I'm one of your well-insulated types, so cold isn't a problem for me! And my husband, although skinny, never feels the cold, either.

When I skated out of doors in sub-freezing temperatures, some years ago now (this is not normally possible in the UK, but we were visiting my daughter in Switzerland), I wore, from the inside: thermal spencer and long-johns, thermal socks (the very thin microfibre ones you can get in catalogues), a polo-neck, leggings, knitted boot-covers, a fleece jacket, microfibre gloves and I think a Balaclava. And I was well warm enough, if not too hot!

The one time I have been really, really, REALLY cold when skating was in Dunkerque last year at the Dune of Flanders Cup. I found then that a woollen cardigan I own was a great deal warmer than the fleece jersey I normally wear at competitions - I even wore it to warm up my Interpretive in!

As for reusable hand-warmers, my parents use a kind that burn a stick of charcoal very slowly, which stay warm for hours when they are out-of-doors. I don't know where you could get them from, nor even whether they are particularly desirable on the ice (what if you dropped them?). You can also get the wax kind that you replenish by boiling for six minutes, but they do not hold their heat very long.

Or you can buy (or make) mini wheat bags, which again don't hold the heat for very long, but are very nice while they do!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

The digestive system creates a lot of body heat. If you've been dieting by cutting right down on food altogether, or by some food supplement like the Cambridge Diet, then your body might have gone into "starvation mode" where it lowers its basal metabolic rate.

If that's the case, buy a calorie-counting book, count to 1250 or 1500 calories (or 2000 if you are at target weight) and eat plenty of bulky low-calorie foods like fresh fruit (apples, pears, melon, pineapple) and vegetables (cabbage, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, celery), some low-calorie fillers (jacket potatoes, boiled brown rice), and low-fat protein like chicken (protein requires/generates more digestive heat). Eat at least three times a day.

This should kick-start the digestive system working full-time again and raise your body heat.

Regarding clothes, I find cotton is quite cold - polyester velvet and polyester fleecey jackets, or wool are best; thermal vests and leotards can be useful.

While we’re discussing fluffy pants options for women: anyone out there know any particular manufacturers whose stuff runs long? I am tallish (about 5’9”), with fairly long legs. Even finding normal pants is a challenge, as I’m also pretty thin (thanks to genetics) – it is really hard to find things that are long enough in the legs and small enough on top.

--wannask8

wannask8, try Capezio. They tend to run tall and thin. There were some great deals on one of the discount websites that many of us ordered from. I can't remember the name, but I'm sure someone here will.

Here's the site referred to above:

http://www.dancefactoryoutlet.com/index.html

In winter I wear thermal underwear under my skating clothes.

Skating clothes:
1 or 2 short sleeve T shirts
2 long sleeve tops
1 cardigan
2 pairs leggings or tights and leggings.

I warm up off ice till I'm warm all over. Fifteen minutes of jogging and stretching and off ice jumps.

Keep moving on the ice.

Wear 2 pairs of tights.
Wear gloves.
If allowed, wear a hat or a woolen head band.....loads of heat escapes from your head.

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MEL
Absolute Skating

I'm making a fleece jacket and top, didn't find any I liked at our Walmart store - most of theirs had at least 50% cotton. I'll see how the well the fabric does as a top before decided whether to make pants out of the same material. The pants at Walmart were also very baggy, not what I'm looking for at all. I checked out the above website, their prices look great, even in U.S. funds, but I'm going to hold off ordering until I find out if I get a job I've applied for. I'm crossing my fingers

Edited to add: I lost my weight through Weight Watchers, so I've been eating healthier for the last six or eight months than for a long time. I think I'm also going looking for some thin thermal socks, maybe Marks Work Warehouse will have them. Or a sports store.

Katie, I don't remember if this is where I got mine, but these are similar (same brand, just different year's product, I think), and while not quite the price I paid (I only paid $25 per piece, but that was an amazing sale), they're still cheaper than most sites will have them. Look at the grey ones at lower right.

http://www.mycoartistic.com/warm-ups.htm

I believe I ordered size medium, and I'm about 5'1", and was about 130lbs at the time.

I honestly can't recommend these enough...they're WARM! Wear a pair of tights under them, and you're good to go. I recommend wearing a leotard or a very long shirt on top though, because the back of my jacket will tend to ride up a little bit...even an inch of exposed back is COLD! If you want, you can just get pants, and stick with a cheaper jacket from a discount store, or homemade if you wish. Just make sure that it's either snug-fitting, or has elastic or a drawstring to keep drafts out!



I'll post more links if I find them....

Looks like Skate-Mart's got similar for about the same price...

http://www.skate-mart.com/catalog/warmups.shtml?

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"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
--Thomas Jefferson

www.signingtime.com ~sign language fun for all!

But, if you have a larger rear end or thighs or stomach, Capezio fleece pants don't fit very well. They fit better if you're slim hipped.

The Capezio pants fit more like leggings, so there's little room underneath for leggings. I ordered a medium, and then exchanged for a large, but they were only longer, not larger. I'm 5-2 and 120.

I too feel the cold more since losing 22 pounds two years ago. Might I suggest that you try glove liners? You should be able to find them at a ski store. They have metallic threads in them and they tend to "conduct" heat better to your fingers. I have to wear mine in the winter months. A hat or thick headband over your ears may also helpl


Beth

I have 2 pairs of the Capezio zipper up the side polar fleece pants. Can't tell much of a difference in each except for length. One pair is Large, the other Extra Large.

I'm 5 feet, 150 pounds or so.

I suppose that's true...I'm a 'thin' 130lbs, if such a thing's possible! I've found that my leggings are slightly higher in the front than the back, so a pudgy tummy might be ok, but a larger backside might be more difficult to fit. I still love my leggings to death, though!

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"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
--Thomas Jefferson

www.signingtime.com ~sign language fun for all!

Today I had the opposite problem: I was far too hot! I wore leggings instead of my usual skirt-and-tights, and first off, felt so self-conscious that I was sticking out behind, so I went and got my skirt and put it on over the top. But oh dear, I was hot! I was then skating in a thick coat (for my Interpretive programme - don't ask!), and although I'd taken my sweatshirt off and just had a thin polo top underneath, I thought I was going to melt into a tiny pool of melted butter!

Even when I took the coat off and put my skirt back on, I was dripping.....

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Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Staying dry is a good start. For an under layer, if you don't like the silk thermals, try a Coolmax t-shirt. You can get them at REI (definitely buy the REI brand and not the brand names like Columbia etc. b/c REI brand is cheaper). It's a moisture wicking fabric that takes the sweat away from your skin and dries very quickly. I wear them to aerobics and as much as I sweat, I never ever FEEL sweaty. They're thin enough to wear under almost anything; not bulky at all. I know you can get long sleeved versions as well and if you don't have an REI store available to you, LL Bean also sells the Coolmax T's. Also, Target has a line of workout clothing called Pro-Spirit and I've found their moisture wicking clothing to work equally as well as the Coolmax stuff and it's a LOT less expensive. There are also Coolmax "yoga pants" and Pro-Spirit pants if you want to wear slacks while skating.

Another fabric that is incredible is Schoeller Dryskin. I've seen it sold in REI and LL Bean as well and it is just as awesome.

I think this was mentioned already (I'm too lazy to review the entire thread), but it's worth a restatement. We're all (myself included) focusing a lot on what you wear, but what you do before is probably more important.

Before you step onto the ice, do a *serious* warmup. Your body should already be almost hot by the time you start skating. It's easier to get warm off-ice and try to stay warm on the ice than it is to try to get warm on the ice. (Did you follow that bizarre sentence?) So warm up with stretching and a good 5-10 minutes of cardio work. Get your heart pumping, then go skate!

skaternum

Yesterday I went to Marks Work Warehouse and asked about thermal socks etc. The girl was really helpful and recommended WindRiver polypropylene liners, you can wear them under thicker socks, or alone. The packaging says Wonder Wick. I tried them today and my feet got a little cool at one point, but not bad. I might try again on Friday with another thin pair over them. ($11.99 for two pairs) I also bought Stanfield's Polar-therm long underwear - they also have wicking properties. ($29.99) And, lastly, I bought PolarKnits insulating gloves, to wear under my regular gloves. All these things, combined with a polar fleece top and jacket, with poly tear away pants, kept me totally comfortable when I skated today. And, I had a fabulous skate So, I think what I'm going to do is bookmark these sites and when I get this job, or any job, I'll start suplimenting my skating wardrobe. I still want pants and another jacket and top. The socks are hand wash only, so I can see me forever washing out my socks every night
Oh yes, I also warmed up a bit off the ice yesterday and today. About 20 jumping jacks, and stretches for about 5 minutes. Will try to lengthen the time on Friday.

P.S. When I looked in my closet yesterday, trying to find some kind of top other than cotton, would you believe I could only find one old silk shirt and one linen shirt! I always knew I liked natural fibres, but this was a bit ridiculous. I can't totally give up my cotton sweaters, (I have about 7 of them in various colours), but maybe I'll try some thin poly or fleece tops for underneath.

I wouldn't recommend that, actually. Wearing either thick socks, or more than one pair of socks is a speedy route to blisters. New skaters often feel that 'thicker=warmer=better', but that's not really the case.

Also, I don't remember if you said what kind of skates you're wearing--your own, or rentals? Have you been fitted well? I've found that if my skates fit the way they're supposed to, VERY snugly, my feet don't get cold (and I tend to run cold in regular life anyway). I actually only wear nylon knee-hi's on my feet, not even skating tights, and my feet are almost never cold, even in frigid rinks. I have found that in very cold rinks, sometimes I do appreciate the warmth of microfiber footed tights however....warm on the feet, warm on the legs! And they don't shift around under pants like long underwear will sometimes do.

Making sure that you aren't cutting off circulation by making the laces too tight over the arch area is also a great help. Not only will feet get cold if it's too tight, but it can cause foot cramps too. Yank 'em at the ankle bend, but just let them sit on the foot.

I hope you're discovering what works for you! It's slightly different for everyone, and it's a journey, but you eventually find your way!

__________________
"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
--Thomas Jefferson

www.signingtime.com ~sign language fun for all!

Actually, my skates are Jackson, Competitor. I got them about two years ago and I'm almost guilty that I've never had a problem with them ever. No blisters or sores - they fit beautifully right from day 1. I know others have had problems with Jacksons, but they work well for me.

This has been a fantastic experience for me to have all your help with this problem. Thank you everyone, for your comments and suggestions - so much to think about and try.

I've been wearing a zip-up top to skating recently. I checked the label the other day. "100% Cotton". D'oh!

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"It’s never too late to skate at any age." - Alexei Mishin.

(Thanks, flo and Elsy2. I have to head to NJ later this month, so hopefully I can fit in a quick side trip to Wayne to check out Dance Factory Outlet.)

-- wannask8

Elsy2, thanks for the link! I just ordered fleece pants and jacket from there recently and the order came less than 24 hours later without rush shipment! Their prices on fleece were great, and their stuff has a snugger fit than what Old Navy, Target, etc. carry.

I bought a small (followed their sizing chart) jacket but am going to exchange it up for a medium one--it's too snug to fit layers under.

The one odd thing about the side zip pants is that the zippers go all the way up, and the zippers do this odd rumply-thingy so I have bulges on the sides of my legs. They're very warm though.

FYI for anyone ordering from the site, be careful--if you place your order by phone, they add a $5 service charge.

Here's my typical rink attire...heh.

*1 pair of skating tights under a pair of pants. If I wear a skirt, I put on an extra pair of tights.
*regular long sleeve shirt under a mock-turtleneck, which goes under my sweater or sweatshirt.

Many thanks to flo and Elsy who suggested Dance Factory Outlet and Capezio for fleece pants for the longer-legged. I picked up a few pair at the Wayne store – they not only fit, but were also marked down to only $5 each, a real steal.

-- wannask8

I was there last Friday morning and had a real shopping frenzy with everything marked down to $5. Brought home several dresses which have already been distributed.

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