Need Advice *Updated 11/12/07*
My 14 yr old step-daughter has made a massive change in her eating habits. She is eating maybe 1/4 of what she use to. EVERY day after dinner she either goes outside and jump ropes for 30-45 minutes or spends 45-60 on a Stair Master.
For example: Her turkey sandwiches use to consist of 4-5 pieces of turkey, 2 slices of cheese, alot of Mayo. Now her sandwiches have 1 piece of turkey, no cheese, just a dab of Mayo and a piece of lettuce. Now I'm all for eating healthy, but the amount of food she eats would starve a baby. One dinner she had 1/4 (if that) of a chicken breast, about 1 inch round of rice and that's it. This can't be normal portions for a growing teenage girl.
She use to be the first to finish her meals, now she is the last one to finish. She is eating slow.
Mind you she is NOT over weight in any way. She is 5'2" and weighs 96 pounds. She had gotten on a scale and I saw what she weighs (she does not know I saw - I was on the phone so she thought I was not looking). Apparently she thinks she's fat.
We had the girls all last week. She would not bring her bathing suit because she thinks she's fat. I'm sorry, but at 5'2" she should weigh around 105-110. If anything she is underweight.
Need advice on how to handle this. If I try to talk to her about it or let her know I know what she is doing, she turns away.
She is also in a bad mood 24/7. She is maybe in a good mood for 30 minutes a day. Is this just normal teenage "stuff" or is there something else going on? She won't talk to anyone, so we can't find out what is going on in her head. If you do try to talk to her, she tells you to mind your own business or "it's nothing, I'm fine" answers.