Swimming tips for weight loss

enyagoboom

deannalfisher wrote: »

That's my point - I'm finding MFP and these calories are highly overestimating calories burnt (at least for me) - so if I were to eat them back I may not have been as successful as I have been

Yes, that is definitely a common theme and one of the best initial pieces of advice that I got from MFP users when i started - never eat back all your calories because the count is skewed, be it swimming, running, pilates, etc.

mimc66

YosemiteSlamAK wrote: »

@mimc66
I am a Masters coach & a swim instructor. I would recommend having someone look at your stroke sooner rather than later. A trained eye will be able to give you tips and tricks to improve your stroke, body position, timing, breathing, endurance, etc. Which should make your time swimming more productive or at least less tiring.


Thanks for the recommendation. My wife watched me this weekend and my head is definitely coming out of the water and my hips are dropping. I'm going to "flounder" around for another week or so and then start some one-on-one lessons. Really like swimming more than I thought I would..

lucerorojo

I swim 1-2x a week. I always eat back my calories--losing hasn't been a problem for me. I put in as "lightly active" and I'm wondering if perhaps I'm more active than that since eating back the calories hasn't stalled my weightloss. (I also walk 80 minutes 4x a week and do 1-2 zumba classes per week).

Thanks for all the tips about swimming. I am not a strong swimmer and have these same breathing problems. I just cannot get coordinated in the crawl stroke. I usually backstroke for my workout. I had some lessons about 7 or 8 years ago but I didn't keep up with it. It did improve my breathing/stroke temporarily BUT since I didn't continue I've just gone back to my old way. It really was a very different way of moving in the water, what he was teaching me--it felt almost effortless as opposed to the struggle that is my crawl/freestyle usually.

BradyPug

@mimc66 sounds familiar with the “floundering” stroke. I took a group lesson last winter/spring and now I think I just need to swim more. Like you have found I actually like it as a way to keep active. I will keep at it and not worry about the perfect stroke, just enjoy and have fun and keep active. Add me as friend if want to message/compare notes anytime

lorrpb

lucerorojo wrote: »

I swim 1-2x a week. I always eat back my calories--losing hasn't been a problem for me. I put in as "lightly active" and I'm wondering if perhaps I'm more active than that since eating back the calories hasn't stalled my weightloss. (I also walk 80 minutes 4x a week and do 1-2 zumba classes per week).

Thanks for all the tips about swimming. I am not a strong swimmer and have these same breathing problems. I just cannot get coordinated in the crawl stroke. I usually backstroke for my workout. I had some lessons about 7 or 8 years ago but I didn't keep up with it. It did improve my breathing/stroke temporarily BUT since I didn't continue I've just gone back to my old way. It really was a very different way of moving in the water, what he was teaching me--it felt almost effortless as opposed to the struggle that is my crawl/freestyle usually.

I would encourage you to take some classes or lessons again. You will be able to fine tune the areas you're struggling with. I've taken classes a few times over the years. Also you could search You Tube for some breathing drills that could help. Like anything else, it takes lots of practice and time.

Skipjack66

Swimming is an awesome form of exercise and is my favourite for many reasons! I think everyone should learn to swim!

As for swim calorie burns on MFP : When I was eating half of my calories back I was still losing quite rapidly despite setting for a .5 pound loss per week. I did some research on different swim calculators (weight/distance/speed) and did some pace testing on myself to cross reference. I then compared it to the numbers mfp was giving.

For a 145 lb person, MFP’s calorie burn for freestyle under “fast vigorous effort” is an burn estimate for swimming over 3.5 km an hour. There is also a “slow, moderate pace” for freestyle which correlated to to pretty much swimming under 3km an hour. I think for an intermediate swimmer these numbers are probably fairly close to accurate. Beginner swimmer numbers I think would be very off.

The “breast stroke” entry is swimming at a pace approximately 8 minutes per 400m which is fairly quick, yet there is no slow/medium fast category. If someone is swimming a moderate to slow pace of breast stroke this would be way off the mark, and it’s probably better to classify as “slow to moderate freestyle” and only eat half back.

I didn’t test back stroke or fly. Looking at the numbers I assume they are about the same as breast stroke - based on the burn of a more advanced level of swimmer.

Hope this helps a little.