In the False Start thread we got off on a tangent about fat and thin swimmers. I'd like to start a thread about this topic.
Since having my three children (2000, 2002, 2004) I have struggled with losing that belly. My husband, Mr. Exercise Physiologist, guesses I have about 15 pounds in my stomach. The rest of me is back in shape, the extra weight is just in my tummy. And boy do I feel it in the water. I equate it to carrying a 15 pound weight. That's a lot to swim with!
That being said, I get a physical every year (cancer runs in my family, I found out a few years ago). My NP said that my BP (104/62) and HR (56 resting) were good. And to my surprise both my HDL and LDL were really good (I don't remember the numbers). My blood cell counts were good, yaddy, yaddy, yaddy.
My point is that even though I'm 15-20 pounds overweight I'm REALLY healthy. She's never suggested that I need to lose weight. However, as a swimmer, the benefits of losing it are obvious. I'd swim faster.
The fastest FEMALE Master's swimmers I've seen are super thin, but not anorexic (sp?). Laura Val, Alison Zamanian, Laureen Welting, Beth McGee, Karlyn Pipes-Neilson, etc. are all really trim and super fast. Now, I'm not saying that if you're skinny, you're automatically fast... I've just noticed that thin, talented swimmers seem to swim the fastest. I don't consider myself in either category, so these are just my observations.
Parents
Former Member
Are any of us ever happy with our bodies, I mean really? After giving birth twice (1993 & 1996), I have a permanent "mommy belly". I say it's permanent because I can't make it go away--tried personal trainers, exercise classes, videos, fad diets, etc. For the most part, I'm lean and trim, but I would love to lose the mommy belly (and 15 lbs.--I'm a girl, I always want to lose at least 10...).
If my FSII kneeskin is any judge, I guess I have thunder thighs (who are they kidding with the super tight band at the bottom?). If my husband heard me say that he would freak.
Last night I went to the kid's spring clinic dry land workout. What a blast! These kids were complaining after a few crunches and leg lifts. One would think they had never worked out before by the time we started 10 minutes of step-up leg lifts. All of them have zero body fat and a 20-25 year handicap on me, but I was the one making all the reps and keeping pace without complaining.
Am I a "fat" swimmer? Maybe, but my FS sucks in my mommy belly (referred to elsewhere as "jiggly parts") and camoflages my thunder thighs, so I like to think of myself as a "phat" swimmer. :wiggle:
Dana
Ok, so my affinity for Twizzlers and Cold Stone "mud pie mojo" isn't helping, but every once in a while we all deserve a little reward for all the hard work we put in.
Are any of us ever happy with our bodies, I mean really? After giving birth twice (1993 & 1996), I have a permanent "mommy belly". I say it's permanent because I can't make it go away--tried personal trainers, exercise classes, videos, fad diets, etc. For the most part, I'm lean and trim, but I would love to lose the mommy belly (and 15 lbs.--I'm a girl, I always want to lose at least 10...).
If my FSII kneeskin is any judge, I guess I have thunder thighs (who are they kidding with the super tight band at the bottom?). If my husband heard me say that he would freak.
Last night I went to the kid's spring clinic dry land workout. What a blast! These kids were complaining after a few crunches and leg lifts. One would think they had never worked out before by the time we started 10 minutes of step-up leg lifts. All of them have zero body fat and a 20-25 year handicap on me, but I was the one making all the reps and keeping pace without complaining.
Am I a "fat" swimmer? Maybe, but my FS sucks in my mommy belly (referred to elsewhere as "jiggly parts") and camoflages my thunder thighs, so I like to think of myself as a "phat" swimmer. :wiggle:
Dana
Ok, so my affinity for Twizzlers and Cold Stone "mud pie mojo" isn't helping, but every once in a while we all deserve a little reward for all the hard work we put in.
