I just wanted to thank you guys for all your suggestions. DD is eating maintenance level carbs and loving it. She's had a real improvement in her attitude (were also supplementing with EFA's and other vitamins for that) and she actually LOOKS better--brighter skin, hair, more rested, etc. She really likes eating like this -- for an 8 yo that's an accomplishment! I've got the school lunch thing down to a science. She says some of the kids give her funny looks when she pulls out her hard boiled egg & beef jerky or meat rollups. But then she tells me she does not care because the food I give her is REALLY GOOD.

She still has occasional sugar if there is a treat at school or something. A couple of times she learned her lesson and ate too much. She made her self sick with just a fraction of the sugar she used to eat on a daily basis. She gladly now just takes a little bit (if any) and says "no thanks" to any more.

I tell her that I will not forbid her to eat anything. I will give her certain things and not buy certain things at home but when she is on her own, it's HER choice. I'm only there to educate her about her choices and help her decide when is too much -- she should feel like she HAS to pass something up that she wants (the whole moderation view on things). It's working better than expected!

She wants to go trick or treating but one day it dawned on her that it's a whole bunch of candy. She says to me "Oh no, what am I going to do with all that candy?!" I told her we could keep it and have a piece every once and a while. Then she says "but I don't want it." Wow! What a change! THANKS!!!!