Central Arkansas Roller Derby and Fueling Up!

In my endeavors to become a strong Roller Derby Girl that is in shape there have been many things that I have had to take into account! First hurdle for me was Fueling your body, Second had to be how do I train outside of practice, Third hurdle has been the right type of equipment. So let's start with why I chose roller derby then I will hit on the first topic of diet and food. It was Spring Break and I am an Algebra 1 teacher at the historical Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas. My husband and 2 kids had left for the week for vacation but due to numerous doctor appointments and dental appointments that could not be done during work I chose to stay at home by myself to fill the appointments on my list. I had found out at an early dental appointment that most of my teeth needed crown work due to all the throwing up I did while pregnant and acid reflux. I was depressed and had not been working out since the summer before. I had done nothing once the stressful school year had started. The only thing I had carried over from the summer was eating right by avoiding fast food and alcohol and cooking ahead of time and taking my lunch to work and drinking all water. So I was at home... alone.... and depressed. I decided to text a rather new friend I had made through my husbands work to find out if I could hang out with her. She texted me back and said she was busy that night with Roller Derby but I was welcome to come watch a practice. ROLLER DERBY... I thought. I used to love skating! I quickly asked if I could skate and she replied back with a "sure but it will not be just a skate around the track and be silly type of skating." I immediately thought I don't care as long as I get to put on skates. So I headed to practice that night and met the coaches and filled out paper work. I literally could not get off the carpet that night because I had not skated in 15 years. I was so embarrassed by my lack of ability to skate that it triggered a challenge in my brain. "No body tells me what I can and can not do" Plus on the bright side dues were free for the first month and then the second month only 20 dollars and I could practice with a coach training me for 2 hours 3 times a week! There isn't a personal trainer that costs that little and I loved skating as a kid... This can't get any better! So I kept going and doing additional practices on off nights to get some skate time in and get my legs back under me! So the food issue started arising as I got into the swing of practice. My doctor had me eating only 800 calories a day to 1000 and he also had me on a prescription weight loss drug. Practice had me so Hyped up that I had kind of put the weight loss drug aside and had not used it since. I had started Roller Derby and the 800-1000 calorie thing I knew was not going to work. I kept taking my lunch and though I knew I was suppose to be snaking prior to starting Roller Derby I was not. I was only eating about 3 meals a day. Once I started Roller Derby practice I was hungry all the time but at the same time I was getting full quicker. I snacked and snacked between classes, after school and after practice. I made sure the day before practice and the day of... to have a large breakfast that were healthy. I love organic vanilla yogurt and cereal, crustless quiches that were made of egg whites, tomatoes, feta and other ingredients. I made sure to eat plenty for breakfast. Lunch was rather big too! I remember taking my lunch one day and having a fellow coworker just stare at me until she said, "Are you really going to eat all of that?" I looked at her and smiled and said yes. I had a left over Steak we had grilled during the weekend, a whole wheat flat round and some mustard, a cup of fruit and a huge baked sweet potato. I was so hungry that I ended up not making the sandwich and eating the steak like I was an animal just biting straight into it! Then I ate the wheat round and half of my sweet potato. She looked at me so shocked and said that it could not be helping my diet to eat like that. I just laughed and drank my water. During my Prep period I ate a handful of Coco dusted almonds and the rest of my sweet potato. That afternoon before practice I ate a peanut butter sandwich on a wheat round... no jelly and a banana. I started eating 3 to 2 hours before practice because my nerves would get to me plus you don't want to skate on a heavy stomach I have learned. My other favorites were taking Grilled Chicken and tearing it up over a salad with all types of wonderful ingredients in it and a light dressing, dried fruit and so many other things. I learned that the less processed it is the better I felt for practice! One afternoon before practice I had made the mistake of not taking a nap and instead studying for the written test and since I was so tired I thought I would take one of my weight loss pills because it hypes me up and helps me focus. Well I did and I was wide awake and felt ok until I finished the warm ups at practice. We do 100 laps for a warm up at practice and 50 of those laps go clockwise and 50 counter clockwise then we pack up and do pack drills. We take a water break and then we usually break off into "Tot" practice and team practice. (Tot in our league is a new skater who is learning skills that need to be learned in order to pass the minimal skills test in order to play roller derby) So I had gotten my water and skated over to the Tot practice and I felt my body shaking. A fellow Tot was looking at me like I was an alien. She asked if I was ok and needed to sit down. I said I am just shaky and felt weird. I stood there for a moment and regained some control. I couldn't push myself that night and I sat with Slambert my coach and we discussed what had been different about the day and I told her about the pill. She looked at me and said not to ever take that pill again. I haven't and I have learned that I was putting my heart under a lot of stress by doing such high endurance work while on an amphetamine. I have learned I have better practices when I fuel properly and I can't afford to be harming my body with unneeded chemicals. There have been days where I have had a practice and I can tell I have not fueled properly and I get mad at myself. My thinking now on eating is not a matter of will it cause me to gain weight, but a matter of how will this fuel me for practice and how will it sit during a practice. Food is Fuel and yes it can be great tasting but what it boils down to is not the desire to eat for the taste but for what it does for my Body! Don't get me wrong... I still eat for taste especially in Louisiana but now I have a better balance on things.

Me and My Roller Derby Girls

Me and My Roller Derby Girls! These are of course only a few of them and I love them dearly! Fun times and a great way to get in shape mentally and physically!

Roller Derby and Trips

This past Summer I was on the Road a lot and with the need to keep my legs in shape and prepare myself for the Roller Derby Minimal Skills Test I asked Roller Derby Teams from the areas I was staying in If I could practice with them. In the pictures I have posted are two beautiful ladies from The Louisiana Swamp Dolls who I was able to practice with. The Swamp Dolls are out of the Pearl River area. They split their practices between Slidell Louisiana and Picayune Mississippi. While I was with them we practiced at my old skating home, Skater's Paradise. The Rink had changed drastically due to Hurricane Katrina but it felt like coming home. The pictures were taken at a double header bout in New Orleans where the Swamp Dolls took on the Crescent Wenches. It was so much fun to watch and learn from! If you are interested in Roller Derby simply google roller derby for your area. You might be surprised to find you have one near by. You don't have to be able to skate already or have skated in a long time. I had not skated in over 15 years and was on the carpet my first night! I am now apart of team and can do so many wonderful things on my skates now! Look into it! It is awesome and you will always have a group to skate with no matter where you go.

Changes from Roller Derby

The picture of me all dressed up is from around January before I started skating. I was probably about 230 pounds. The picture of me in Roller Derby Clothes was taken this summer while I was on the road and skating with the TEXAS ROLLER GIRLS. I was 225 pounds but my waist and other parts of my body had toned up!

I am Back!

It has been forever since I posted and there are so many new things in my life! My fitness goals and weight loss goals are still there and I am slowly reaching them all! I have lost weight since I have last posted! I am currently a strong 222 pound woman and though I have not really lost a lot of weight I have lost a lot of inches! I am currently playing Roller Derby for the Central Arkansas Roller Derby League and I have just been drafted to the Big Dam Rollers which is names for Little Rock's Big Dam Bridge. I have never been so happy in my life as I am now. I have gained family in Roller Derby and Strength not only in body but in Spirit.

I have been skating for about 5 months now and loving every minute! I think the key to any healthy weight loss program as well as lifestyle change is finding something you love that makes exercise seem fun! For those of you that have just started following you will see a lot of Roller Derby on here as well as cross training ideas and my changes as they occur. For those of you that were following before you will see a huge change from the starting of this blog to where I am now! Remember to live the life you love and love the life you live!