal. Stop worrying about his current weight (130 is a little chunky but it doesnāt say anything for his future body). The best way to make sure heās healthy is to foster a healthy relationship with food. Donāt force them to eat any less or any more than they want to, donāt call different foods bad or good, donāt mention his weight to him in a capacity that could make it seem like being heavy is bad. Things like that can foster a bad relationship with food, and can jump start eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, binging, and others, which are far more dangerous and harmful than a little 11 year old being a little overweight.
There is no way Iām going to touch this one even though Iāve had a similar experience with my child. My child is now 22 and of normal build and weight.
If he is now back
With you and on his meds I presume his eating habits will return to normal so itās likely he will lose the excess weight soon enough. Just keep encouraging him to eat healthily
Get some exercise daily make time in the evenings for you and him to go for a 30minute walk, watching what he eats and playing baseball are good places to start but you have to keep him active outside of baseball for anything to stay consistent.
Iād encourage him to learn what is best foods to eat & politely refuse the unhealthy choices
Have you got friends with kids that you can do weekends at the park kicking the footy , running around as kids do . Maybe introduce dailyās walks and maybe google some exersices that you too can do together and make it fun so that you both can have fun and work out .
I hope you find something that works for you both x