I was wondering how many master's swimmers think that swimming:
maintains weight
aids weight loss somewhat
aids weight loss greatly
For me, I maintain weight, and unless I kick my yardage WAY up, I don't lose weight.
How about you?
I've thought about this a good bit since I've competed in both running and swimming for a number of years. At times, I've given more focus to one sport than the other. Honestly, I think on the weight loss/gain issue, it is a mental thing, at least for me.
Being thin in running is an advantage, so when I'm primarily focused on running, I become super aware of this. I cut back my calories, lose weight, and really watch what I eat. With swimming, being really thin has hurt my performance in the past, so I let myself eat a little more than when I run. My ideal swimming weight is probably at least 8 pounds more than my ideal running weight.
When I want to be thin, I can lose weight doing either swimming or running, but I have to be aware of how much and how often I eat.
This goes against what I've thought about swimming in the past. Before, I was convinced that swimming was not good for weight control. Now I'm not so sure. I will say that I think swimming tends to build muscle much more than long distance running does. Added muscle means added weight. On the other hand, added muscle mass means you burn more calories.
I've thought about this a good bit since I've competed in both running and swimming for a number of years. At times, I've given more focus to one sport than the other. Honestly, I think on the weight loss/gain issue, it is a mental thing, at least for me.
Being thin in running is an advantage, so when I'm primarily focused on running, I become super aware of this. I cut back my calories, lose weight, and really watch what I eat. With swimming, being really thin has hurt my performance in the past, so I let myself eat a little more than when I run. My ideal swimming weight is probably at least 8 pounds more than my ideal running weight.
When I want to be thin, I can lose weight doing either swimming or running, but I have to be aware of how much and how often I eat.
This goes against what I've thought about swimming in the past. Before, I was convinced that swimming was not good for weight control. Now I'm not so sure. I will say that I think swimming tends to build muscle much more than long distance running does. Added muscle means added weight. On the other hand, added muscle mass means you burn more calories.
