SKATE TIP OF THE WEEK
Inline secrets from the world's top skaters and coaches

This week's tip:

Keeping Off the Holiday Pounds
How to avoid seasonal weight gain

By Penny Wright
 

Holiday feasting is fabulous. But it's not free. It comes with a side effect: the New Year’s Resolution.

Yep, I’m no different. I may be a personal trainer who knows better, but I love my chocolate. In fact, I make over 20 flavors of fudge every year and — Oh, no! — I love them all, which explains why I have been known to put on a "winter coat" of 10 pounds.

But no more! Shedding that "winter coat" is too much work.

So how do you enjoy the feasting without expanding two sizes?

The bottom line, folks, is moderation. Just say "no" to one more piece of pie, one more glass of wine, one more slice of ham.

It's true: you are what you eat. If you enjoy 10,000 calories of holiday cheer, you'll have that many calories to burn off in the new year. ... And that's going to take some time.

The average skater burns 350 calories an hour. At that rate, you need 28 hours to erase 10,000 calories.

Another way to think of it is to in terms of those extra pounds. You need to burn about 3500 calories to drop one pound of fat. So it will take 10 hours of skating to burn one pound. Multiply that by a "winter coat" of 10 pounds, and you are going to be doing a lot of skating before you get back to Ground Zero. ... Good thing skating is fun!

Of course, the best thing to do is not to add the extra pounds in the first place. Here's how:

1) Reduce your fork speed

For skaters, speed is great. For eaters, not so good. Slow down at the dinner table. Eat smaller portions. Concentrate on savoring your food.

Just because someone slaved all day to make that feast doesn't mean you have to eat everything in sight.

2) Pre-emptive calorie burning

Changing your workout routine typically makes your muscles work harder. The result: more calories burned.

Here are three workout variables you can modify: workout frequency, duration and intensity. Increase any of these, and you will burn more calories.

But don't change them all at once. That can lead to burnout, which often leads to fudge eating. Change one workout variable at a time.

3) Break the mold

Don't make a habit of defeat. Evaluate your past eating and exercise strategies and make a new plan! What didn't work before is unlikely to work now.

4) The real you

Set your mind to become the person you want to be and do something concrete to become that person — like not eating that fifth piece of fudge!

Set a small attainable goal for yourself and make it happen. Even a small step forward starts you in the right direction.

5) Good dog

Give yourself a pat on the back when you achieve a goal. ... Praise is the lube of personal growth.

6) Let it go

Stress is a hungry monster. Tame it with some stretching or meditation ... or take a walk ... or watch "It's a Wonderful Life." Realign your mind, body and spirit and your appetite will often settle down.

Happy holidays!

Dec. 11, 2009

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Penny Wright is a personal trainer, fitness instructor and member of the Bont North America racing team. She owns the AZSk8right Inline Skate School in Phoenix and was the founder of the Predator Speed Skate Club. She posted a lofty personal best in 1998 when she set the record for master women at the Northshore Inline Marathon. Ten years later, her mark (1:12:07) still stands.

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Related reading:

• Skate Tip of the Week Archive
• Beginners Guide to Outdoor Racing
• Beginners Guide to Inline Skating