Weight loss and swim times

Originally posted by Kim Tarnower Will you marry me? No, wait.... I'm already married. Will you be my cook? ;) :D What's the pay? (No, wait.... I already have a job)... Well, looks like I may have "hijacked" this thread....(sorry, webJim)... Back to the original topic. Check out the following progression for my 1500 meters long course: 1992: 20:49.86 - USMS LC Nationals, Federal Way (age 26, 190 lbs.) 1994: 23:37.44 - USMS LC Nationals, Buffalo (age 28, 210 lbs.) 1999: 21:52.36 - USMS LC Nationals, Minneapolis (age 33, 220 lbs.) 2000: 26:30.77 - USMS LC Nationals, Baltimore (age 34, 245 lbs.) 2001: 20:59.52 - USMS LC Nationals, Federal Way (age 35, 240 lbs.) 2002: 19:58.17 - State Games of Oregon, Mt. Hood (age 36, 195 lbs.) 2002: 19:40.10 - USMS LC Nationals, Cleveland (age 37, 195 lbs.) At the 2000 LC Nationals in Baltimore, I hadn't reached my heaviest weight, but I hit rock bottom in terms of swimming performance. I barely made it through the 1500 in 26:30.77, held up the timeline, joked about how I had to wear a Victor suit as a "girdle" and scratched the rest of my events in the meet. I can't begin to express how awful things were for me right then. The previous summer, I had done a 21:52.36. My best time had been 20:49.86 from LC Nationals in 1992. Needless to say, I was unhappy (swimming performance was the least of it!), but I didn't know what I was going to do about it. So, things changed -- actually, everything changed! (work, home, food, exercise -- everything!) The following summer, I swam the 1500 again. Although I hadn't lost a lot of weight at the time, I was close to my personal best (a shaved time from Nationals, 1992). However, in 2001, I was 50 lbs heavier, 9 years older, and unshaved. "Hmmmmm" (I thought)....."interesting....very interesting...." The following summer, at a local meet and lowered my best time by approximately 51 seconds. I showed up to the meet having lost 70 lbs. (I had reached 265 lbs. after 9-11, and dropped to 195 starting at the beginning of 2002). Later that summer, I lowered my time again by another 18 seconds. So, in effect, I was 45 lbs. lighter than the previous summer, and was 68 seconds faster in the 1500. By the way, all of my lifetime best swims during the period following my weight loss were unshaved and untapered. ...hope that brings us back on topic.... I'd love to hear from the person who started this thread. Why were you were asking? If you have other questions or need help getting started, let us all know -- we're here to help (well, most of us). I'd also love to hear from others who have lost weight. How much weight did you lose (or gain)? How did it impact on your swimming performance? Swimmer Bill

Originally posted by Kim Tarnower Will you marry me? No, wait.... I'm already married. Will you be my cook? ;) :D What's the pay? (No, wait.... I already have a job)... Well, looks like I may have "hijacked" this thread....(sorry, webJim)... Back to the original topic. Check out the following progression for my 1500 meters long course: 1992: 20:49.86 - USMS LC Nationals, Federal Way (age 26, 190 lbs.) 1994: 23:37.44 - USMS LC Nationals, Buffalo (age 28, 210 lbs.) 1999: 21:52.36 - USMS LC Nationals, Minneapolis (age 33, 220 lbs.) 2000: 26:30.77 - USMS LC Nationals, Baltimore (age 34, 245 lbs.) 2001: 20:59.52 - USMS LC Nationals, Federal Way (age 35, 240 lbs.) 2002: 19:58.17 - State Games of Oregon, Mt. Hood (age 36, 195 lbs.) 2002: 19:40.10 - USMS LC Nationals, Cleveland (age 37, 195 lbs.) At the 2000 LC Nationals in Baltimore, I hadn't reached my heaviest weight, but I hit rock bottom in terms of swimming performance. I barely made it through the 1500 in 26:30.77, held up the timeline, joked about how I had to wear a Victor suit as a "girdle" and scratched the rest of my events in the meet. I can't begin to express how awful things were for me right then. The previous summer, I had done a 21:52.36. My best time had been 20:49.86 from LC Nationals in 1992. Needless to say, I was unhappy (swimming performance was the least of it!), but I didn't know what I was going to do about it. So, things changed -- actually, everything changed! (work, home, food, exercise -- everything!) The following summer, I swam the 1500 again. Although I hadn't lost a lot of weight at the time, I was close to my personal best (a shaved time from Nationals, 1992). However, in 2001, I was 50 lbs heavier, 9 years older, and unshaved. "Hmmmmm" (I thought)....."interesting....very interesting...." The following summer, at a local meet and lowered my best time by approximately 51 seconds. I showed up to the meet having lost 70 lbs. (I had reached 265 lbs. after 9-11, and dropped to 195 starting at the beginning of 2002). Later that summer, I lowered my time again by another 18 seconds. So, in effect, I was 45 lbs. lighter than the previous summer, and was 68 seconds faster in the 1500. By the way, all of my lifetime best swims during the period following my weight loss were unshaved and untapered. ...hope that brings us back on topic.... I'd love to hear from the person who started this thread. Why were you were asking? If you have other questions or need help getting started, let us all know -- we're here to help (well, most of us). I'd also love to hear from others who have lost weight. How much weight did you lose (or gain)? How did it impact on your swimming performance? Swimmer Bill