Hi Stacey!

I have been swimming 5 times in the last two weeks..I feel so energized yet tired when I am done! I have lost 5 lbs so far. I haven't measured my waist but I am on the last hole in my belt for the first time in 6 months so I think that it is working!

:-)
Betsy

Great Job!! You've inspired me to up my swimming from 2-3 days a week to 4.

You all are getting fantastic results-WTG!!!

I swam to lose my first 40 lbs. Right now I'm running because it's hard to fit swimming in while the kids are home for the summer. But I'll be back in the pool come fall!!

This week I have lost another 0.8 lbs so again I am very pleased :happy:

Well done on your weight loss hun, you are doing great xxx

Thanks! Wonderful job on the weight loss!!

I swam my first mile last night! Not all at once, took some breaks but felt so wonderful for doing it! xx

Hooray SnowAngel!

I'm swimming 3 times a week and doing aerobic class on the other two week nights. Two of my kids are on a rec league swim team so I'm at the pool three nights a week to pick them up anyway.

I've been swimming since May of last year, and being very serious about the laps since August. I started out having a hard time doing 10 laps. I did my first mile around October. I built up going farther and farther until I was able to go three miles around March. I've noticed a lot of up and down in my distance ability. It seems like I make jumps in my speed as my strength grows, and when it does I go way back on my distance before exhaustion hits. This last round in May I was able to get my sustained speed under 1 min per 50yd lap and when I do I went clear back to only being able to go 25 laps before I was dead. I'm now up to 50 laps at that pace.

I've lost 41 lbs since I started and I'm down 34 since joining MFP.

Awesome Matt! To increase endurance and speed throw in some pulling sets and kicking sets between all-out swimming sets.

I started swimming again 6 months ago. I'm now up to 5 times a week for an hour a time. So far I've lost nearly 60lbs and 7 inches off my waist. Don't think I'm ever going to stop!!

I started swimming about a month ago, once my semester ended and I had time to actually use the pool at school. I go about 3 times a week (only open four days a week), for about an hour. I haven't lost much as all, about 5 lbs in the past 2.5 months, and most of that before started swimming. However, I have noticed my core/midsection has gotten a lot stronger and firmer. I wish I was dropping pounds, though!

The most important change for me is that adding swimming to my routine has allowed me to increase the number of days a week that I workout.

Before, my week was 1-2 strength days and 2-3 cardio days, or 4 days. My cardio was a combination of elliptical, treadmill, and stationary bike. The problem with that routine was that it was too leg-focused. Now, I've added 2-3 days of swimming which uses muscles more evenly and also uses significantly more arms, back and core than the other cardio. Now, I'm able to average 6 days a week of workout.

Before i joined MFP I had lost 17 lbs over 10 months. In the last 2 months, withnthis new schedule and MFP, I've lost 9 lbs. so the rate of loss has definitely increased. I was already trying to eat healthy, but I'm sure the diet tracking in MFP has improved things a lot in my diet so the change isn't entirely due to only the swimming.

All I can say is this combo is working for me!

Hooray for butterfly, melinda!

I did my longest swim of the summer on Tuesday. 2,600 meters in an hour. Slow but continuous!

Next week I'll try for 3,000 meters at some point, I think.

wow! 2.600m I´m trying to do the same distance in one hour. but i´m finding it a bit difficult. I start doing 600m warm up, then I stretch and then I do some butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle equally distributed to 2000m total. What do you guys think? Need some advice thanks!!

Thank you Melinda! I´m going to use paddles more, by the way I´ve lost already 24lb swimming... 14 to go

I swim almost every day after work. It has been a fantastic supplement to my other workouts.

I acutally am against paddles for the same reason that I'm against flippers. 1) they alter your stroke. 2) they create a dependancy on the item.

My problems with cramps went away when I gave up flippers.

I've now gotten into good enough cardio condition that I find my legs and arms are being worked hard enough during swimming that I'm sore even without fins or paddles.

Paddles are meant to help improve your stroke. I only use the if I'm working on arms most of them time I swim without them. When people use them throughout their entire workout they do get too dependent on them.

I agree Melinda, except that most people don't use them correctly. It is one thing to have someone who is experienced and even trained in how to use paddles and/or gloves, and flippers. It is entirely something else to have anyone slap on some paddles and flippers and go. Most people I see who are swimming have issues with their kick that flippers only exagerate. And when you are using paddles, if you don't know what you are doing, they cause you to flatten out your hand and turn it to get the most benefit out of the paddle, instead of the paddle providing the most benefit to your stroke.

I'm not meaning to sound preachy, I just think that paddles and flippers should be used by people who already have an idea of how to improve their strokes, or under the supervision of a trainer who is properly instructing the swimmer on their use. Being a former competitive swimmer, a waterpolo player, a WSI and an LGI, and a swimming instructor, I have seen more problems created by people trying to self-improve their strokes with these than without paddles or flippers

I swim 2+ miles almost every day and the only aid I use is a FINIS swimmers snorkel. I am not trying to impress anyone, i'm trying to get a good workout. I can push myself much harder with this because I don't have to turn my head to breath. I swam 3 miles in 1hr 20min on 7/22. I don't think i'd be able to manage that time without it. Check it out, it's done amazing things for my cardio http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/1221.htm