Send us your comments or questions and your e-mail may be posted with answers to your questions.
Contact the RD
"I am an 18 year old dance girl from Holland. I do different styles of dancing for 4/5 hours a day. A year ago I thaught I was too fat and I wanted to lose weight so I started throwing up. For about 3 months I puked every day. I know it isn’t healthy at all. After that I was having trouble with stabalizing my weight. So I started to eat less and less. Nowadays I eat very little and no hot meals but once in a while I eat like very bad things as cookies, crisps, chocolate etc. I’ve lost 13 pounds and my BMI is now 17.2. But I can’t dance to the fullest lately. My concentration is bad, I’m dizzy in class sometimes, my muscles are weak and sore, etc. I have very important auditions coming up in March and I’m afraid I won’t be able to dance my best this way. Can you give me tips to eat healthy without gaining weight? Thank you!"
Dutch Dancer
Dear Dutch Dancer, I'm glad you are reaching out and that you know that throwing up isn't healthy and only ends up backfiring in the long run. It sounds like what has happened is that the way you chose to lose weight took such a toll on your body, that your dancing is actually worse not better. Now that you realize that this isn't working and you have auditions coming up it is a good time to get back on track. When someone takes extreme measures to lose weight such as purging, restricting food intake, or crash dieting, the body reacts by reducing the amount of muscle you have and reducing your metabolism. Obviously your muscles don't have the energy they need to perform but they are also being broken down for fuel when you are dancing. You end up in a cycle of the less you eat...the less you can eat to stay the same weight. It does become very hard to stabilize your weight. But you can change this. You have got to break this cycle by easing your body back into eating regular meals and snacks. The concept of smaller more frequent meals and starting with a good breakfast is the best way to jump start your metabolism again. Don't feel guilty about eating to fuel your dancing. Actually when you eat healthy foods at regular times (like every 3 hours) you increase muscle mass and strength, but this doesn't mean you gain excess fat. It IS possible to have a good dancer's body at a weight that will keep you competitive for jobs and still eat. You won't be competitive for professional dance jobs if you are weak or sickly from lack of good nutrition. Yes, we have to make smart healthy choices like fruits, veggies, and whole grains. It is much easier to resist junk food if you are not famished so start with breakfast and eat something healthy every 3 hours. Please reach out to a health professional in your area if you find it hard to break the cycle of purging! Fuel the body well and good luck in your auditions.
Emily
"Hi Emily, I'm 18 years old and I train at the Royal Ballet School. I've been having a lot of trouble with my energy levels. I'm about to go into my graduate year and start auditioning so this is a really important time for me and I need plenty of energy. My main problem is in the morning. I always get shaky and hungry half way through my morning class. But I have a very small stomach and can only eat small amounts at a time so I don't know how to get enough energy from my breakfast. I find that after breakfast I feel satisfied but in the middle of ballet class at about 10 o'clock my energy drops all of a sudden and it's really difficult to push myself. "
Dear Royal Ballet Dancer,You are right, this is an important year for you! You are not fueling the activity with adequate fuel to get through the most important part of class, grande allegro and coda. Doing big jumps, pique turns or fouettes with low blood sugar is impossible. Your body is telling you to eat more. If your class is at 10:00 am I would recommend a 300 calorie breakfast around 8:00 am (see below example). Then have an additional 100 cal snack right before class, like a banana for example. My web site has 100 cal snack ideas.Your stomach adjusts to what you feed it, so you will get used to it and will end up feeling much better in class. When you provide enough fuel you can work harder and stronger in class. This makes you look and feel better but also reduces injury risk. Plus, exercising without enough fuel (calories) actually backfires and leads to higher body fat percentage. Eat smaller more frequent meals. Example breakfast: 1 cup whole grain cereal or oatmeal
1 Tbs flax seeds
¾ cup milk 1% or a mix of Almond and Soy milk
1 cup steamed apple slices tossed with dried sweetened cranberries (cinnamon optional)
350 calories, 14g protein
" Hi! I am a dancer (15 yrs old) and am very dedicated to becoming a professional. My BMI is currently 19.6, but I have definitely gained a lot of weight in the past year (and haven't gotten much taller). I feel that I am too big to be a dancer. A few of my teachers keep telling me I need to loose weight/tone my thighs. I have no idea what to do... I feel like I've tried everything, but now I am so obsessed about what I eat, that I eat when I'm not really hungry. I feel really lost and just want to hear your thoughts. Thank you very much!"
-dancer from Arizona.
Dear Dancer From Arizona,
Thank you for contacting me. I think it is fantastic that you are so dedicated to dance. I completely understand how difficult and challenging this is, plus age 15 is tough. Professional dance training requires you to be working at a very high level technically, but at the same time your body is still growing, changing and building muscle so it puts you in a difficult place. In addition, pressure from teachers can be hard to deal with. I've been there.
First of all, normal BMI range is 18.5-24.9. So a BMI of 19.6 is totally within normal range. However, as dancers, we never think of ourselves as "normal". Also, at 15 your body is growing, changing, building muscle, and it is natural for weight to fluctuate. It is also normal for dancers and other athletes to have higher muscle mass so BMI doesn't always apply to athletes. Becoming obsessed with what you eat only makes life harder. Don't get frustrated, you can do this!
As dancers, we do work in an art form that is aesthetic or places a high emphasis on how we look physically. So we have to be more aware of what, when and how we eat. How we fuel our bodies really matters. We can't afford to eat lots of empty calories in the form of high calorie beverages, sweets, and fried foods. Also, portion sizes matter.
Here are are some quick tips: There are lots of resources on my site for dancers. Let me know what you or youwould like to see on the site and I will put it up there!
Feel free to contact me anytime for more help or encouragement. If you would like to find a registered dietitian in your area see this website: http://www.eatright.org/programs/rdfinder/
"I am fifteen years old and am doing RAD advanced 1 ballet. I have gotten disinction so far for my exams but feel I am too big to dance..I know I am not overweight as my BMI is about 21 but in the dance world, I know this is big. I don't want to talk to people like my parents about it because I do not want to be discouraged from losing weight, I just don't know how to go about it... Would this affect my chances? I was wondering if you have any tips so that I can also keep my energy up for dancing while still being healthy and losing weight."
~dancer from New Zealand
Dear Dancer from New Zealand,
First, I want to say that you sound like you are being smart about understanding that your BMI is not overweight but entirely healthy, and there are plenty of professional dancers with many different body types. Also, extreme dieting is the best way to make your dancing worse not better.
Weight and BMI do not take into account muscle. With athletes, BMI is not always the most accurate measure. Serious dancers need to be strong and have considerable endurance and good muscle tone to be competitive today. It is impossible to be the best dancer you can without developing your muscle mass.
Second, I also want to say that at 15 you are still growing and developing and it is totally normal for your body to go through regular changes and weight can fluctuate even day to day.
I do understand how difficult it can be in the very competitive dance world and your concerns are natural. You are not alone.
Ask yourself: What are my eating habits like?
A dancers body is their instrument and you owe it to yourself to take care of it. You have to fuel it right by eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low fat protein and getting calcium from dairy or other sources. You cannot eat junk food regularly. Dancers need to avoid empty calories from soda, candy, fried foods, creamy dressings, mayonnaise, and other junk. An occasional treat is totally fine but not after every meal or before ballet class.
A few tips for keeping energy levels up and maintaining muscle mass while decreasing body fat percentage:
1: Eat regularly scheduled meals and snacks especially before class, rehearsal or performance. Dancing on an empty stomach or starving the body is the fastest way to break down muscle, decrease performance, and actually increase body fat percentage.
2. Don't be afraid of carbohydrates. The body actually needs carbs as the best energy source for athletes and you need carbs in the system in order to burn fat. Just watch empty calories in the form of simple sugars like candy and soda.
3. Aim for healthy snacks in- between meals (see my web page on dancer nutrition). fresh fruit, yogurt, granola bars, energy bars, pasta, whole grain crackers and reduced fat cheese, etc are good choices.
4. stay hydrated with water. In general, most dancers really don't need sports beverages because the type of activity we do. Avoid soda, or empty calorie beverages.
"Every time I go into the dressing room someone is talking about what they ate or didn't eat or how many calories they ate that day. It drives me crazy and makes me question what I eat. What should I do?"
~dancer from Atlanta
It is sometimes hard to handle negative dressing room talk especially in the competitive dance world.
First, keep in mind that dressing room talk is sometimes just that...talk.
Be confident in your own mind that you know the reality of restricting eating or eating too few calories and then taking class, rehearsal, or performance. After reading our page on Nutrition for Dancers, you know that dancers who engage in restrictive eating are setting themselves up for fatigue and injuries. Not fueling your body when it needs it is a great way to decrease your endurance and strength while potentially increasing your body fat percentage.
Have a healthy snack before class or rehearsal starts and ignore the negative talk. Your body will have more energy, balance, and strength. You will have better body composition and be more competitive in the long run.
Healthy snack ideas:
I am worried about my daughter, she has started to lose weight quickly and is defensive when I try to offer her food that she used to love.
-mom from California
Dear Mom from California,
I understand how bewildering and scary it can be when you feel that there is something wrong with your child. You know your child best and if you feel that something might be wrong don't hesitate to get help. Start with your child's physician, they should have her medical history and can track her weight and growth. It is important to have someone outside the family circle as a health care provider because you can step back and have an ally. You can get an independent opinion and you are not the only one pushing your daughter into getting help that she may or may not want. Meeting with a registered dietitian who has experience working with all types of eating challenges is an important step. Here at CDN we take clients both locally and long distance. However, sometimes there are issues that are best dealt with in person. Here are some referral sites for help in your neck of the woods. http://www.myedin.org/
http://www.eatright.org/programs/rdfinder/
http://www.edreferral.com/
Contact the RD
"I am an 18 year old dance girl from Holland. I do different styles of dancing for 4/5 hours a day. A year ago I thaught I was too fat and I wanted to lose weight so I started throwing up. For about 3 months I puked every day. I know it isn’t healthy at all. After that I was having trouble with stabalizing my weight. So I started to eat less and less. Nowadays I eat very little and no hot meals but once in a while I eat like very bad things as cookies, crisps, chocolate etc. I’ve lost 13 pounds and my BMI is now 17.2. But I can’t dance to the fullest lately. My concentration is bad, I’m dizzy in class sometimes, my muscles are weak and sore, etc. I have very important auditions coming up in March and I’m afraid I won’t be able to dance my best this way. Can you give me tips to eat healthy without gaining weight? Thank you!"
Dutch Dancer
Dear Dutch Dancer, I'm glad you are reaching out and that you know that throwing up isn't healthy and only ends up backfiring in the long run. It sounds like what has happened is that the way you chose to lose weight took such a toll on your body, that your dancing is actually worse not better. Now that you realize that this isn't working and you have auditions coming up it is a good time to get back on track. When someone takes extreme measures to lose weight such as purging, restricting food intake, or crash dieting, the body reacts by reducing the amount of muscle you have and reducing your metabolism. Obviously your muscles don't have the energy they need to perform but they are also being broken down for fuel when you are dancing. You end up in a cycle of the less you eat...the less you can eat to stay the same weight. It does become very hard to stabilize your weight. But you can change this. You have got to break this cycle by easing your body back into eating regular meals and snacks. The concept of smaller more frequent meals and starting with a good breakfast is the best way to jump start your metabolism again. Don't feel guilty about eating to fuel your dancing. Actually when you eat healthy foods at regular times (like every 3 hours) you increase muscle mass and strength, but this doesn't mean you gain excess fat. It IS possible to have a good dancer's body at a weight that will keep you competitive for jobs and still eat. You won't be competitive for professional dance jobs if you are weak or sickly from lack of good nutrition. Yes, we have to make smart healthy choices like fruits, veggies, and whole grains. It is much easier to resist junk food if you are not famished so start with breakfast and eat something healthy every 3 hours. Please reach out to a health professional in your area if you find it hard to break the cycle of purging! Fuel the body well and good luck in your auditions.
Emily
"Hi Emily, I'm 18 years old and I train at the Royal Ballet School. I've been having a lot of trouble with my energy levels. I'm about to go into my graduate year and start auditioning so this is a really important time for me and I need plenty of energy. My main problem is in the morning. I always get shaky and hungry half way through my morning class. But I have a very small stomach and can only eat small amounts at a time so I don't know how to get enough energy from my breakfast. I find that after breakfast I feel satisfied but in the middle of ballet class at about 10 o'clock my energy drops all of a sudden and it's really difficult to push myself. "
Dear Royal Ballet Dancer,You are right, this is an important year for you! You are not fueling the activity with adequate fuel to get through the most important part of class, grande allegro and coda. Doing big jumps, pique turns or fouettes with low blood sugar is impossible. Your body is telling you to eat more. If your class is at 10:00 am I would recommend a 300 calorie breakfast around 8:00 am (see below example). Then have an additional 100 cal snack right before class, like a banana for example. My web site has 100 cal snack ideas.Your stomach adjusts to what you feed it, so you will get used to it and will end up feeling much better in class. When you provide enough fuel you can work harder and stronger in class. This makes you look and feel better but also reduces injury risk. Plus, exercising without enough fuel (calories) actually backfires and leads to higher body fat percentage. Eat smaller more frequent meals. Example breakfast: 1 cup whole grain cereal or oatmeal
1 Tbs flax seeds
¾ cup milk 1% or a mix of Almond and Soy milk
1 cup steamed apple slices tossed with dried sweetened cranberries (cinnamon optional)
350 calories, 14g protein
" Hi! I am a dancer (15 yrs old) and am very dedicated to becoming a professional. My BMI is currently 19.6, but I have definitely gained a lot of weight in the past year (and haven't gotten much taller). I feel that I am too big to be a dancer. A few of my teachers keep telling me I need to loose weight/tone my thighs. I have no idea what to do... I feel like I've tried everything, but now I am so obsessed about what I eat, that I eat when I'm not really hungry. I feel really lost and just want to hear your thoughts. Thank you very much!"
-dancer from Arizona.
Dear Dancer From Arizona,
Thank you for contacting me. I think it is fantastic that you are so dedicated to dance. I completely understand how difficult and challenging this is, plus age 15 is tough. Professional dance training requires you to be working at a very high level technically, but at the same time your body is still growing, changing and building muscle so it puts you in a difficult place. In addition, pressure from teachers can be hard to deal with. I've been there.
First of all, normal BMI range is 18.5-24.9. So a BMI of 19.6 is totally within normal range. However, as dancers, we never think of ourselves as "normal". Also, at 15 your body is growing, changing, building muscle, and it is natural for weight to fluctuate. It is also normal for dancers and other athletes to have higher muscle mass so BMI doesn't always apply to athletes. Becoming obsessed with what you eat only makes life harder. Don't get frustrated, you can do this!
As dancers, we do work in an art form that is aesthetic or places a high emphasis on how we look physically. So we have to be more aware of what, when and how we eat. How we fuel our bodies really matters. We can't afford to eat lots of empty calories in the form of high calorie beverages, sweets, and fried foods. Also, portion sizes matter.
Here are are some quick tips: There are lots of resources on my site for dancers. Let me know what you or youwould like to see on the site and I will put it up there!
- Eat right! Starving yourself or going for more than 3 +/- hours without eating will lower metabolism, burn muscle for fuel and leave you weak, tired, and at higher risk for injury. When you get hungry or restrict eating it only backfires by compounding the obsessive thoughts about food and potentially leading to binging on high calorie foods.
- Aim for 3 meals and 3 snacks scheduled at regular intervals through the day. Have a 200 calorie snack before class or rehearsal. 100 calorie snacks for non dancing times.
- Fruits, Veggies, Fruits, Veggies, Fruits, Veggies....
- Carbohydrates are not evil, but have a cup of pasta salad or a sandwich with low fat dressing instead of a big muffin or sweets.
- Drink water. Avoid beverages with sugar.
- Eat within an hour of dance. Even if you don't get home until late. Have a healthy dinner with a source of protein, carbs, and fat. Yes, even if it is 9 or 10:00 at night. Then drink more water and get some rest!
Feel free to contact me anytime for more help or encouragement. If you would like to find a registered dietitian in your area see this website: http://www.eatright.org/programs/rdfinder/
"I am fifteen years old and am doing RAD advanced 1 ballet. I have gotten disinction so far for my exams but feel I am too big to dance..I know I am not overweight as my BMI is about 21 but in the dance world, I know this is big. I don't want to talk to people like my parents about it because I do not want to be discouraged from losing weight, I just don't know how to go about it... Would this affect my chances? I was wondering if you have any tips so that I can also keep my energy up for dancing while still being healthy and losing weight."
~dancer from New Zealand
Dear Dancer from New Zealand,
First, I want to say that you sound like you are being smart about understanding that your BMI is not overweight but entirely healthy, and there are plenty of professional dancers with many different body types. Also, extreme dieting is the best way to make your dancing worse not better.
Weight and BMI do not take into account muscle. With athletes, BMI is not always the most accurate measure. Serious dancers need to be strong and have considerable endurance and good muscle tone to be competitive today. It is impossible to be the best dancer you can without developing your muscle mass.
Second, I also want to say that at 15 you are still growing and developing and it is totally normal for your body to go through regular changes and weight can fluctuate even day to day.
I do understand how difficult it can be in the very competitive dance world and your concerns are natural. You are not alone.
Ask yourself: What are my eating habits like?
A dancers body is their instrument and you owe it to yourself to take care of it. You have to fuel it right by eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low fat protein and getting calcium from dairy or other sources. You cannot eat junk food regularly. Dancers need to avoid empty calories from soda, candy, fried foods, creamy dressings, mayonnaise, and other junk. An occasional treat is totally fine but not after every meal or before ballet class.
A few tips for keeping energy levels up and maintaining muscle mass while decreasing body fat percentage:
1: Eat regularly scheduled meals and snacks especially before class, rehearsal or performance. Dancing on an empty stomach or starving the body is the fastest way to break down muscle, decrease performance, and actually increase body fat percentage.
2. Don't be afraid of carbohydrates. The body actually needs carbs as the best energy source for athletes and you need carbs in the system in order to burn fat. Just watch empty calories in the form of simple sugars like candy and soda.
3. Aim for healthy snacks in- between meals (see my web page on dancer nutrition). fresh fruit, yogurt, granola bars, energy bars, pasta, whole grain crackers and reduced fat cheese, etc are good choices.
4. stay hydrated with water. In general, most dancers really don't need sports beverages because the type of activity we do. Avoid soda, or empty calorie beverages.
"Every time I go into the dressing room someone is talking about what they ate or didn't eat or how many calories they ate that day. It drives me crazy and makes me question what I eat. What should I do?"
~dancer from Atlanta
It is sometimes hard to handle negative dressing room talk especially in the competitive dance world.
First, keep in mind that dressing room talk is sometimes just that...talk.
Be confident in your own mind that you know the reality of restricting eating or eating too few calories and then taking class, rehearsal, or performance. After reading our page on Nutrition for Dancers, you know that dancers who engage in restrictive eating are setting themselves up for fatigue and injuries. Not fueling your body when it needs it is a great way to decrease your endurance and strength while potentially increasing your body fat percentage.
Have a healthy snack before class or rehearsal starts and ignore the negative talk. Your body will have more energy, balance, and strength. You will have better body composition and be more competitive in the long run.
Healthy snack ideas:
- Regular yogurt with fruit, granola, or whole grain cereal (150-250 calories)
- Pasta salad with vegetables and light dressing (250-300 calories)
- 1/2 Peanut butter and jelly or turkey sandwich (250 calories)
- If time is an issue, grab a sports bar
I am worried about my daughter, she has started to lose weight quickly and is defensive when I try to offer her food that she used to love.
-mom from California
Dear Mom from California,
I understand how bewildering and scary it can be when you feel that there is something wrong with your child. You know your child best and if you feel that something might be wrong don't hesitate to get help. Start with your child's physician, they should have her medical history and can track her weight and growth. It is important to have someone outside the family circle as a health care provider because you can step back and have an ally. You can get an independent opinion and you are not the only one pushing your daughter into getting help that she may or may not want. Meeting with a registered dietitian who has experience working with all types of eating challenges is an important step. Here at CDN we take clients both locally and long distance. However, sometimes there are issues that are best dealt with in person. Here are some referral sites for help in your neck of the woods. http://www.myedin.org/
http://www.eatright.org/programs/rdfinder/
http://www.edreferral.com/
| cdn_100_calorie_snack_ideas_pdf.pdf |
Hi, I am 15 years old and have been dancing for 13 years. I find it's hard to keep my energy up, I do about 18 hours of dance a week, and am in the right target weight range for my age, I have tried changing my diet to have more carbohydrates, but it doesn't seem to be working, I was wondering if you had any input.
-Dancer from Australia
Dear Dancer from Australia,
Energy levels can depend on many things. Here are a few suggestions. First I would suggest keeping a food journal and also write down the time of day that you are eating a meal or snack. If you find that you are going for more than 3 hours without eating then that may be why your energy seems to sag at certain points in the day. Some dancers may need to eat every 2 hours depending on how hard they are dancing. Never dance on an empty stomach.
Energy levels can also be affected by hydration. Are you getting approximately 3000ml (12 cups) of water per day? If not, make sure your water bottle goes everywhere with you and refill several times per day. You might benefit from sipping on 8 oz of sports beverage mixed in with your water during class/ rehearsals.
Also, nutrition status can greatly affect energy levels. Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals? Iron is one example of a necessary mineral that can be low in some dancers.
I can help you do a complete dietary analysis if you would like. If low energy persists, let your doctor know so he/she can rule out anything medical.
Now get some good sleep and keep dancing.
-Emily
-Dancer from Australia
Dear Dancer from Australia,
Energy levels can depend on many things. Here are a few suggestions. First I would suggest keeping a food journal and also write down the time of day that you are eating a meal or snack. If you find that you are going for more than 3 hours without eating then that may be why your energy seems to sag at certain points in the day. Some dancers may need to eat every 2 hours depending on how hard they are dancing. Never dance on an empty stomach.
Energy levels can also be affected by hydration. Are you getting approximately 3000ml (12 cups) of water per day? If not, make sure your water bottle goes everywhere with you and refill several times per day. You might benefit from sipping on 8 oz of sports beverage mixed in with your water during class/ rehearsals.
Also, nutrition status can greatly affect energy levels. Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals? Iron is one example of a necessary mineral that can be low in some dancers.
I can help you do a complete dietary analysis if you would like. If low energy persists, let your doctor know so he/she can rule out anything medical.
Now get some good sleep and keep dancing.
-Emily