[boefixepa]

It's funny how different people are and at different ages!! When I was between 8-13 I could out eat my entire family. We would go to a buffet and my parents would have to drag me out of there!! I felt like I was never full. Unfortunetly it caught up with me in my later teen years. I was always carring around and extra 30-50 lbs and it wasn't until I hit 25 that I decided to educate myself on what I needed for my health and well being. I cut out the processed food and brought down my calorie intake. Learned to eat for health reasons, not emotional reasons and found out that the charts they say you should weigh, really are true. At my "ideal weight" (140-150 lbs) (and no I am not always there, but within 5-10 lbs) is a size 4....and I am 5' 8"!! AND I still have over 20% body fat!!! If you had told my teenage self that I would have said my bones won't fit in a size four! Honestly.

I had to swallow some hard bills about myself, why I ate, why I kept that weight on. Self-esteem, and self-image had alot to do with it. As did how I was raised and the eating habits I learned growing up. Also, I had to admit...I wasn't as active as I should be.

It sounds from what you are saying, that you have a metabolism most would envy. First, be grateful for it. I'd much rather deal with having to find ways to keep weight on then tell myself I can't eat something because it's too much calories and I already splugered this week.

Second, find ways to work within the limits you have been give. Go on line and find the food items that get the biggest bang for your calorie buck. Your body needs calories to burn, what are the most inexpensive food that have the highest calories, but are still healthy. This is simply and education issue, knowledge IS power.

Third, kids are growing. If they are thin and don't have weight issues, they probably inherited your metablism. Be ready to shell out the food as they grow!! Keep them thin, keep them healthy, but yes they do eat, and eat, and eat.

Have fun!