Swimming & Weight Loss

Regarding the 3 meals a day...I've heard just the opposite is better, that you should eat smaller snacks throughout the day. I swim in the morning (6am), and don't eat anything before it. Once I get to the office (about 8am), I snack on nuts, granola, and have a sandwich (usually turkey--at about 10am). I eat lunch at around 12:45 (a small leftover dinner usually), then snack on carrots, grapes, an apple, etc throughout the afternoon. Dinner is at about 6:30pm, and it is the biggest meal all at once. If I have any dessert it will usually be at about 8pm. But truthfully, even with swimming 5 days a week, losing weight was a struggle. I added in walking over my lunch back in March, and the weight started coming off. In April, I added in weights 3x week, and initially, weight came off even more. With my new routine, my weight will vary from 180 to 185, which I'm generally happy with. Lifting weights has probably added some muscle, which weighs more than fat, so I think this is a safe level. I have to agree with the alchol consumption too. I used to drink a glass of wine with regular dinner sometimes 3x week. That since stopped, now I only drink on weekends, and even then it is far less. Also, I used to have a Coke everday with lunch...amazing the difference that alone gives.

I share the best advice I ever got concerning weight control. "Learn to eat three meals a day---Period and drink all the water you want". I have done this for alot of years and have maintened a healthy weight for all of them. This sort of ties in with the KISS princple Keep it Simple Simple

"Also....as silly as this might sound, I rarely drink wine or beer and if I have cocktail, it's always hard liquor, like clear rum with diet soda." Kari, It doesn't sound silly at all. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one. I haven't had a soda since age 12 when I had a coach that wouldn't let us drink it. People usually look at me like I'm nuts when I tell them that all I drink is water. I carry around a 1/2 gallon jug at work, and I'm always getting comments like, "You drink all of that in ONE day?" I've never regretted giving soda up, and now I can't even drink if I'm desperate because it makes my eyes water. Yes, this also means that I can't drink beer because of the carbonation (a good thing!). Unlike you though, Kari, I only indulge in wine since I can't even stand soda as a mixer. Kristi

Yes - lifting weights and/or strength training in general really helps, because you're building muscle. You might gain weight, but you'll lose inches! I'm back in my Calvin Klein skinny jeans....! Also....as silly as this might sound, I rarely drink wine or beer and if I have cocktail, it's always hard liquor, like clear rum with diet soda. Also - I don't drink soda, not even diet soda! Unless it's with rum (see above). What also helps is to have a glass of water with every cocktail I have, so that I feel full and I'm somewhat rehydrating myself, and I consume less booze that way too. Sincerely - Kari, aka drinker with a swimming problem

One more thing...I also agree with the small meals a day idea.... I swim in the morning too - so I'll have a piece of toast with peanut butter before I swim. Afterward, I'll have oatmeal, fresh fruit, and like Aztimm, a sandwich - all by late morning. I snack on fruit and yogurt or another sandwich in the afternoon, and then dinner anywhere between 6-8 PM. Susan...give grazing a try. And try a Barcardi and diet coke....

I think I'm going to throw away the scale all together! If you think about it, one of the benefits of exercise is weight loss for most, but serious, I just want to live a long and healthy life. This morning, after 1 week of eating healthy, lo-fat, lo-cal and swimming/walking/weights, I gained 2 lbs. Now I wasn't really concerned about the 2 lbs since we all know muscle weighs more than fat and also when your muscles are repairing, there is some weight gain too. So I decided I would take my measurements and see if there was any loss there. I'll be darned....I lost 1 inch in my NECK! But hey! I'll take it. This time of year is incredibly difficult - their are so few weekends and so many football games and tailgates to attend! Kari, I'll give the rum & diet coke a try. At least it is easier to sneak into the football games. heh heh.

Susan - LOL! Yes...you can "doctor" up your diet soda bottles.... ;) Kristi...I work with people who drink soda after soda all day! I don't see how they do it.... I'd be so bloated. I have a book writtin by Dr. Haas, who is a registered dietician, and the one who really helped Andre Agassi get back in the game via a better diet. Anyway, he says that if you're going to have a cocktail, have a Bloody Mary - it's a "healthier" mixed drink. If I can find the recipe, I'll share it next week

Originally posted by aztimm Regarding the 3 meals a day...I've heard just the opposite is better, that you should eat smaller snacks throughout the day. . doctors and dieticians seem to agree, but dentists seem to feel opposite. the more times you eat per day, the worse for your teeth and gums.

I have lost 60 pounds since May, and swimming is a big part of my program. To loose weight, you must eat less of the good stuff (fat free, low cal) and none of the bad. But the weeks that I swim the most, I have lost the most. While swimming alone is not enough, dieting works best when exercise is added. I believe that swimming has helped me the most mentally by helping tone up ( a little) the flab I have left....:)

Try searching the forum on this topic. From what I recall in past threads the consensus seemed to be there was limited success in weight loss from swimming. I'm impressed with some of the testimonials in this thread, looks like it works to me. I've never (in my life) been more than about 15# over what I feel is my ideal weight, which is now 180-185#@6'2". I did notice that once I passed 40y/o the weight did not come off as fast or easy (just as everyone said it would be). So I weigh my self at least 1x/wk mostly out of curiosity. I typically vary (on average) at least 5# between mid summer and mid winter. I can vary 3-5# in just a few days sometimes when sudden (extreme) changes in exercise, fluid intake, and diet all happen at once (as in "stress-outta-control"), but this event is fairly rare. I don't bother counting calories, or doing any complex diet analysis. I try to eat a well-rounded diet, avoid highly processed foods, eat when hungry and quit when full. Drinking plenty of water is important, typically 1-ltr per 50# of body weight per day. I often think there is room for improvement in my diet habits, but I generally feel good so I don't fuss or worry over it (as my worry demons are other things). Except for occasional yard work my only form of exercise has been swimming for over a decade now. Lately I typically swim 1600-2000+, in 60min+, 3x/wk. Sometimes I do Yoga, but that is it.