There seems to be as many opinions and misinformation floating around about personal weight that I thought we might share and perhaps open our minds a bit. Here are the questions that I feel will provide useful info:
Age
Sex
Height
Present weight range (many people vary 3-4 lbs over a day)
Ideal weight range for optimum health (your opinion)
Ideal weight range for optimum swimming performance
What steps are you taking, or will you be taking, to lose or
gain the weight difference between present & optimum.
I'll start
54
M
6'1"
220-224
190-194
182-188
Drastically cut down drinking & desserts; resume active training
I haven't looked at the forums here for weeks....found this old one:
Age: 36
Male
Height: 6'
Current: 180 (weekly range is 175 to 185)
Ideal: Maybe 170; I looked all over online, each site seems to have its own ideal, the US military would let me weigh up to 195, while most medical sites suggest I weigh 165-170
Ideal for swimming: have no idea
I also have the Tanita scale that measures body fat percentage. It seems there is an inverse ratio of my weight to body fat. When I'm toward the upper end of my weight range (185) my body fat comes in at 17%, when I'm down near 175, the body fat reads 19%.
Since I've been lifting weights (and yes, I swim mornings, weights evenings and weekends), my weight has stayed around the same. Running 2x a week has brought my average down a little. After a Sunday morning run (when swimming every day M-F, running Saturday morning, lifting Sat afternoon) my weight is 175.
I'll jump in for the females.
36
F
5'7"
Around 138
For me ideal would be 125
125-130
I usually don't have any specifc way to lose weight. I have already lost a lot. I gained a lot when my thyroid died. Nothing I did worked to get it off until I started back swimming 6 years ago. Then the weight came off. Add to that having a baby 18 months ago. Luckily I lost he 25 lbs I gained withing 6 weeks. Now I'm swimming with the age group team to get more yardage in and I take a spinning class 1-2 times a week. That has helped me feel better but I'd still like to lose a few lbs. I do watch what I eat (I watch it go into my mouth! :D ) and try to cook healithy (husband's family all has heart disease. I want him to break that trend)
58
M
5-10
now:155-158
ideal:150-155 BMI~21
season:145-148 BMI~20
No junk food, tons of water,nothing with (carb+ protien)/fat ratio less than 5, and nothing after 7:00pm.
36
M
6'1"
149
Unk
Unk
I'm a real skinny guy, but I enjoy swimming more and more ever since a back injury prevents me from running. Even a lifeguard, last week, indicated that I should gain weight. :) Anyway, I'm off to the pool. Have a pleasant day.
Well, this will probably blow a lot of people away.
Female
Age: 58 - 59
Ht: 5/7
Ideal weight according to "charts": 140-150
Weight now: 192
Olympic weight in 68: 175
I feel GREAT at 180-190. Don't swim well below 180; what can I say?
BFI: 28%
Resting heartrate in the 40's. Can swim at a heartrate of 160-180 for very long periods of time even though the "charts" say I shouldn't.
Distance swimming is all mine. I usually lose anywhere from 6 to 12 pounds per 15+ miles of distance ocean swimming.
And, I won't respond to concerns about my stats!!!
Donna
