Appearance and health: a sensible approach to weight loss.

Last month I discussed the major eating disorders and the psychological problems dancers may face by misunderstanding the proper relationship between diet and exercise when trying to lose weight. Of course it is possible to lose weight in a healthy way once you have accepted how you differ from some imaginary "ideal." But to do this you need to know how to burn calories; how to lower your "set point," or your genetically determined weight, through exercise; how to reduce your food intake without unleashing feelings of deprivation; and how to stick to a maintenance program.

In this second part of my chapter on body weight and appearance, I'll show you how to make a lifestyle change that will enable you to reach your optimal weight without endangering your energy, health, or career.

EXERCISING CORRECTLY

An effective weight-loss program rests on aerobic exercise, which, according to current research, is actually believed to lower your set point for weight. This type of exercise will affect your metabolic rate, since the energy generated by your muscles can increase nearly 120 times with vigorous exercise. In addition, regular aerobic exercise brings about enzymatic changes that facilitate fat metabolism, while boosting your stamina.

A talented student at the School of American Ballet needed to lose five pounds for the annual workshop performances, in which she had a leading role. Her eating habits were good, but weight problems ran in her family. To help her lower her set point, I recommended that she work out three to five times per week for thirty to forty-five minutes by biking, taking an aerobics class, or using the StairMaster. Swimming can also be good, although there's some question about it increasing your appetite as a way to maintain fat insulation in cold water. This dancer lost the weight by using the stationary bike and was offered a position in a major ballet company.

Should you have a physical problem, such as a bad back, you must choose the aerobic activity that places the least amount of stress on your body. If you want to increase lean muscle, which is metabolically more active than fat, you can also incorporate into your regime a weight-resistant exercise, such as the Pilates method, which will emphasize strength and flexibility, within the turned-out position, to retain lean tissue.

EATING CORRECTLY

The next step for many dancers is to plan a balanced diet including a blend of carbohydrates, fat, and protein, as well as vitamins and minerals. At times, making the right choice can be confusing. One dancer asked me: "Which foods could be eaten before dance class and which should be avoided?"

If you're going to lose weight the correct way, you need to remember that you're an athlete as well as an artist. Before we go into the number of calories to eat, let's review the type of fuel that's right for you.

Because dancing isn't aerobic, all your zip comes from foods rich in carbohydrates, which are stored in your body in an energy form called glycogen. Glycogen stores are limited: the average amount of available energy is only about 200 calories. If you want to increase your muscles' capacity to store glycogen, add endurance training like swimming or riding the stationary bike. This form of exercise will use fat for fuel thirty to sixty minutes after you begin. Make 12 percent of your diet protein, since this is needed to repair tissue damaged during exercise. Avoid eating meat and other foods high in fat before you dance, as these are harder to digest.

One 22-year-old modern dancer I know went on a crash diet and began to show signs of glycogen depletion, including feelings of sluggishness, excessive fatigue, and "heavy" legs. To remedy this problem, you should eat unrefined or complex carbohydrates before you dance and replenish your supplies afterward. Food choices include rice, breads, cereals, pasta, potatoes, peas, parsnips, sweet corn, dried beans, lentils, fruit, milk, and yogurt.

Some may be surprised to hear me say that complex carbohydrates should make up about 60 percent of a dancer's diet. There is a lot of hoopla about high-protein diets, as well as negative comments out there about carbohydrates. However, these only apply to insulin-resistant dieters, who represent about 25 percent of the population and who tend to be overweight by normal standards. This is rarely the case for dancers.

INTAKE OF FAT AND CALORIES

To reach your optimal weight, your daily food intake should range between 1,400 and 1,600 calories for females and 1,600 and 1,800 calories for males, with 25 to 40 grams of fat. Dancers who are going through a growth spurt should aim for the higher number. Pamela Koch, the nutritionist at the School of American Ballet in New York City often has erratic eaters begin eating fewer calories right away. However, she says that if you eat pretty much the same amount every day, it's best to reduce consumption slowly (about 300 calories every two weeks) so your body can adjust. Both approaches take a lot of discipline; the average dietary intake runs from 2,200 to 2,500 calories a day. If your weight continues to drop after you get to your optimal weight, add 100 calories every few days.

The best way to maintain a high metabolic rate is to spread out your food intake over the day. If you decide to go in the other direction and starve, your body may eventually rebel, and you'll overeat. I worked with one 26-year-old male dancer who was 5 percent above his ideal weight for height. He followed a meal plan that amounted to 1,800 calories a day and 25 grams of fat. Along with using the stationary bike, this approach helped him lose eight pounds.

CALCIUM INTAKE

Female dancers should eat between 1,200 and 1,500 mg of calcium, whereas males need 800 to 1,000 mg daily. This intake strengthens bones, especially in amenorrheic females. All dancers should eat a balanced diet composed of calcium-rich foods, because no food group will give you all the calcium you need. For example, plant-based foods, such as leafy green vegetables, legumes, broccoli, and figs are good sources of calcium but are difficult for the body to absorb. Dairy products, on the other hand, are more readily absorbed, although too much protein will cause loss of calcium through the urine. Caffeine and colas can also deplete your body of calcium.

A final word to women about amenorrhea (which exists after you miss three or more menstrual cycles). If you should stop menstruating, you may lose about 4 percent of your bone mass annually for the next three to four years before this process slows down to a lower rate. This can lead to stress fractures and osteoporosis (loss of bone density) in later life.

Along with advising dancers to pay attention to diet and to take calcium supplements, I suggest they see an endocrinologist if amenorrhea continues past six months. Dr. Michelle Warren, the medical director of the Center for Menopause, Hormonal Disorders, and Women's Health in New York City, often recommends going on a low dosage of hormone replacement therapy to induce menstruation and protect your skeletal system. Taking the pills won't make you gain weight. However, it may help your bones!

DO YOU NEED A DIETITIAN?

For dancers without eating disorders, it's usually possible to make the necessary changes in food and exercise. However, juggling all of your nutritional needs can be confusing. If you need more information, contact the Nutrition Hotline--[phone]--sponsored by the American Dietetic Association. This service can refer you to a registered dietitian in your area, as well as provide you with free nutritional information over the phone.

While a visit to a licensed dietitian never hurts, the point is to eat a variety of foods. It's also fine to give in to temptation once in a while. The following letter is from a young dancer who thought that she had to be perfect:

I like to eat all the usual American junky sorts of foods, like cheeseburgers, fries, chocolate, colas, and so on. But when I'm older I want to become a professional dancer. Can you give me some typical `cancer' (healthy) types of foods and some suggestions on how to stick with them?

Believe it or not, it's okay to eat a cheeseburger--once in a while--because your weight is affected by the number of calories you eat over the entire week, not in one meal. Unfortunately, dancers often get into trouble by going overboard. I know of one 15-year-old ballet student who believed that she had to cut out all junk food. She managed to last until one day she went to the neighborhood mall with her girlfriends and went overboard on ice cream and candy. It's best to strike a balance. Choose foods that you like, so it'll be easier to stick with your meal plan. And feel free to add low-fat desserts!

Any of the following are super food choices with the highest nutritional potency: almonds, dried apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, oat cereals, tofu, cabbage, sunflower seeds, tuna fish, yogurt, broccoli, salmon, sweet potatoes, milk, oysters, and wheat germ. Remember: Habits are often difficult to change, so give yourself time to adjust.

LOSE WEIGHT GRADUALLY

A sensible approach, using exercise and a smart meal plan, can lead to weight loss amounting to one or two pounds a week. Sometimes, though, I have to caution dancers to stop weighing themselves every day. This was the case for one overeager 20-year-old soloist in a ballet company, who would weigh herself three times a day and become alarmed as the number changed due to water weight. Weigh yourself weekly--never daily!--to get an accurate idea of progress.

And be patient. I've known dancers who became frustrated and gave up after only a couple of weeks because short periods of dieting have resulted primarily in only water loss. It will take three weeks before 85 percent of lost weight is body fat. Meanwhile, it's important to drink a lot of water--up to eight glasses a day is recommended--to prevent dehydration.

What can you expect? Dancers who reduce their daily food intake by only 100 calories while increasing their energy expenditure by the same amount (the equivalent of jogging daily for one mile) should lose twenty-one pounds in one year. Obviously, this example is meant to illustrate how effective a sensible approach can be; most dancers wouldn't need to lose this much weight.

If you decide to go off your meal plan on a special occasion, aim mostly for food that contains low dietary fat. Low-fat substitutes, such as frozen yogurt or turkey burgers, can be just as satisfying. But don't eliminate all fat; it's an important nutrient and slows the rate of digestion.

LOSING SPECIFIC WEIGHT

Many readers of my advice column in Dance Magazine ask if it's possible to reduce fat selectively in a specific part of the body. Such "spot reducing" is difficult, if not impossible; you can only reduce your weight as a whole. There's also nothing you can do to make cellulite disappear completely. A common misperception is that cellulite is composed of a different type of fat, containing toxins that the body has failed to eliminate. This is simply not true.

Heredity, weight, and age create cellulite when pockets of ordinary fat push out between fibers connecting your skin to underlying tissues. Wrapping your body in seaweed or plastic, taking nutritional supplements, getting liposuction, or using spot reducers won't get rid of that orange-peel look. The only way to minimize those dimples is to lose excess weight.

Breast size is also a concern for certain dancers; 16 percent of female dancers surveyed have opted for cosmetic surgery. Still, there's always a risk of complications (infection, bleeding, numbness), and vigorous exercise isn't possible for at least three weeks. A better approach is to try a special bra used by such companies as New York City Ballet to create a more linear look. To order by phone, you may call [phone].

MAKING A LIFESTYLE CHANGE

Your ability to keep weight off will depend on how well you adjust to a maintenance program. If bad eating habits have become a big part of your life, you might consider joining a support group or program, such as Weight Watchers. Remember, it's normal to experience plateaus and setbacks, particularly if you eat for emotional reasons.

Often, many dancers are already discouraged about weight problems by the time they contact me. They say, "I'll never get my body to change." I'm here to tell you that it's possible to get better results if you work with--rather than against--your body. Exercise, combined with a sensible dietary plan, is the most effective approach to weight loss. While you can't force your body to look like someone else's, you can make a significant difference--as long as you're realistic.

Linda Hamilton, Ph.D., who danced with New York City Ballet from 1969 to 1988, is now a clinical psychologist. Her Advice for Dancers, from which this article was adapted with permission of the publisher, Jossey-Bass, Inc., will be published in July 1998.