Articles about Swimming not being good for weight loss

input "swimming is not good for weight loss" studies seem to assume common lap swimmers, who may not exactly be getting the heart rate up. Organized Masters swimming will get the heart rate up (ease into it) and burn calories at a higher rate, if you put the effort in.

I'll throw in another myth;the "fat burning" pace.Some people say go at 60% effort so that you will burn more fat.That is wrong,at that effort you will burn primarily fat,but not more.Your body would rather burn fat as it gives 9 Cal/gm of energy instead of 4Cal/gm with carbs and protein.It takes a lot of oxygen to burn fat,so as you exert more your body has to use energy sources that take less oxygen,primarily burning glycogen.The fat burning is still going on,but glycogen is the larger source.Then when you stop,if you are just "fat burning"you will recover quickly using little more energy.If you were working harder,you'd take longer to recover,using more energy,and since plenty of oxygen is again available you are burning fat.Over all,a hard workout burns much more fat than a easy one.

I have found that for me, weight loss is 90% what goes into my mouth and 10% exercise of any form. I actually find consistent swimming helps control my weight(I have lost 40 pounds and kept it off 8 years). This is along with weight training, and biking, running, lots of things to keep my interest high in fitness. Watch the diet, and you will lose.

...What I read is that because of the cold water the body tends to build a layer of fat underneath the skin to heat the body... that also the body doesn't burn as much fat because the cold water keeps it from heating... and that the cold water causes the apetite to rise...quote] Lynn Cox experienced a rise in body fat % without added calories (probably subcutaneous fat) when she was acclimatizing to extremely cold water for her Arctic and Antarctic swims... but few people are swimming in water that cold. A lot of public pools are, in fact, uncomfortably warm. I gained about 60 pounds after injuries from a car accident took away all my favorite land-based activities. About 25-30 pounds came off gradually, over a period of years, just from swimming. I've been at a plateau for a few years and have taken up running again (very cautiously) to try to get down a few pounds more, but there is no doubt in my mind that I'd have gained even more weight if I hadn't overcome my dislike of swimming and stuck with it.

My personal experience is that hard swim workouts suppress my appetite for a few hours. My tastes change towards wanting all "good" foods and no "junk" foods. I find it impossible to get/keep my weight down without regular exercise and swimming has been the best for me in a lifelong struggle. I enjoy my time swimming so I am able to exercise at a good intensity and duration to be effective. A note, even when craving "good" foods I still have to be careful about total calorie intake.