swimming and weight loss

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sadyel
sadyel Posts: 250
in Fitness and Exercise
Im just about to sign up to the gym and i was going to alternate days, gym then swim I do love swimming so i know i will enjoy that has any one had a good weight loss with swimming and calorie counting alone? before and after pics welcome
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  • EdTheGinge
    EdTheGinge Posts: 1,616 Member
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    It doesn't really answer your question but I always used swimming as more of a toning exercise than actual weight-loss, it just firms it all up. Now I'll let others answer what you asked lol.
  • JasonDetwiler
    JasonDetwiler Posts: 364 Member
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    Im just about to sign up to the gym and i was going to alternate days, gym then swim I do love swimming so i know i will enjoy that has any one had a good weight loss with swimming and calorie counting alone? before and after pics welcome

    Let me put it this way: When I was competing in swimming, I weighed 140, ate 8-10k calories a day, lifted like crazy, and couldn't put on weight to save my life. Stopped swimming and in six months put on 40 lbs (75% muscle, 25% fat, approximately) lifting like crazy and eating about 4-6k calories a day.

    So, yes, swimming can help you cut weight or keep it off, but it needs to be intense.
  • sadyel
    sadyel Posts: 250
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    Im just about to sign up to the gym and i was going to alternate days, gym then swim I do love swimming so i know i will enjoy that has any one had a good weight loss with swimming and calorie counting alone? before and after pics welcome

    Let me put it this way: When I was competing in swimming, I weighed 140, ate 8-10k calories a day, lifted like crazy, and couldn't put on weight to save my life. Stopped swimming and in six months put on 40 lbs (75% muscle, 25% fat, approximately) lifting like crazy and eating about 4-6k calories a day.

    So, yes, swimming can help you cut weight or keep it off, but it needs to be intense.

    Jesus! Well that certainly answered my question :) thanks
  • sadyel
    sadyel Posts: 250
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    It doesn't really answer your question but I always used swimming as more of a toning exercise than actual weight-loss, it just firms it all up. Now I'll let others answer what you asked lol.

    Well yea it does answer my question really because im like skinny fat its more toning i need hips and arms especially
  • JasonDetwiler
    JasonDetwiler Posts: 364 Member
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    It doesn't really answer your question but I always used swimming as more of a toning exercise than actual weight-loss, it just firms it all up. Now I'll let others answer what you asked lol.

    Well yea it does answer my question really because im like skinny fat its more toning i need hips and arms especially

    Just an aside, there's no such thing as "toning." Muscles get bigger or smaller. Fat gets bigger or smaller. Swimming intensely will help you make your fat smaller so your muscles are more visible. Just make sure you're doing some weight training so your muscle mass doesn't disappear along with fat mass from too much cardio (you said you're skinny fat, so be aware of this). "Toned" is a word made up by the fitness community to appeal to women who shy away from weights because they are afraid to get bulky (despite the fact that 99.99999% of them are physically and chemically incapable of ever getting bulky without anabolic steroids and 6k calorie diets).
  • zerryz
    zerryz Posts: 168 Member
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    I lost 29lbs by reducing calorie intake and swimming at least 5 times a week. My swimming was far from intense, 1mn 15 sec per 50 yards. No other workout. None, except maybe an occasional belly dance class. And very recently, some weight training I added to my regimen. Swimming has helped expose my muscles a bit more, no doubt.
    So, the answer is yes, swimming has helped shed weight. However, I was not doing any workout before I started. And that certainly is a factor for showing more dramatic results.
  • zerryz
    zerryz Posts: 168 Member
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    Oh, I do swim 45 to 60 mn per session, anything from 60 to 80+ x 25 yard laps
  • athenasurrenders
    athenasurrenders Posts: 278 Member
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    Before I got pregnant I swam a mile three times a week. I didn't lose weight (well not more than 5 lbs or so) but I wasn't counting calories at all. I did feel a massive and rapid improvement in my overall fitness though. I started doing ten lengths per session and resting each length and three months later I could swim a mile without stopping.

    So I know that doesn't answer your question but I still vote for DO IT! Swimming will make you feel great.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    Oh, I do swim 45 to 60 mn per session, anything from 60 to 80+ x 25 yard laps

    That is cool. Do you mean 25 yard length pool? 50 yrd per lap?
    72 laps would be a hair over 2 miles. That is typically what I do. Once a month I do a 5K (110 laps). Did that today. 1hr 48 minutes.
    I love swimming. Whole body aerobic exercise amd no sweat wiping. :bigsmile:
  • JasonDetwiler
    JasonDetwiler Posts: 364 Member
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    For a swimmer, a lap and a length are the same thing, even though it's not correct in language. The 1650 is 66 laps (or lengths). The 100 is 4, etc.
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
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    Swimming is great exercise - it's low impact and it works a lot of different muscle groups. I swim in a rehab pool - the water is kept at 92F so it's really not made for swimming laps. And it's very small - 42 lengths is only 1/4 mile! I wore my HRM monitor and it does get my heart rate into my zone for weight loss so it's all good. I find that I generally burn about 200 cals in a 20-minute swim, and in that 20 mins I can swim about 1/2 mile.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    For a swimmer, a lap and a length are the same thing, even though it's not correct in language. The 1650 is 66 laps (or lengths). The 100 is 4, etc.
    Generally a lap is defined as up and back. So a 25 yard pool is a 50 yard lap. 36 laps is 1800 yards, 40 yards longer than a mile.
  • JasonDetwiler
    JasonDetwiler Posts: 364 Member
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    For a swimmer, a lap and a length are the same thing, even though it's not correct in language. The 1650 is 66 laps (or lengths). The 100 is 4, etc.
    Generally a lap is defined as up and back. So a 25 yard pool is a 50 yard lap. 36 laps is 1800 yards, 40 yards longer than a mile.

    I know. Swimmers talk different in this particular regard. That's why I said "For a swimmer, a lap and a length are the same thing." I know this. I was one for 18 years. Just keep this in mind when you are talking to a swimmer versus a normal person who knows the difference between a lap and a length.
  • zerryz
    zerryz Posts: 168 Member
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    Oh, I do swim 45 to 60 mn per session, anything from 60 to 80+ x 25 yard laps

    That is cool. Do you mean 25 yard length pool? 50 yrd per lap?
    72 laps would be a hair over 2 miles. That is typically what I do. Once a month I do a 5K (110 laps). Did that today. 1hr 48 minutes.
    I love swimming. Whole body aerobic exercise amd no sweat wiping. :bigsmile:

    When I say lap, I mean a length of 25 yards, therefore my longest workout is about 10 lengths over the mile. :)

    Swimming helps me lose weight, no doubt.
  • needernt
    needernt Posts: 675 Member
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    swimming is fantastic to shape up your body. but it is not the best choiceto loose weight. other aerobic exercises are more effective in loosing weight.
    A SWIMMER.
  • jessicasmith9019
    jessicasmith9019 Posts: 3
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    Swimming helps a lot
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    I just did a quick calculation and found that when I get to my goal weight, I will have to swim 7.2KM to burn what I do now swimming 5KM.
    One the plus side, displacing less water means I go through the water more easily :bigsmile:
    I'll have to swim faster too because muscle doesn't float quite as well as fat does. :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
  • stevegobris
    stevegobris Posts: 2
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    When I was younger, I used to love swimming because while it flattened my stomach and toned my muscles, I would not lose any weight. Boy has times changed. Now I want to lose.

    I now swim about 3 to 4 miles a week. Usually swimming 1 mile straight with out stopping daily. It is great cardo, great for your posture and firming up you physic. During the last 2 years of swimming, I have lost over 20lbs. I am about 8 lbs from my goal weight . While you do burn a lot of calories, you do need to watch what you eat. For some reason, people feel that is easier to lose weight running than swimming. Maybe, but a swimming body in my opinion looks much better than a runners.

    Distance swimming is the best because you sleep better and no other exersize makes you feel better. You get the benefits of both cardo and resistance training and if you pay attention to what you eating a great way to lose weight.
  • beanerific518
    beanerific518 Posts: 152
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    Just an aside, there's no such thing as "toning." Muscles get bigger or smaller. Fat gets bigger or smaller. Swimming intensely will help you make your fat smaller so your muscles are more visible. Just make sure you're doing some weight training so your muscle mass doesn't disappear along with fat mass from too much cardio (you said you're skinny fat, so be aware of this). "Toned" is a word made up by the fitness community to appeal to women who shy away from weights because they are afraid to get bulky (despite the fact that 99.99999% of them are physically and chemically incapable of ever getting bulky without anabolic steroids and 6k calorie diets).

    ^^ This. Swimming is a great cardio exercise, but don't forget about strength training too!
  • needernt
    needernt Posts: 675 Member
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    One important funtion of swimming is: it breaks fat cells in some parts like stomach and carry it to other part of body (this happens even more than burning fat) that's why you lose you stomach fat and tone your arms, legs, buttom .Thay's how sometimes you see your body shape changes but did'nt lose any weight.

    You know ladies beauty is not just reducing fat and showing up muscles beneath. We have another topic tha you mentioned the percentage of fat appropriate to an attractive body.
    Do not under estimate the role of fat in beauty. The imortant thing is that fat should be in the right place to look attractive.

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