Impact of weight loss

[Meli]

I've often read about how growth spurts and weight gain affect younger skaters, sometimes stalling progress or causing the need to re-learn or re-work skills.  I'm curious as to how weight loss will impact skills.  I can see where you could theoretically get a higher jump, due to having to carry less weight, but could it throw off your rotation or your spins?  I would think that the speed of weight loss would definitely play a role as well, as would actual amount (losing 25 vs losing 50).

Thoughts?

[sarahspins]

Most of the difference I have personally experienced has to do with having much more energy and better endurance as I've lost weight.  Single jumps, MIF, and spins are fairly uneffected for me.

[Rachelsk8s]

I have lost a little bit of weight, not sure how much exactly because I never weigh myself but I know that I'm fitting in pants 1-2 sizes smaller than what I used to wear so that's good!! Anyhow, what I've noticed with my skating is pretty much what sarahspins said; my energy and endurance has drastically improved, with that being said I've also added muscle as I've been going to the gym at least 4 times a week. I don't think it's impacted my skating as far as messing up skills or elements. I've noticed my jumps and spins feel more secure and consistent but I attribute that to having a stronger core as well. I think what you mentioned with the amount of weight being lost and the rate in which it's lost may effect ones skating.

[SynchKat]

I have lost about 30 or 40lb since the summer and I can tell you my twizzles are better.  I can find my centre of balancer a lot better.  Not to mention stamina and kpjust general ease on the ice has returned.  I am about the weight I was when I was competing and I feel great.  Everything just seems that little bit easier. 

I skate on an adult synchro team and my family can't pick me out on the team because I look so different.  . That is another impact.  . Heck sometimes I don't even recognize myself

[amy1984]

I lost 30 pounds quite quickly as a side effect to some meds I was on.  Fast as in like 2 months (I think... maybe less...).  It was literally falling off me.  It did effect my skating quite a bit.  Because it happened so fast, I would often surprise myself by jumping higher than I had intended, or turning/spinning quicker.  My center of balance was also off because it was constantly changing.  It certainly took some getting used to once the weight loss slowed.  But I don't think others would experience this if they lost wieght in a more controlled manner.  The way I lost weight effected me for the same reason a growth spurt effects skaters - it happened really suddenly and quickly.

However, I now have better control and better endurance.  In the end, the weight loss was a positive.

[davincisop]

Thank you for making this thread.

As someone whose weight has fluctuated for years, I've noticed that when I've gained weight that it will throw off my elements and balance, but when I lose my skating is a heck of a lot better.

Back when I was 20 pounds lighter, skating was easier. Starting my own "company" and making sure I survived a year took precedence over my weight though and I gained 20 pounds last year. 

Now I'm on a track to lose what I gained and more. I have always had weight issues, but changing my eating habits will help and getting in my gym workouts.
Today my plan is "yoga for weight loss" in my studio since I'm on a tight deadline and can't break to get over to the gym.

I'm excited to see how weight loss will affect everything.

[Meli]

Personally, I'm a bit top heavy, so I'm hoping that losing some weight will make me less tippy on certain things.

[FigureSpins]

Personally, I'm a bit top heavy, so I'm hoping that losing some weight will make me less tippy on certain things.

My bff and I always joke that that's the LAST place where we show weight loss.  That said, I'm proud to say I had to buy smaller undies recently.  Not to mention, my layback spin is much, much stronger now.  35 lbs down, still working on the rest.

[icedancer]

It never occured to me until this thread that I am feeling better on the ice since losing 20 pounds in the last few years (going on a gluten free diet and skating more is what did it!)-

Whoot-whoot - buying new clothes has been interesting and fun as well!

[ChristyRN]

Personally, I'm a bit top heavy, so I'm hoping that losing some weight will make me less tippy on certain things.

Then you might appreciate that I practically had to relearn to skate after I had my reduction. My center of gravity changed. However, I never lost the bad habit of leaning forward and I still struggle with staying off my toepicks 10 years later, especially going backwards.

When the ex and I split up, I lost 20 pounds in two weeks. I skated much lighter (I think it was because I was light headed from not eating  ) and got more height in my jumps.

[taka]

When I started back skating I lost a lot of weight. Almost everything got easier - especially my stamina and my knees liked it a lot more too. Annoyingly my foot shape changed a bit too so my skates didn't fit me anywhere nearly as well as they did.

Sadly I've put the weight back on and I really feel the difference - it takes so much more for me to manage to do things and my knees hate it. Knee bend is something I find harder now and you all know how important that is in skating!

[TreSk8sAZ]

I've lost some weight recently, and am working on losing more. I am tall (for a female skater) at 5'9" and basically 90% legs, so that already affects my center of gravity. Where I am noticing it the most (other than stamina, but that comes with running programs for me and doesn't necessarily translate to weight loss in my body) is in my spins and footwork. It doesn't seem like I have to work as hard to get around myself on my turns and footwork. Also, in spins it seems easier to get into position and hold it there, especially on camel. I'm not super bendy, but even the sit and tuck positions are getting easier as there isn't as much of me to get in the way!

[tazsk8s]

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I joined a health club. Both of us need to lose weight - I'm a good 50 lbs over what is generally considered "healthy" for my height. Knowing that I cannot be trusted to work out on my own at the intensity needed to lose weight, I joined what is basically their weight loss boot camp class. 3x/week of high intensity cardio, with some core and light upper body thrown in. I have a bad left ACL (thankfully NOT my landing side) and told the guy from day 1 "no running", so I do an incline walk instead, which is NOT easy either. The guy is kicking our collective butts, but I need that right now.

Fast forward to now. I'm probably down about 5 to 5 1/2 in the two weeks (will know for sure when we weigh in tonight). Not a "huge" weight loss, but at my last lesson my coach commented that I was looking much more stable when I needed to be over a particular side (ie skating side on the backspin). I'm not flopping around as much as I used to, and I can check things like the Prelim alternating 3's much better.  I can also feel my stamina is a little better on the ice (also good as I'm testing Prelim moves in about a month).  Jumps are sometimes higher, but I'm fighting with some bad technique right now that I've picked up from trying to launch so much extra weight into the air, so they're not all that consistent right now.

For what it's worth I can't really tell by how my pants fit yet, but I'm carrying SO much of my extra weight in my tush and tummy that it's probably going to take a little while longer for me to feel that. Hubby did notice as I was getting out of the hot tub yesterday after working out (my reward for surviving) that it's noticeable in my upper back and upper arms. Not where I *wanted* it to be noticeable right off the bat, but I'll take anything I can right now.

[alejeather]

Congratulations, tazsk8s! Sounds like you're off to a great start. I think 2.5 lbs per week is great progress, and as far as I know, about as fast as sustainable weight loss tends to go. Glad to hear it's making a difference in your skating, too!

[Meli]

So it looks like there may be hope for my spins if I lose a few.  Good to know!

I'm committing myself to testing and possibly competing in July, to give me the jab of fear (dress and tights... Eek!)  that I need to stay motivated.

[Rachelsk8s]

So it looks like there may be hope for my spins if I lose a few.  Good to know!

I'm committing myself to testing and possibly competing in July, to give me the jab of fear (dress and tights... Eek!)  that I need to stay motivated.

Looking better in tights and a dress was one of my first ambitions for toning up but now that I've been regularly going to the gym for the past 5 months it has definitely made my skating much better overall my coach was just talking to me about how my jumps and spins and the quickness of my skating overall has improved. I find I can also hold spins for more revolutions as well, yay

[davincisop]

I just joined weight watchers a few days ago and started today. I will keep everyone updated on how this goes. I plan on competing in October and have about 55 pounds to lose.

[Vicki7]

For me, losing a fair bit of weight has had 3 major impacts.

1. My feet have changed shape, to the point where I think I need new skates
2. I have more energy on the ice.
3. I feel comfortable enough to wear tights and a skirt/dress/

[techskater]

I lost about 60 pounds a few years back and I went from struggling on my jumps to having spring and being able to rotate better and faster.  I have now lost about 10 but have "redistributed" in that I have replaced fat with muscle through on and off ice work over the last year and half and my jumps have better spring, spins are faster, and ice coverage looks less effort-ful (is that a word?) 

[tazsk8s]

Another positive impact from my weight loss boot camp class. Today we ran through the Prelim MITF straight through as if it was a test session. I last tried this in November before my originally planned test date (which I eventually had to scratch from due to a pulled hamstring that made most of the test very painful and spirals near impossible). When we did this in November my stamina was miserable, I had to plan at least 3 water breaks and still couldn't get through the test without completely sucking wind. We both agreed that my stamina is exponentially better (even with my fighting a head cold at the moment), and I've still got a month to improve it even more. I only had to pause for water after the power 3's which is halfway through the test.

Down 6.2 as of Monday's "official" weigh in. I would dearly love to lose at least 1.8 by next weeks' weigh-in so I can pass a "zero" number. It will be the first time I have been below that "zero" in at least two years, probably longer. Several more "zeros" to go, but the first one is probably the coolest.