Swimming & Weight Loss

Originally posted by MichiganHusker Thanks for your comments. Yes, I am speaking of the masters swimmer - 3-4 times a week swimming for 1 to 1 1/2 hours with 2000 yds+. I did a search of former threads and there was some discussion about weight loss but mostly the successes were posted by men. I just started back in the water after 25 years and many pounds. While I realize it took me many years to gain the weight, I want to lose it now! :p Swimming is the only sport that really feels natural to me. I hate running & aerobics, I can tolerate walking and cycling is great when the weather is good, but Michigan's cycling season is rather short (too hot or too cold). I'm glad to know that if I don't see immediate results on the scale not to panic. Losing weight is more about what you put in your mouth, exercise is just the healthy bonus. When I don't swim at least 60 minutes, 4 times a week, I have trouble with weight gain. I have lost 35 pounds and swimming most certainly helped. But the weight loss was slow, 1-1.5 most weeks, but some weeks under a pound. So watch what you eat 98% of the time, get in the pool and get your work-out in and if you don't have any other underlying issues(metabolism), then you will slowly lose weight and tone up.

I noticed they've got an Endless Pool on the TV show "The Biggest Loser," so I guess they think swimming helps people lose weight :) Yes, I do think swimming helps you lose weight. I don't know if it's the best way, but it definitely does. I'm about 15 lbs lighter now than when I started swimming masters and I eat a lot more.

Losing weight is about one thing, burning more calories than you consume. If you can maintain your weight with no exercise then swimming while maintaining the same caloric intake will surely yield a loss of weight.

From what I recall in a kinesiology class many years ago, weight loss in swimming is gradual. You may maintain the weight you began with when beginning for a month or longer, but you will "look" different, meaning the weight will be re-distributed. If you are looking to lose weight add another activity such as walking, bike riding, or circuit weight training with alot of reps on a low weight. And of course eat better. As far as fitness experts, I just think their expertise is in the gym setting and not at the pool. As far as being competitve, do you mean Master's swimmers? Sure, I've seen some larger athletes at meets, but generally no. As far as the younger set, no. Like the previous post, those young people are burning too many calories to sustain any weight beyond what they burn the next day. Now for rec swimmers, I've seen plenty who never lose any weight and that's due to the level of effort they do or don't put into the workout or swim.

After college I backed off from swimming a bit. I only got to the pool two to three times a week. Then, a few years ago our local masters team put in an a.m. workout that I could fit into my schedule. I decided to get back into the pool more regularly because it's a lot more motivating to have a group with whom to swim. I now do the group workouts three days a week and Mo Chamber's and Mel's workouts two to three days a week. I have never been significantly overweight, and losing weight was not my goal, but I lost 12 pounds in my first five months just by upping my frequency to 5 times a week, 3500-4500 yards per practice. Three years later, with the same practice schedule, I'm still the same weight (130). As far a diet is concerned, I eat a LOT of whatever I want. Luckily I don't like soda and gave up french fries on dare at age 12 and haven't had one since, but you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who eats as much chocolate as I do! As far as workout times go, at some point I remember reading that morning workouts are good for weight loss -- something about getting your metabolism going.

Thanks for your comments. Yes, I am speaking of the masters swimmer - 3-4 times a week swimming for 1 to 1 1/2 hours with 2000 yds+. I did a search of former threads and there was some discussion about weight loss but mostly the successes were posted by men. I just started back in the water after 25 years and many pounds. While I realize it took me many years to gain the weight, I want to lose it now! :p Swimming is the only sport that really feels natural to me. I hate running & aerobics, I can tolerate walking and cycling is great when the weather is good, but Michigan's cycling season is rather short (too hot or too cold). I'm glad to know that if I don't see immediate results on the scale not to panic.

Woman "weighing" in here.... I lost 30 pounds just swimming. My workouts consisted of 2500-4000 yards - 60-90 minutes, 4-6 times per week. I wasn't losing weight for a long time doing the above workouts; I lost weight by changing my eating and drinking habits. No cheese, no booze, stopping when I was full (i.e., learning how to push the plate away), and portion control. So....I lost 30 pounds in 5 months! I was able to eventually add wine, beer, cheese, other favorite foods, etc. back into my diet, but I still practice portion control.

MichiganHusker: Glad to hear you are back in the pool. I understand your walking and biking predicament especially due to those Michigan winters. Are you on a team? If so, add some fins to your routine. Talk with your coach about it: when they are doing a set of 100's, kick them with fins instead. You'll make the same interval as if you were swimming. The reason I say this, is when I need to shape up, I kick more (usually 200 backstrokes). Also fast/moderate sets will increase your metabolism and burn more calories--such as 25 fast, 50 moderate. I think just making a commitment and sticking with a routine is beneficial. What the aerobic swimming is doing is toning your body, as fishgrrl wrote, combining that with some food modification will help. Be sure and hydrate while you swim, it helps from gorging after practice! Which I'm sure we all have done. Best of luck, the board here is great for inspiration and advice.

I've always been a healthy eater - I just have a big appetite, so definitely portion control is important. I've cut back on the glasses of wine during the week (that alone should be huge). I did have my metabolism/thryroid checked as I was not losing any weight by diet along (1500 cals/day). The MD told me that the ONLY way to safely increase your metabolism is by regular exercise. Dorthyrde and Fishgrrl: What sort of diet did you follow? Does anyone have an opinion on weather it is better to exercise in the a.m. or p.m.? Patrick: I'm not on a team - the local masters team works out too late in the evening for me. I've been using Mo Chambers' workouts - they are great! Mo has been extremely kind in helping me interpret the new fandangled lingo/stroke drills and set a strategy for maintaining a **lower** heart rate as I tend to work out way too hard - 90-95% of Max heart rate - unless I slow down and take it easier.

I do Weight Watchers and I especially like their Core plan. It teaches eating until satisfied, and selecting foods from a list of healthy foods. I am 44, and have had a weight problem since high school. I started swimming 5 years ago, and swimming helped me firm up, but until I watched my portion size, I did not lose weight. I also love to weight train and have been weight training since age 20. I do step aerobics and walk my dog too. I think crosstraining really works well with losing weight, at least for me. Keeps me from being bored.