swimming

Swimming is a great exercise! Depends on you really if it's a good enough workout - eg how you feel during/after. That being said I would say if it gets you moving then yes! Just keep in mind, when logging, intensity/distance/time can play a huge role in calories burned.

Swimming is excellent exercise. Just be careful not to over-eat as swimming can leave you with a voracious appetite!

swimming is a great exercise, i go 3 times a week and it has done me the world of good

i can't say how good it is on its own for weight loss as i run 3 time a week too but i've found the weight dropping off me as long as i stick with eating properly too

what i can defiantly say is that since i started swimming i've been feeling so much healthier

I started swimming again 14 months ago while recovering from a serious back injury. Since then I've gone on to do circuit and strength training, even lifting weights, but I still swim 2 or 3 mornings a week. I love it and don't worry about the swimsuit.........no one really pays any attention. I started out in a size 18 suit and now wear a 12 and still no one cares.............hahahaha

I started MFP on 7th September 2014, am 42 years old, 5ft 2in and weighed 201lb. I have really been struggling to see some results - I need to lose 79lb before I can move to maintenance. So I decided that exercise must be added to my daily efforts. I recently got back into swimming after a 25 year break.

I used to swim competitively in my teens and it was like riding a bike - within 4 days I was back into it. I currently do a 1500m freestyle swim each day Monday to Friday which takes me 40 minutes over 60 lengths of a 25m pool. Plus the pool is a distance away from me so I do a brisk 25 minute walk there and back which I use as a warm-up and cool-down. I go very early in the morning so for breakfast I eat Oats So Simple with semi-skimmed milk before I leave the house so my body has something to work with, and eat a standard Mars bar with hot, unsweetened tea when I get home as an energy boost.

I work every other weekend so on my weekends off I do 90 minutes of Advanced Step on my Wii fit on both Saturday and Sunday.

On my working days I have quit taking the bus and now do a brisk walk there and back which is about 30 minutes each way - and is often quicker than taking the bus!

I probably should do some kind of strength exercises but have chronic back problems, hence why I chose a return to swimming as it is non-weight bearing plus I love it! It also burns calories at a faster rate per minute than running or walking - although every web page gives a different answer for calories burned, I can't find any two that give the same answer - any help here guys would be appreciated.

My next step is to start taking the stairs instead of the lift. I live on the 7th floor of my apartment block and work on the 5th floor of my business building so it's easier said than done. I did try it out a couple of weeks ago and almost required breathing apparatus at the top!! Since I've got back into the swimming I should try it again in the near future, hopefully with better results.

From the 7th September to 25th I lost 7lbs then nothing. I started swimming just last week and find myself looking forward to it every night when I climb into bed. I am now starting to lose again after 19 days of yo-yoing all over the place. The plus was that I was measuring my chest, just under the bust and that has gone from 113cm to 95cm so something was definitely still happening. MFP advised eating 1200 calories to lose, which I have stuck to throughout, and I eat some of the calories back that I use in exercising.


I hope this helps.

Not for me, but remember, most of our results come from our diet - not exercise.
I love swimming and get to the pool a few times per week in addition to the other training I engage.
Swimming is one of the single best exercises there is.

I swim a lot and it has certainly been enough to help me lose weight. I started larger than you and definitely felt self conscious, especially because I joined a class to learn to swim properly. But after a couple of times it really got easier. There are people of all shapes and sizes in the pool and most of them are engaged in playing with their kids or swimming with their faces submerged, so really aren't checking out people's arms or legs.

I agree with the hunger afterwards thing- like another poster I swim before my evening meal, even if it means eating a snack when my family are eating dinner and then me eating at 9-10pm.

And finding an exercise you like and don't dread is so important to make a habit of it that will stay. I tried running and aerobics classes and hated them. But I started swimming lessons, found I loved it and it's genuinely no chore to go. I have the odd 'can't be arsed' day, but I'm disappointed when I find I can't go for some reason. I don't have to talk myself into going, telling myself it's good for me. Working out isn't only about burning calories for weight loss, but enjoying movement, physical sensations and knowing that you're taking care of yourself. If you run around all day for other people, going through the same movements all the time on autopilot, it's especially important. That sounds a bit wanky and pretentious, but for me anyway, it's true.