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lwilbur
New Member
| Joined: | 24 May 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1 |
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Posted: 25 May 2005 05:38 am |
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I have just started swimming and I am getting conflicting information on whether this will help me with weight loss. I do swim for 1 hour but it is freestyle and I do about 50 laps in a 25 yard pool. I know I'm working because I am tired when I get out and if I sit a long time after I do that I am a little stiff. I have been doing this 6 days a week for 3 weeks now and haven't lost an any weight. :(
Suggestion?
Laura
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DeltaDawn
New Member
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Posted: 25 May 2005 05:47 am |
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Laura, every weight loss book or website has said that swimming is one of the greatest workouts you can do to help lose weight. If you are not losing pounds, try going by inches lost instead. It is often the best way to tell. :) I think that you are doing really well if you can get yourself going to the pool everyday! Way to go! I have also been counting calories and exercising, I have lost almost 20 pounds in two and a half months. It has been a slow process, but I am sure I will not gain it back that way. Try not to look for fast results, but instead look for the way you feel. Do you feel like you are more energetic lately? It could be because you are raising your metabolism. All of it works together to help you. And remember it takes time to stimulate your muscles to want to lose weight, give it a few more weeks and I bet you will have dropped a few pounds or more by then! Good Luck!
Dawn
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patesguy
Senior Member
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Posted: 25 May 2005 04:47 pm |
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Well you wont see a whole lot of difference for about 4-6 weeks, you mostly lose water weight at first (your body has been storing it just in case) as for your program good for you!! i have trouble getting myself to the gym 3 days a week let alone 6!! youre doing great, the next thing to really look at is what youre eating. low fat, good carbs (i didnt say no carbs) wheat breads, brown rice, ect... you need carbs for swimming there is no doubt about that... when your body burns the carbs its also burning calories after that your body looks for muscle to burn... you need to watch that you fuel your body with enough carbs to burn calories and fat; not muscle... also protein is your friend, you wont bulk up but you do need to repair your muscles from the strain you are putting them through...
so eat right and keep doin what youre doin and youll start seeing those pounds swim right off your body!
-patesguy
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flyawayana
Senior Member
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Posted: 27 May 2005 05:58 am |
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swimming is wonderful.. let some more time go by.. measure your results by inches instead of pounds (ive learned that to be a much less stressfull way of counting weightloss) anyway, if you still see no difference, take a look at your workouts. check your heart rate (are you working in your "training zone" or "target heart rate") you may feel tired, but maybe you arent pushing quite hard enough to put yourself in the right heart rate zone, do you see what i mean? try also, you say you swim 50 laps and your done, how long does that take you? try swimming by a certian amount of time also. like if your done in 30 min... you should take it up a little higher. to maybe 40min... maybe 50 or a full hour?
just some side notes for ya also.... when you do freestyle, you are working the chest mostly - try to get a good amount of backstroke in also. this works your upper back.you need to keep your chest and upper back muscles "even" in strength or your shoulders could give you problems down the road. (trust me.. i used to swim competativly) what i do, personally, is if i swim 500 freestlye, i'll do 500 backstroke... etc. see what i mean there? also... you say you feel tight or sore afterwards while sitting down.. stop that!!! right after you are done working out.. STRETCH. swimming is a full body workout, so stretch your whole body! this will help you not get tight by stretching out your worked up muscles.. this will also prevent injury. dont sit down and rest before you stretch cause by the time you are done resting your muscles will be 'cold' agian. stretch while your 'warm' and it will be a more benificial stretch for you.
fly
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JeepDriver
Member
| Joined: | 2 June 2005 |
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| Posts: | 10 |
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Posted: 2 June 2005 09:20 pm |
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If you aren't swimming at an aerobic level, you probably won't lose much weight. Although it is a great muscle workout and the benefits from that are awesome.
Swimming may not be the best cardio exercise for you to do. Many swimmers do not have the very low bodyfat percentage of typical world class athletes. Try running or cycling but keep the sweats on! Your body will burn more calories as it tries to maintain a cool core temperature. This is another one of the reasons why swimming in a chilly pool is not a great cardio activity.
Don't get me wrong, swimming is an excellent total body workout and there is no way you should cut it out of your routine. Just try cross-training that's all! Good Luck!
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margec
New Member
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Posted: 22 June 2005 05:27 pm |
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lwilbur wrote: I have just started swimming and I am getting conflicting information on whether this will help me with weight loss. I do swim for 1 hour but it is freestyle and I do about 50 laps in a 25 yard pool.
It's better to alternate days for specific types of exercise, so you don't do the same thing two days in a row. In years past, I've had big problems with rotator cuff injuries from over-swimming before I was in condition, before I started following that rule. I know lots of people swim every day and get away with it, but I suspect they've been doing it long enough to be in condition for it.
Swimming is great for burning calories, but you burn more if you go faster. Just like anything else. Try alternating fast and slow laps for part of your workout; over time, you build up strength that allows you to increase speed. Keep in mind this is a SLOW process. But it's great, because swimming gives you the best feeling all day, so you get a reward while you're waiting to lose weight...!
The basic point about losing weight is the balance with your calorie intake, so you have to look at the whole picture. You need to figure out what your calorie requirements are, track what you're eating so you can see what your intake really is, and then add the exercise to tip the balance toward weight loss. Also, the more you're in condition (more muscle mass), the more calories you'll burn doing ordinary activities, so it takes a while to increase muscle and really get it going effectively. But while you're working on it, it's the trend that counts!
Good luck--
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Past Member
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Posted: 6 July 2005 11:22 am |
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wow. think you are doing "fab" hope you are stil at it. Any exercise is better than sitting on sofa. WELL DONE I say.
Jo x
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Gwen
New Member
| Joined: | 6 July 2005 |
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| Posts: | 4 |
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Posted: 7 July 2005 04:38 pm |
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Hi Laura i agree with everyone who has posted a reply to your initial message. do not look for a quick fix diet because youve heard it before and you will hear it again, they do not work!. instead think of working your way and just changing you whole lifestyle. combine exercise with a good diet plan that does not leave you tired but makes you adjust to it so that it becomes a part of you. simply a change. i have been overweight and have only been able to lose this weight (20lbs) by doing this, so do not give up.
Good Luck!
Gwen
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collegestudent
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 14 July 2005 09:35 am |
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| I just have one question for you are you counting laps as there and back, or just there (aka are you doing 2500 yards or 1250?) As a swimmer, I count a lap to be just there, so that would be 1250. That is not a very quick pace at all, and perhaps you would do better if you alternated fast and slow laps. When I swim distance I usually do buids on 200 yards. This means that for about 50 I put in very little effort (25%) and then go to 50% and then 75%, the last 50 is an all out sprint, but it is okay because the 50 following that is a breather. I generally swim a 2000 in about 36 minutes. That isn't a pace you should expect if you never swam for a team, but you can shoot for 2000 in 45 minutes or so. At my best I could go through a 2000 in about 28 minutes.
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cenglewood
New Member
| Joined: | 29 July 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1 |
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Posted: 29 July 2005 11:36 am |
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I was a swimmer all through grade school -- 2-3 hours a day for about 8 years, and I have to say, I never really considered it a fool-proof way to maintain weight. It is great for your heart and lungs, it is easy on your joints, and it strengthens many muscle areas at once. But for weight loss, I don't consider it to be the most effective thing out there.
Interesting article about this very subject:
thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/swimming.htm
If you enjoy it, keep doing it, but it's probably not at the top of my list.
Also, keep in mind for bone strength it's important to do some weight-bearing activities, so make sure you don't only swim if you have the option to mix it up a bit. Even swimmers do dry land workouts.
Sorry if I'm the bearer of bad news, but this is what i think!:)
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