Are you trying to lose weight for Nationals?

[phoenix]

I'd dearly love to be down 15 pounds by then.

Anyone else?

[Mrs Redboots]

Not for your Nationals - they don't concern me - but I'd like another inch off my waist by the Mountain Cup!

[Skate@Delaware]

How much time till then and what are you doing to get there?

I just want to lose some of the weight (fat) I gained from not working out this last semester of classes (got lazy) and over the holidays

[jazzpants]

Oh, dear! I've been pretty bad this holiday season!!! (Well, mainly b/c I had to get a handle on my new job and stuff...) And of course, there's also health insurance and flex spending crap going on too. GRRRRR!!! :frus: Just havent' exercised as much as I should have and eating stuff that is convenient. Irony is that the stay at my in-laws actually helped me to lose weight!!! :lol: :P (I guess I really needed the rest and just not eating so much.)

I've gained about 2-3 over my goal weight and I'm hoping to lose those fairly quickly (like in about a month) so I can concentrate back on having the body be in the best shape possible to handle the rigors of the next few months of training. This year will be rough b/c of lack of time. I really need more quality ice time to do runthrus of my two programs.

The other obstacle is that there is a chance I may be losing my personal trainer. She is trying to get as many classes as possible this semester and intends to take a full load. With classes and homework, she may not have time for her clients and she's gonna try and punt me to a different trainer that is closer to my job... which, of course, I don't know how long I'm gonna keep b/c of the STINKIN' ECONOMY!!! :evil:

[Clarice]

In a word, yes. I'd like to lose 20 lbs. I might not make that, but 15 is certainly possible. That's 5 lbs. a month, plus whatever else I can get off in April. First order of business: substitute water for the Diet Pepsi I usually chug all day. No calories in the Pepsi, of course, but I've heard it can make you retain fluid. Need to address my caffeine addiction, though... Are massive amounts of coffee a problem for dieting?

[badaxel]

I don't know about caffeine affecting dieting, but I was actually thinking of switching to diet pepsi! I read somewhere that it has about half of the caffeine of diet coke!!! I'm also trying to substitute the caffeine free versions, as I think a lot of the addiction comes from the taste itself???

Back to the weight loss, though, I'd also like to lose about 15 pounds, so that I can look good in my new dress when I take my novice MIF. It's a race as to which will happen first, though: the dress being stoned, the weight coming off, or the moves being ready to test! Right now, the moves are actually winning!!!

Good Luck to everyone, and I'd love to hear any tips or advice that anyone has!

[Skittl1321]

I don't know about the caffeine, but my Dr. is trying to get me off the diet coke (I only drink like 4-5 cans a week, so it doesn't seem too bad) because she says the sweeteners can actually prevent you from being successful at losing weight, because your body reacts to them in odd ways. (Not to mention the other problems they cause)

[flo]

Good topic. I'm trying to be careful of my weight for my partner. Also a friend of mine just had a lap band put in place, so were very aware of what she's eating now. Since she's the one I go out to eat with most often, I'll probably drop some pounds as well.

[Stormy]

I don't know about the caffeine, but my Dr. is trying to get me off the diet coke (I only drink like 4-5 cans a week, so it doesn't seem too bad) because she says the sweeteners can actually prevent you from being successful at losing weight, because your body reacts to them in odd ways. (Not to mention the other problems they cause)


This is true, diet soda is just as bad for you as regular soda and it doesn't help weight loss in any way. The sodium does make you retain water. I felt 100% better after giving up diet sods, the aspartame was a killer. I haven't had diet or regular soda in at least 6 months, and kicked the powdered Crystal Light and anything else with aspartame in it.

I haven't been good the past couple months either and would like to lose at least 5 to 10 pounds before ANs. Only one of my pairs of jeans fits me right now and that is NOT ok! I enjoy working out, I just have been lazy about it. I found a yoga studio right down the street that does hot yoga and now that I am making a little more money, plan to get a monthly pass and go at least 3-4 times a week. Like Jazzpants, I want to be in top shape to handle training my program and I hope to be able to do double runthroughs before Nationals.

[flo]

I dropped aspartame because of the after taste. My sister likes splenda and stevia. I can give up all sodas but seltzer water! Love those bubbles.

[Mel On Ice]

I'm on strict orders to gain weight - bwahahaha! But I'm also off the ice by mid-February.

[Virtualsk8r]

I lost 10 pounds by simply cutting calories. I had a dress to get into and gave myself about 8 weeks. I use skim milk, but real butter because I use just a touch on my weight watchers bread. I watched portion sizes and didn't eat stuff simply because it was there.....sure I had a cookie or two but didn't go out of my way to buy them. My lattes were non-fat (got my calcium in!) and I did have the odd glass of beer. Oh and I kept track of everything that went into my mouth for the first few weeks, which made me see if I was getting enough calories, protein or fruit etc.

A few skaters and coaches at my rink have dropped tons of weight by cutting down portions, watching the takeouts and working out more effectively.

I didn't have much to lose so it was hard going at first but it worked!

BTW I stay clear of diet drinks, diet foods etc. except Lean Cuisine for dinner and never use sugar anyway. I like my food clean - no artificial sweeteners, no sauces, etc. And, I made sure the pasta was measured to be about one cup only (not that big plate we usually have!)

[coskater64]

I am trying to gain weight but only muscle and 3 lbs...wooo hooo!:halo::twisted:

[vesperholly]

Yes, definitely! I'm aiming for 20 lbs by ANs. I've also got my sister's wedding coming up in August, so I have two huge motivators this year. Unfortunately, my thyroid illness has been wreaking havoc on all attempts to lose weight, but I will be getting a new treatment soon.

My issue isn't unhealthy food, it's portion sizes and snacking. My only vice/splurge is an 8oz can of regular Pepsi a day. I just can't do diet! I'm trying to come up with phrases on why I shouldn't have that cheese stick, but so far the only successful one is quite mean. :(

[phoenix]

I've been playing w/ simply counting calories for the last couple of months. I think it's going to work--between travel & the holidays I blew it off about half the time. But when I stuck to it I consistently lost about a pound a week. And I like it because it's NOT dieting--I eat whatever I want---just smaller portions, or if I go for the chocolate cake, make up for it w/ soup or salad for dinner. I also count in exercise, so I can 'earn' more calories on a day when I skate or walk (or coach!).

[Virtualsk8r]

That's how I look at it, too! Do I really need that cookie or can I walk away from it...Out for dinner, then forgo the fries for salad and leave the bread basket alone. I use PAM for 'frying' etc. and buy weight watchers bread - two slices are 100 calories while regular bread is about 100 calories per slice!! Those 'healthy' bread and bagels are even worse - upwards to 400 calories for 2 slices or one large bagel.

It`s hard at competitions to stay on track, what with coaches room hospitality having yummies etc. but I simply grab coffee and veggies, and treat myself to a couple of small cookies or bars etc.. and then LEAVE!

Substitution is the best trick. Baked vs fried potato, low-fat cheese vs regular, skim milk latte - no syrup but lots of cinnamin on top, Lean Cusine instead of huge dinner on those days when coaching tires you out and you have no energy to cook a decent dinner so you just stuff anything in your mouth!

With all the diets in the world going on, the only way most people I know, including skaters, lose weight and keep it off - is to cut calories and use portion contriol. After a while, it becomes second nature and that odd chocolate bar or can of pepsi just doesn`t feel very good any more.

[Terri C]

Count me in as another one who fell off the wagon during the holidays...well, actually I got off the wagon with a solid promise to get back on this week. I'm not so worried about losing weight as I am being in shape. Dad and I usually don't keep many sweets around the house anyway, with the exception of the occaisional cake every now and then. From what I've read as well, maybe cutting back on the Diet Pepsi may help too.

So, I'll be renewing my gym membership on Thursday- it just expired last week and when not on the ice or in the gym, the dog will be helping me with my training!!

[RachelSk8er]

YES! I've put on way too much weight since college, I'd like to drop 20 by ANs and another 15 or so by vacation in July.

I know what to do, I used to be in excellent shape in college and very strict with food (actually, I had a bit of eating disorder issues at one point--I ate but spent hours at the gym). It's all just a matter of getting back on the wagon for me.

My problem is my SCHEDULE...with working full time (7:30am-4:30pm)--my office is 45 min away, going to law school 4 nights a week, all the studying and fitting in skating on top of that, I have a hard time fitting it in. My gym is right around the corner from my office, but so often I have to use my lunch hour to work extra, study, run errands, etc.

Right now I am planning to really watch the diet, get to the gym at least 3x/week (and I skate 3x/week--4 or 5 hrs total).

[kander]

First order of business: substitute water for the Diet Pepsi I usually chug all day. No calories in the Pepsi, of course, but I've heard it can make you retain fluid.

Is that true? I drink a lot of diet soda.

Kevin

[kander]

This is true, diet soda is just as bad for you as regular soda and it doesn't help weight loss in any way.

Doesn't it help you loose weight by substituting diet for regular? If what you say is true then I'd have to do a major re-evalutation of my diet. The only negative I've observed with diet soda is that it makes you hungrier if you are already hungry.

Kevin

[RachelSk8er]

Doesn't it help you loose weight by substituting diet for regular? If what you say is true then I'd have to do a major re-evalutation of my diet. The only negative I've observed with diet soda is that it makes you hungrier if you are already hungry.

Kevin

As a guy...it actually might. My boyfriend dropped a pant size (not sure how much weight, he never weighed himself) in a month by just switching from regular pop, gatorade and other drinks with calories to diet pop, tea and crystal light. BUT he hasn't lost anything since (not that he's trying to anyway). Some small changes will help at first but then you need to make further changes.

I used to be down to one diet pop OR coffee a day, but that has sort of changed with starting law school....now some days I might as well have an IV of one or the other going straight to my veins.

[Stormy]

Doesn't it help you loose weight by substituting diet for regular? If what you say is true then I'd have to do a major re-evalutation of my diet. The only negative I've observed with diet soda is that it makes you hungrier if you are already hungry.

Kevin

The artificial sweetners increase your appetite and the sodium can make you retain water. That's why diet isn't helpful for weight loss, usually. Not to mention what all soda can do to your teeth.

Coffee is my vice, one in the morning on the way to work and then maybe a decaf nonfat latte after lunch...I get calcium in the milk. :)

[flying~camel]

YES! I've put on way too much weight since college...

I'm with ya there! As soon I started a desk job, I started gaining weight. Ugh. :??

I've gained ~ 10lbs since AN 08, partly due to medications and partly due to my poor eating & exercise habits. I'm working on losing that + some, but not because of ANs - I'm doing it to improve my overall health and self-esteem. :)

My coach/personal trainer is going to help me put together a good eating plan that incorporates my favorite foods as well as some more healthy choices. I'm also looking at how I can boost my energy in the afternoons so I can't use the "I'm too tired" excuse to skip my aerobics classes after work! :giveup:

[kander]

The artificial sweetners increase your appetite and the sodium can make you retain water. That's why diet isn't helpful for weight loss, usually. Not to mention what all soda can do to your teeth.

Normally your stomach complains when it's hungry and you put something with no calories in it. A trick that I have found useful is to eat at little bit of food with the diet soda. It fools your stomach into thinking there is more there than there actually is.

Regarding water weight, that is not terribly important and easy to lose.

Kevin

[vesperholly]

A trick that I have found useful is to eat at little bit of food with the diet soda. It fools your stomach into thinking there is more there than there actually is.
Isn't that kind of missing the point of substituting diet for regular? ;)

[Skittl1321]

I think if you are drinking a TON of soda drinking diet instead of regular is probably better, because of the calories. But if you are drinking only a very small amount, regular is better than diet- and water is better than either.

My doctor said at one can per day or less I'd be better off drinking regular and having the calories. Of course, I hate the taste of regular coke, so I'm really trying to transition to water full time (I only drink water at work).

I am excited to try stevia, as I HATE splenda (the after taste kills me) and sacchrine and aspartame are both known to cause bad things.

[jazzpants]

Is that true? I drink a lot of diet soda. Well, it has a sodium, yes, but the weight is in water weight and NOT fat weight. That said...meh, can't hurt, if anything else, to keep your blood pressure low. ;)

Normally your stomach complains when it's hungry and you put something with no calories in it. A trick that I have found useful is to eat at little bit of food with the diet soda. It fools your stomach into thinking there is more there than there actually is.Yes, diet soda does work in that sense, but so does water, unsweetened herbal teas, sparkling water... :P

I try NOT to have too much diet sodas, but obviously I'm not gonna go cold turkey on those. I am now trying to get myself to go back to limiting my soy lattes (w/sugar free vanilla) to two 8oz (or one Grande) latte. To further reduce my calorie intake, I got the Silk Light Soy milk (regular soy milk is about 110 cal per 8oz cup. Light soy milk is 80 cal. per 8oz cup.) I'll probably pack the other one for later in the day. :)

For those who like cheese as snacks, I suggest switching to the Light Laughing Cow cheese. 35 calories per wedge and tastes great!!! I put it in my sandwiches and it's great on crackers with grapes and apples. (Yes, I do eat those knowingly at the risk of my dairy allergy... :twisted: )

I'm going back to my dietitian again. It's been 6 months. No wonder I'm gaining back weight. :roll: If you have access to a good dietitian, especially one that specializes with someone who does sports performance, go to that person!!! You'll feel great afterwards! Trust me on this one. :D

[doubletoe]

I don't know about the caffeine, but my Dr. is trying to get me off the diet coke (I only drink like 4-5 cans a week, so it doesn't seem too bad) because she says the sweeteners can actually prevent you from being successful at losing weight, because your body reacts to them in odd ways. (Not to mention the other problems they cause)

My doctor told me the same thing. The most recent studies on artificial sweeteners show that they desensitize the taste buds to sugar so that when someone does eat something with real sugar, they end up eating more of it. As a result, weight gain is actually a common result of switching to sugar substitutes. I think I've also heard that when you taste something sweet, your stomach gets the message that sugar is on its way down and gets ready to digest. Then, when nothing comes down to digest, you start feeling hungry.

[tidesong]

I want to gain muscle weight so that I can confound my relatives with my high weight when they complain that I'm skinny XD

[RachelSk8er]

Isn't that kind of missing the point of substituting diet for regular? ;)

Depends on what the food is. If you're sitting at your desk at work sipping a Diet Pepsi and munching on celery, green peppers, etc and you'd normally be eating something like chips or other crap (if your workplaces are anything like mine there is always tons of junk food around), you're better off. Snacking througout the day on healthy foods (green veggies, small amounts of almonds, cottage cheese, yogurt) is better for you anyway, it keeps the metabolism going and you eat smaller meals. Most commercial diet plans (i.e. Weight Watchers) allow you to eat unlimited amounts of green veggies.


Has anyone ever taken time off skating for some intense physical training/weight loss? I'm thinking of doing the best I can given my schedule and everything until after our May test session. By then classes will be over and I'll just be working 50 or so hrs a week, so I was thinking of taking 4-6 wks off skating to do some pretty intense fitness training in the gym. Given my work/law school/skating schedules, it's so hard to balance everything so my workouts are as effective as they could be (il.e. I usually have to choose between weights OR cardio). It's so hard for me to find ice and get lessons in the summer anyway since all the rinks around here gear their summer ice toward kids who aren't in school (M-F 8-5). I had a summer in college where I didn't really skate at all for an entire 4 months but was hitting the gym hard every day and eating properly, and actually was better off when I got back on the ice. So I figure 4-6 weeks to hit some fitness goals and get back into things shouldn't hurt my skating at all.

[Skate@Delaware]

I gained almost 10 pounds over the past few months (not just the holidays). School, the holidays, busy with my mom (she has a long-term illness) and my "off" days because of my back.

I'm trying to get back on track. going to sign back up at the gym (my son goes with me and we work out together).

We do a program called Turbulence Training that uses stacked bodyweight exercises and cardio intervals. We are in/out in less than an hour. 3x a week. We have had good results so far.

I have also cleaned out the cupboards and moved the "junk" food to another area so we can't get to it as easily (downstairs in the freezer).

I'm not losing for Nationals, but just overall. Coach informed me last night that my first competition of the season will be in February! I want to jiggle less by then!

[kateskate]

I've put on nearly a stone in the last year so I am now trying to lose weight - not in time for your Nationals but asap. It is hard though as I am not skating as much and eating too much cheese and chocolate.

[skaternum]

Skaters have to be particularly careful about losing weight too fast. It's bad for everyone, but for a skater, it can really mess with your balance and proprioception. I'd been skating for several months after my surgery when I decided to drop the weight I'd packed on from 2 years of forced inactivity. I miscalculated my daily caloric needs and dropped weight too quickly. It was weird because my center of gravity had changed, my limbs were all lighter, etc., and I had some temporary coordination issues on the ice. Lesson learned.

[Skate@Delaware]

Skaters have to be particularly careful about losing weight too fast. It's bad for everyone, but for a skater, it can really mess with your balance and proprioception. I'd been skating for several months after my surgery when I decided to drop the weight I'd packed on from 2 years of forced inactivity. I miscalculated my daily caloric needs and dropped weight too quickly. It was weird because my center of gravity had changed, my limbs were all lighter, etc., and I had some temporary coordination issues on the ice. Lesson learned.

You are so right about this! When I lost weight, I also lost my spins!!!!! My "booty" disappeared and along with it my lower center of gravity. Now I've spent the last 2 years learning how to spin again.

On the other hand, I am a better jumper.....:roll:

[airyfairy76]

Skaters have to be particularly careful about losing weight too fast. It's bad for everyone, but for a skater, it can really mess with your balance and proprioception. I'd been skating for several months after my surgery when I decided to drop the weight I'd packed on from 2 years of forced inactivity. I miscalculated my daily caloric needs and dropped weight too quickly. It was weird because my center of gravity had changed, my limbs were all lighter, etc., and I had some temporary coordination issues on the ice. Lesson learned.

I can certainly testify to this as well. In the last 14 months I have lost 5 and a half stone (80 pounds) and it has been a constant readjustment with my centre of gravity! (and that was losing at a healthy rate). I still have 6 pounds to lose to get to my goal of 135 pounds, but it is much slower now so I don't really notice it any more.

Apart from after Christmas - after gaining a few pounds like most of us do over the festive period, I felt so SLUGGISH! It's amazing how I used to manage to skate at all, lol.

[jazzpants]

Skaters have to be particularly careful about losing weight too fast. It's bad for everyone, but for a skater, it can really mess with your balance and proprioception. I'd been skating for several months after my surgery when I decided to drop the weight I'd packed on from 2 years of forced inactivity. I miscalculated my daily caloric needs and dropped weight too quickly. It was weird because my center of gravity had changed, my limbs were all lighter, etc., and I had some temporary coordination issues on the ice. Lesson learned.
Yeah, a similar thing happened to me last year when I lost about 15 lbs and I had to readjust all my technique to get back my loop jump. It wasn't as much of a struggle around Jan b/c I pretty much have gotten to my goal weight and instead of losing a lb a week, I was losing maybe a 1/2 lb a week.

So that's probably what I'm aiming for here... lose 1/2 lbs a week. I mean, I only have 2-3 lbs more to lose really.

My dietitian was careful to make sure that I don't lose too much a week during the time that I was really dropping weight. 1 think at highest, I lost like 1.5 to 2 lbs a week back then.

[Mrs Redboots]

I've put on nearly a stone in the last year so I am now trying to lose weight - not in time for your Nationals but asap. It is hard though as I am not skating as much and eating too much cheese and chocolate.

If it's any consolation, you don't look it!

[Mel On Ice]

My coach/personal trainer is going to help me put together a good eating plan that incorporates my favorite foods as well as some more healthy choices. I'm also looking at how I can boost my energy in the afternoons so I can't use the "I'm too tired" excuse to skip my aerobics classes after work! :giveup:

You can do it, I love you!

[jazzpants]

My dietitian was careful to make sure that I don't lose too much a week during the time that I was really dropping weight. 1 think at highest, I lost like 1.5 to 2 lbs a week back then.EGADS!!! My dietitian is GONE!!! 8O 8O 8O Got married probably too!!! They have another lady doing the job instead. Tried Googling her but can't find where she's at now. :cry:

[Kim to the Max]

I am not attending Nationals, however, I have been actively trying to lose some weight. When I first got back into skating in September '07, I was around 190 or so, at my heaviest, I was at 197. I weighed myself this weekend and found that I am now at 163 :D

I have lost the weight very gradually, which is good. And I have done it really through exercise (skating 5-6 times a week for a few hours each time does wonders!) and making sure that I am eating semi decently.

I am working on cutting out soda and eating breakfast on a regular basis.

[doubletoe]

Has anyone ever taken time off skating for some intense physical training/weight loss? I'm thinking of doing the best I can given my schedule and everything until after our May test session. By then classes will be over and I'll just be working 50 or so hrs a week, so I was thinking of taking 4-6 wks off skating to do some pretty intense fitness training in the gym. Given my work/law school/skating schedules, it's so hard to balance everything so my workouts are as effective as they could be (il.e. I usually have to choose between weights OR cardio). It's so hard for me to find ice and get lessons in the summer anyway since all the rinks around here gear their summer ice toward kids who aren't in school (M-F 8-5). I had a summer in college where I didn't really skate at all for an entire 4 months but was hitting the gym hard every day and eating properly, and actually was better off when I got back on the ice. So I figure 4-6 weeks to hit some fitness goals and get back into things shouldn't hurt my skating at all.

That actually sounds like a brilliant idea! I've heard a number of reports that shocking your body with a new exercise routine tends to really kick the metabolism into gear and burn calories.

[kander]

Has anyone ever taken time off skating for some intense physical training/weight loss?

If your only goal is to lose weight, then ice skating is your best bet. It burns more calories than the eliptical. Still, going to the gym is always a good idea. You need to keep your core muscles in shape (skating doesn't cover all the muscles)

[vesperholly]

If your only goal is to lose weight, then ice skating is your best bet. It burns more calories than the eliptical. Still, going to the gym is always a good idea. You need to keep your core muscles in shape (skating doesn't cover all the muscles)
Skating isn't great for cardio unless you're skating in circles or doing tons of program/moves/dance runthroughs. All the stopping most skaters do doesn't keep the heart rate elevated for long enough to start burning calories. I always skate better and have better endurance when I supplement my skating with off-ice cardio.

[Skate@Delaware]

If your only goal is to lose weight, then ice skating is your best bet. It burns more calories than the eliptical. Still, going to the gym is always a good idea. You need to keep your core muscles in shape (skating doesn't cover all the muscles)

If you want to lose weight, aside from watching what you eat, add intervals to your workout. They don't take long (10-20 minutes 3-4 times/week) and you can use: elliptical machine, treadmill, bike, running, stairs, etc. or last resort, skating (you have to be able to skate all out like a speed skater tho 8O to make them work).

Much more effective than just plodding along at a steady pace.

[RachelSk8er]

If your only goal is to lose weight, then ice skating is your best bet. It burns more calories than the eliptical. Still, going to the gym is always a good idea. You need to keep your core muscles in shape (skating doesn't cover all the muscles)

No, skating won't do that. It may be good for someone who isn't already in good shape...but for someone like me who has some weight to lose but is already in good shape cardiovascular-wise, (have no problem with cardio for extended periods keeping the heart rate in target zones, quick recovery time, etc, I actually have really good strength and a lot of muscle mass, it just needs to be "uncovered" :lol:), weight loss requires the right combination of cardiovascular and strength training that you can't achieve with skating alone. Mixing long, steady cardio sessions with short interval sessions, circuit training, free weights, mat-based strength training, etc is what it takes. I actually don't do the elliptical, I do almost all my cardio either running on the treadmill or swimming laps. I trick myself into working out harder on the treadmill and nothing burns more calories than swimming (and helps with strength).

And diet is about 80% of the game.

So kind of my thought there with taking some time off skating this summer is just so I can beat the crap out of myself in the gym without worrying about being too tired or sore for skating....and after a good month of intensity in the gym, my body should be fully back "into" it where endurance will be way up, and my muscles will be able to recover more quickly from strength training so I won't have to worry as much about being too sore to skate (and skating while sore, making it even worse).

And today I WILL stay away from the candy dish at work! :lol: I wasn't too bad yesterday....until last night, broke down and drank a pop while I was studying.

[kateskate]

If it's any consolation, you don't look it!


Thank you. I have put the weight on in weird places that possibly aren't that noticeable with the right clothes. But the weight is definitely there. I wore a dress for New Years Eve which fitted me with room to spare in Jan 08 and in Dec 08 it barely did up (I managed in the end) and left a horrible red mark where it had dug into me all night. If I keep going my skating dresses won't fit me so I need to sort it out now!

[NCSkater02]

Skaters have to be particularly careful about losing weight too fast. It's bad for everyone, but for a skater, it can really mess with your balance and proprioception. I'd been skating for several months after my surgery when I decided to drop the weight I'd packed on from 2 years of forced inactivity. I miscalculated my daily caloric needs and dropped weight too quickly. It was weird because my center of gravity had changed, my limbs were all lighter, etc., and I had some temporary coordination issues on the ice. Lesson learned.

Tell me about it--I had to completely re-learn how to skate after my reduction. I still hunch and lean forward 5+ years out.

[kander]

And diet is about 80% of the game.


That's very true. I'd say that diet is even more than 80 percent of losing weight. If you look at the numbers it's clear. Skating intensly for an hour you can burn 600 calories. That's only a couple of of candy bars. To lose one pound you have to burn about 3500 calories. Conversely, if you get a large ice cream at Cold Stone you take in an entire days worth of calories (based on a 2000 calorie diet).

I've based losing weight on a numbers game. I keep track of everything going in and the amount of calories I burn and the numbers seem to add up.

One way of getting an accurate read on the number of calories you're eating is to eat pre-packaged food that has the calories printed right on the box. All the chain restaraunts publish their calorie count, so you can eat out and know what you're getting. A great place to find out what calories are in pretty much everything is to go to www.calorieking.com (http://www.calorieking.com)

On the other side of the equation, you can get an accurate read on the calories you burn by using a heart rate monitor. These devices can tell you how many calories you're burning based on your heart rate, height, gender, weight, age, etc. I always wear a Polar heart rate monitor when I skate to keep track of how much work I've done. Sometimes I'll keep skating when I would otherwise quit simply to meet a calorie goal.

[doubletoe]

No, skating won't do that. It may be good for someone who isn't already in good shape...but for someone like me who has some weight to lose but is already in good shape cardiovascular-wise, (have no problem with cardio for extended periods keeping the heart rate in target zones, quick recovery time, etc, I actually have really good strength and a lot of muscle mass, it just needs to be "uncovered" :lol:), weight loss requires the right combination of cardiovascular and strength training that you can't achieve with skating alone. Mixing long, steady cardio sessions with short interval sessions, circuit training, free weights, mat-based strength training, etc is what it takes. I actually don't do the elliptical, I do almost all my cardio either running on the treadmill or swimming laps. I trick myself into working out harder on the treadmill and nothing burns more calories than swimming (and helps with strength).

That sounds very smart. Aerobic exercise for 30 minutes or more will also keep your metabolism higher throughout the day so that you burn more calories when you aren't exercising. And of course muscle burns more calories than fat, so the muscle you build up with the skating and weight training makes you burn even more calories throughout the day! :D

[TimDavidSkate]

Yeps - at least 5 lbs and get rid of my spare tire :halo:

[jazzpants]

CRAP!!! :x. My health insurance at my current workplace is SUCKY!!! It does not cover dietitians UNLESS I have diabetes!!! Ummm... isn't that what I'm supposed to AVOID by having a dietitian in the FIRST place!?!?! :frus:

[Skittl1321]

CRAP!!! :x. My health insurance at my current workplace is SUCKY!!! It does not cover dietitians UNLESS I have diabetes!!! Ummm... isn't that what I'm supposed to AVOID by having a dietitian in the FIRST place!?!?! :frus:

Your old workplace must have just been awesome- I've never seen health insurance that covered a dietician at any of my workplaces, or my parents old plans when I was under them.

[skaternum]

Your old workplace must have just been awesome- I've never seen health insurance that covered a dietician at any of my workplaces, or my parents old plans when I was under them.

My health insurance covers this. Not too many visits per year, something like 5 or so.

[RachelSk8er]

I switched my diet on Sunday to the diet I was on in college that kept me nice and thin (after Saturday night's "last supper" at a Hibachi place for my best friend's birthday). The spectacular cocktail dress I ordered for my law school's formal in March (clearance, non-returnable from Ann Taylor, a $200 dress I paid $45 for after tax, shipping, etc) is a tad too small, so I think this is the final kick in the butt I need to get myself in gear. Not to mention I need to look hot for my 10 yr HS reunion in June if I decide to go, and my vacation in July. And I recently found my old synchro senior long dress from 97 that would be great to bling up for the Starlight and the gold waltzes, but it's also too small now.

I've basically cut way down on carbs (other than whole wheat products and fruit in moderation and unlimited green veggies) and had no caffiene yesterday. That on top of the never-ending sinus infection with a throbbing headache behind my L eye is leaving me feeling like complete crapola :( So I didn't make it to the gym this morning as planned because I could hardly drag my butt out of bed.

Anyone else have the never-ending sinus infection going around? Everyone in my office seems to have it, we're not a happy bunch.