It happens to all of us as we get older, that gut keeps creeping out. Maybe it is too much beer or too much ice cream or if your ike me just too much all around. When I started to skate again after a 3 year break, at the age of 38 I was 5' 10" and 208 pounds. 38 waist pants where a little snug. I skated that way for about a year and it was frustrating as hell. I didn't have the energy or balance I once had. I had lost that "pop" for sure. Slams hurt a lot more than then used to.
For a while I just thought I was getting old, then I woke up and looked around. There are a lot of old guys skating now. Steve Cabalero, Chris Miller, Steve Steadham and many many others. These guys had not really lost much since they stop being pro. Then it hit me, those guys where in pretty great shape, some of them where ripped. Hmm...
So I got serious about losing weight, I starting doing Weight Watchers, mostly because they have a great iPhone app that makes it easy to keep track of how much I eat during the day. I dropped over 20lbs in about a month and a half. I now am skating better than I have even 3 years ago. I have pop, energy and I can actually bend down and touch my board now! Imagine that!
So my tip for you dad, shape up! It really helps, you don't feel bad because you are old, you feel bad because you are fat! I still have about 10 lbs to go before I get down to my goal weight. Those 10 lbs will be super easy because I now how much they will help my skating. Do it man, don't be that fat old skater, be that old skater that still rips!