Swimming to lose weight?

Originally posted by aquageek If you eat right and exercise, wouldn't you by default probably be more prone to being in the healthy weight range? I've not known anyone (my experience only) to be a good athlete and be overweight, lose down to ideal weight and lose stamina or performance. Plus, many have found other issues seem to disappear (asthma, grd, etc). I'm not denying you can be quite active and even excel while too heavy but you'd probably do much better at a more reasonable weight. Well, some people just cannot lose the weight that way. They will stay at what's considered overweight, even though it's an ideal weight for them personally. I know I can stand to lose some weight that I've gained due to lack of exercise from injury, but I'm 5'6, and 138 with a small frame. I do carry my current weight extremely well, but I also have a fast metabolism. The idea behind the BMI was societal norms. They took a homogenous group and got an average that way. The only way to truly determine body fat percentage is by going through rigorous exams. I do fit with BMI norms, so I can measure myself that way, but not everyone's going to, and it's unfair to expect that. Try telling Olympic powerlifters, wrestlers, judo practitioners and field throwers that they weigh too much. They're suited to their sports, they're muscular, and according to the chart they're out of range. What you have to realize is that anyone slightly to the left or right of the bell curve is considered abnormal, when it's really not.

Originally posted by knelson Yes, everyone has a different body structures and there's no single catch-all target weight that is good for everyone, but I think more often than not overweight people have a tendency to make up excuses (I'm just "big boned," etc) when the bottom line is they are simply overweight and have increased health risks because of this. Yes, but the discussion is not about overweight people in general, it's about those who do workout regularly but maintain a larger weight index. If you don't exercise, eat badly, and blame your condition on "big bones" while refusing to do something about it, that's entirely different.

Originally posted by knelson Mine is typically from 48-56. I'm not in that tremendous condition. I swim four days a week, probably 15,000 yards at the most. That's highly unusual. An average adult heart rate is between 60-90 bpm. If other people here have the same average HR, that's worth a study.

I have not been able to get to the pool as much as I want recently (6 months), but when I was at my top condition, my heart rate in the morning would be about 50 and sitting at my desk in the range of 65 or so. Just took it now though and I'm at 75.....:(

Mine is 16, no wait, thats my number of strokes. It's 2500 - no wait, that's my workout distance. It's 1:40 no, wait that's my send off interval....... um I think its 5:00 .... no that's the time I get up to swim in the AM....um how about 25 - no - that's the pool length, maybe its 5.... wait, that's my favorite lane - shoot .... dang, too many numbers..... wrap my head in duct tape because it's gonna explode!:eek:

Originally posted by fatboy I haven't checked my heart rate in the morning right after waking, but the HRM on the treadmill gets it at 56-60 before I start. This is in the evening. Seems to match what I get taking it at my neck. Never sure of the accuracy of the heart rate monitors. This is quite fascinating...I don't really know of any other athletes who have resting heart rates that low. Hmmm...definitely worth a study...

Nah, not mad, cause I have seen Geek do this before. He is playing with us. :) But he raises good points. I have volunteered a lot in my kids schools, and it is so very true that children are overweight...a lot overweight. Which will mean that the obesity problem will continue to grow, no pun intended. The causes, a much more sedantary life, much more dependance on fast foods, prepared foods. How to fix it, certainly not by doing away with PE in schools(which has happened), and I think people have an awareness on how to eat, but it kind of is a I can't do that healthy eating mentality. People are odd about this too. I lost 35 pounds 2 years ago, dropping 3 dress sizes and am maintaining, sometimes not real well, but still keeping it off. People almost take it as a personal affront if I choose not to have something fattening at a get together. Their reasoning is, I am not fat anymore, why not eat. I watch people here at work take the elevator one floor, and fight over a parking spot close to the door. So no wonder our kids are fat. People on this board probably don't fall into this category. I have a feeling that we are a group of people who concentrate on lifelong fitness and health. But how do we get the general population to change? I have no clue. Luckily my children have inherited their fathers metabolism and are skinny as rails. I still try to stress healthy eating, because even thin people have heart attacks. anyway, I am rambling and have work to do...

I can't understand why pointing out that fat is unhealthy is cause for anger. How come if I point out to a smoker they are killing themselves and need to quit, that's acceptable BUT if I say, you're fat, you're killing yourself, in addition to driving up my health care costs, I've made some bad mistake? I have pals who engage in dangerous activities (rock climbing, the "perils" of the single life) and they don't get all indignant when it's pointed out to them they engage in risky bahavior with possible life threatening consequences. Why is it different for the beefy crowd? Also, society may be faster than ever but it doesn't dictate you have to be heavy. Convenience doesn't dictate weight. You can just as easily microwave something heathly as something fattening. I'm only partially stupid, so I realize most of what I say is easier said than done. However, I am a firm believer it is much harder to get heavy than to stay healthy. When I was all plump eating became a full time job! Unfortunately obesity isn't a problem that can be relegated to individuals anymore. It is a societal issue that is probably health concern #1 or #2 right now due to the myriad of problems it causes.

I probably should mention that health concern #1 these days appears to be erectile dysfunction, based solely on the number of adds on this topic we are subjected to.

I do think for some people, it is real easy to stay heavy and you are , trivializing how hard it is to lose weight, and then keep it off. If it were easy to do, then people would not be overweight. The fact that it is hard to lose, and hard to keep it off is why it is a problem. And that problem gets passed down because how many of those heavy children have heavy parents? Again, if you have not had this problem it is really hard for you to understand. I have been battling this since I was 12 years old