weight loss

RE: weight loss

Former Member — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 16:45:39 GMT

If you are not seeing weightloss keep this in mind: www.bodyrecomposition.com/.../of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html Many people have noted that fat loss is often discontinuous, that is it often happens in stops and starts. So you’ll be dieting and dieting and doing everything correctly with nothing to show for it. Then, boom, almost overnight, you drop 4 pounds and look leaner. What’s going on? Back during my college days, one of my professors threw out the idea that after fat cells had been emptied of stored triglyceride, they would temporarily refill with water (glycerol attracts water, which might be part of the mechanism). So there would be no immediate change in size, body weight or appearance. Then, after some time frame, the water would get dropped, the fat cells would shrink. A weird way of looking at it might be that the fat loss suddenly becomes ‘apparent’. That is, the fat was emptied and burned off days or weeks ago but until the water is dropped, nothing appears to have happened. For nearly 20 years I looked for research to support this, I was never sure if it was based on something from the 50’s or he just pulled it out of thin air as an explanation. Recently, one paper did suggest that visceral fat can fill up with water after massive weight loss but that’s about it. Somewhat circumstantially, people using Bioimpedance body fat scales (which use hydration to estimate body fat levels) have noted that body fat appears to go up right before a big drop. This implicates water balance as the issue here. As well, women, who have more problems with water retention, seem to have bigger issues with stalls and whooshes than men. Further, some individuals who have done dry carb-loads (high carbohydrate refeeds without drinking a lot of water) have seen them occur; presumably the body pulls water into the muscles and out of other tissues (fat cells). In lean individuals, appearance is often drastically improved with this approach, it doesn’t do much for those carrying a lot of fat. I’d note that dry carb-loads suck because you’re so damn thirsty. Interestingly, even normal refeeds often work in this regards, perhaps the hormonal effect ‘tells’ the body to chill out and release some water. So not only do refeeds seem to improve stubborn fat mobilization the next day (as discussed above), they may help the body drop some water so that you can see what is happening. Finally, many have reported whooshes following an evening which included alcohol. A mild diuretic, this would also tend to implicate water balance issues in the whoosh phenomenon. I’d also note that this isn’t universal, lean dieters often see visual improvements on a day to day basis; a lot seems to depend on whether or not they tend to retain water in general. Folks who do have problems with water retention tend to have stalls and whooshes, those who don’t show nice consistent visual changes.

RE: weight loss

Former Member — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 14:54:05 GMT

Hey all, I'd love to hear personal weight loss due to swimming success stories! I'm working on an article for Swimmer Magazine on the subject. If you or anyone you know has lost 10 or more llbs swimming and healthy eating shoot me an email kzjenna at gmail dot com! If you have tried to lose weight swimming but it just doesn't work for you, I'd like to hear from you, too! drop me an email! thanks! Jenna I am a little over a month getting back into swimming. I swim a mile (alternating between all swim strokes except butterfly, kickboard, and hand paddles), and I don't watch my calories. I haven't lost any pounds on the scale, but people have been asking me if I've lost weight. My arms are smaller as my blazers are fitting better in that area. This is similar to what happened in High School (1999) when I joined the swim team. I held onto my weight (per the scale), was bloated in the stomach (pants fit tighter), but overall appeared thinner. Then about three months into training the weird bloating went down and I lost tons of weight in what seemed like overnight.

RE: weight loss

Bill Sive — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 09:40:06 GMT

RE: weight loss

Former Member — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 14:22:50 GMT

Ideally, swimming can and should aid in weight loss, but as with any other sport, you still need to be mindful of what you eat. I actually wrote an article recently discussing 10 common misconceptions about swimming, and the weight loss issue is #1! www.swimspire.com/.../ Thanks for the article! I finally got to read it (for some reason is wasn't opening at first).

RE: weight loss

DeniseMW — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 11:00:47 GMT

greg27, I need to forward your post to the woman swimming in the lane next to me this morning. She had pretty fancy fins and wasn't moving her legs at all, just gliding along. She was swimming slower than me, which takes some effort. :bolt:

RE: weight loss

Former Member — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 10:33:04 GMT

if your trying to get your leg muscles more involved get some short training fins . i swim one length just with my arms then switch to my back and swim back using only my legs. for me this has the added benfit of letting me breath normally on the length back and can be done for hours.

RE: weight loss

Former Member — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 09:11:25 GMT

RE: weight loss

Swimspire — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 12:50:32 GMT

RE: weight loss

DeniseMW — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 11:38:02 GMT

Great article. I have never been a good runner, and frankly, my joints protest when I try to run, so I walk. I know plenty of runners who've had to quit past age 55, but have not ever heard of a swimmer quitting past 55 because their knees or hips gave out. Then I look at the bodies of people who do both. I would much rather look like a swimmer. I found this article, which is pretty amusing. swimswam.com/.../ When I hear that people gain weight swimming because they get hungry and wolf down whatever they want, I throw my hands up in the air and say, "dude" or "dudess." Anyone who knows about basic nutrition and exercise in any form will tell you diet is 90% of it. I'm guilty of not restricting my calories enough, but when I swim regularly I'm likely to eat clean and lose weight.

RE: weight loss

StewartACarroll — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 11:09:16 GMT

Old thread, but good thread. I guess I just wanted to add my perspective... I swam my senior year in HS ('99). I remember initially being frustrated because my clothes began to fit tighter, and I was hungry ALL THE TIME. And then, woosh, the weight fell off (and I was still eating a lot). With that in mind, I just started swimming again on my own, hoping for similar results. I think running can burn more calories in a shorter amount of time, but (for me at least) swimming is more pleasurable. I can spend an hour or longer in the pool steadily swimming, and still feel like I don't want to leave. If you aren't modifying your diet, I think that means you have to work out longer, harder to actually see results, and personally I can only sustain that long of a work out w swimming. This is a good short article on the calorific differences between running and swimming. www.livestrong.com/.../

RE: weight loss

Swimspire — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 08:14:53 GMT

Excellent article, Julia! :applaud: Thanks for sharing. I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for all your support :)

RE: weight loss

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 06:18:15 GMT

When I hear that people gain weight swimming because they get hungry and wolf down whatever they want, I throw my hands up in the air and say, "dude" or "dudess." Anyone who knows about basic nutrition and exercise in any form will tell you diet is 90% of it. I think you can lose weight, and still scarf down food (as I did), but it means you have to put a lot more time/effort into your daily exercise. I was swimming 5x week for 2ish hours. It was actually pretty great to not have to worry about calories. However, it was also really tiring... So, like #9 in the article, I ate and napped. I would even nap in my car during lunch break.

RE: weight loss

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 06:10:55 GMT

This is a good short article on the calorific differences between running and swimming. www.livestrong.com/.../ Thanks. That is what I've seen in other research; not all miles are created equal.

RE: weight loss

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 02:57:55 GMT

I was younger and hadn't hit mental pause, so my metabolism was still as revved as a sports car. :lmao:

RE: weight loss

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 02:54:58 GMT

Ideally, swimming can and should aid in weight loss, but as with any other sport, you still need to be mindful of what you eat. I actually wrote an article recently discussing 10 common misconceptions about swimming, and the weight loss issue is #1! www.swimspire.com/.../ Excellent article, Julia! :applaud: Thanks for sharing.

RE: weight loss

DeniseMW — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 02:45:27 GMT

Julia, thanks for posting your article. It was informative and reinforced a few things for me. No exercise program is going to help if you follow it with Arnold-sized portions of whatever you want. Ask me how I know. On the other hand, when I trained karate 5-6 days/week 2 hours/day, I could eat pretty much anything. The one caveat is that I was younger and hadn't hit mental pause, so my metabolism was still as revved as a sports car. I couldn't gain weight if I tried. Alas, that is no longer true.:cry: Anne00, the only thing better than a nap in a car is a nap on Sunday lying in a hammock, IMHO.

RE: weight loss

Former Member — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 06:47:22 GMT

RE: weight loss

DeniseMW — Thu, 22 May 2014 08:55:07 GMT

Thanks, SLOmmafan. It looks like it requires a huge commitment, but it's something I've thought about trying, though being in my early 60s it may not be the smartest route. I'm going to ask a personal trainer at my rec center if she can can put me on a modified CrossFit style routine to use on off days. I appreciate your input, which makes me think. I really want to add a form of exercise that doesn't interfere with swimming but does help me on my journey to losing weight and maintaining better health.

RE: weight loss

SLOmmafan — Wed, 21 May 2014 05:07:31 GMT

I know people that swear by CrossFit. I do think it has a good number of potential benefits; but also some downsides. I think injury is a good possibility due to often times extreme over exercise or improper technique with certain weight lifting. And at least from what I have seen and participated in, there is also a very competitive environment to the whole system. But I have seen some people radically transform their bodies...like from "pudgy" to solid ripped within 6 months to a year. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

RE: weight loss

DeniseMW — Tue, 20 May 2014 08:45:37 GMT

I really think it depends on the individual. When I was training in martial arts, I could eat whatever I wanted because I was training two hours/day, six days a week, but I drank tons of water. My metabolism always ran high until I hit my 50s and then it came to a screeching halt, or that's what it felt like. I've seen a lot of studies that say swimming takes the weight off just as well as any other workout but without the potential for injury. Unless you bonk your head at the edge of the pool, LOL. Or do like my sister and accidentally kick the rope and break your toe. Some people do report hunger after a swim. That doesn't seem to be an issue with me. I think the main thing is to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day and eat moderate amounts of carbs with lots of protein. If I exercise late in the day, I can't sleep. And I get the munchies at night no matter what I do. The only thing that doesn't kick my hunger into high gear is lifting weights. I'm wondering about a good cross-training program. I have heard a lot about CrossFit and wonder if anyone here has tried it, or what you think is the best exercise to balance swimming.

RE: weight loss

Former Member — Sat, 17 May 2014 13:21:44 GMT

I do both and find that running is the best for cardio, but swimming is the best for general muscle workout. When I put in 30 mins of each exercise in the calorie counter here, moderate running burns 423 cals and moderate swimming 296 cals. I'd reccomend working out in various forms though

RE: weight loss

Celestial — Sat, 17 May 2014 10:04:17 GMT

I suggest finding strategies that will help you and then just try to let go and live. My two major "diet" strategies, if you want to call them that, are rarely eating out and not buying food at the grocery that I'd likely overindulge in. If I'm really craving a doughnut or piece of cake, I'll buy a single serving so I feel better :) I also exercise at least an hour a day. I also suggest not drinking diet soda and eating preservative-rich foods. Studies have shown these items lead to weight gain. You and I are on the same page! I'm not totally Paleo, but I do try to eat "from the ground". I swim ~90 mins or 5000LCM 3-4 x weekly, and do weights and possibly a swim 2 days a week (~2500 SCY those days). You'd think I was exercising plenty -- but apparently I have an efficient body that doesn't require much food. My newest trick is pimento cheese stuffed celery. That stuff will keep you full for hours, and has like, 12 calories. 8 pounds to go. . .

RE: weight loss

aquajock — Sat, 17 May 2014 09:59:18 GMT

Fortunately I still weight about what I did when I was 16, but I think I was overweight then. I was better in my 20's after 2 babies, lol! I can totally relate to being terrified of food - I'm not terrified of it, just terrified of becoming a blimp!! I suggest finding strategies that will help you and then just try to let go and live. My two major "diet" strategies, if you want to call them that, are rarely eating out and not buying food at the grocery that I'd likely overindulge in. If I'm really craving a doughnut or piece of cake, I'll buy a single serving so I feel better :) I also exercise at least an hour a day. I also suggest not drinking diet soda and eating preservative-rich foods. Studies have shown these items lead to weight gain.

RE: weight loss

Celestial — Sat, 17 May 2014 09:55:12 GMT

In my opinion you would burn fat kicking by either long intervals of slow kicking (boring) or sets of fat burning tabata kicking sets - sets of 8 reps of 20 sec hard kick (~one length) followed by 10 sec EZ recovery kick and repeat 8 times. Do the sets of 8 reps with 1-3 min of recovery sw between each set. Not sure how many sets one could hold up to. I'll find out this afternoon. :) I wonder also, if it makes a difference if you use zoomers (not long fins) or go "naked" or not. I used to do set of 6 x 50 kick, descending interval - starting at 60 sec, dropping by 5 sec each one, until I was ~35 sec. But tabata sounds more like HIIT, which is actually kinda fun (I like to do 20 x 50 @ ~ 1:00 & mix it up with pull equip sometimes, sometimes paddles & fins, but usually just "naked" -- really breaks up a boring, solo workout). So far today: weights at the gym. Home for yummi egg souffle. Soon, off to "Tree Top Tallahassee" - which is an awesome 3 hour zip line aerial thing that is a blast; then finish off with a nice swim. It's a beautiful day today & I'm going to take advantage of it!! Ya'll have fun mowing the lawn!

RE: weight loss

Celestial — Sat, 17 May 2014 09:47:21 GMT

I can eat what I want and now weigh what i did at age 16. . . . . . . . I just read an article today in HEALTH about how women are so terrified of food and this just isn't right! Fortunately I still weigh about what I did when I was 16, but I think I was overweight then. I was thinner in my 20's after 2 babies, lol! I can totally relate to being terrified of food - I'm not terrified of it, just terrified of becoming a blimp!!