Losing Fat/weight with swimming?

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RuchikaPal
RuchikaPal Posts: 313 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm about to join swimming, The primary goal is to lose weight and look good...Swimming is something that i definately enjoy as compared to going to a regular gym.
Could any of you share youexperinces of losing weight because ofswimming?

I Know many people heretake offence when you you:re doing somethinG justto lose weight... I Would love to have the added bENifit of actually bEINg more fit, but to be honest,I have about40 pounds to lose, And I really wanNa figure out which is the best activityto investmy time and money into.

I already have cut back on Junk food and iTRY to eat clean as much as possible...

anyway, Your experinces with swimming please, and suggestions? Word of advice?

Thanks MFP Family...
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Replies

  • Stevozz
    Stevozz Posts: 1 Member
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    I swim often as part of my routine to lose weight. Personally I find it the best way to burn calories, mostly because I enjoy it so much.

    If you are just starting out then I would recommend just swimming 20/30 mins freestyle and make note of the distance you are doing. If you keep doing this you will get faster and after a short while 30 mins will be relatively easy for you and you can increase your swim time.

    Then when you are more comfortable in the pool you could mix it up a bit and introduce sprints / high intensity intervals to your swim. This will be more beneficial in terms of fat burn / weight loss.

    I found that initially the weight was dropping off me, but then I plateaued - presumably I was gaining more muscle than the fat I was losing.

    As the Toad above mentioned though, you do need to ensure that you are working at a calorie deficit to lose weight. Just make sure you're not at an extreme calorie deficit.

    I'd also recommend checking out https://www.reddit.com/r/Swimming/. There's lots of helpful people and good advice there. This is also a helpful site to work out exactly how many calories you are burning: http://www.swimmingcalculator.com/swim_calories_calculator.php. I find the MFP metrics inaccurate because they don't take into account distance or weight.

    Good luck in the pool!
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited June 2016
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    You need a calorie deficit to lose weight.

    ^^ This. You can't out run a bad diet.

    Once you have your calorie intake under control, exercise gives you a bit more leeway *and* helps you look and feel better, too, as the weight comes off.

    In the pool, I highly recommend you look into water jogging. All the benefits and burn of regular jogging without the stress on your joints. And as an added bonus, you don't get all sweaty. ;)

    Learning to weigh and measure all of my food, logging it here, making better food choices, walking and water jogging were the reasons I lost 75 lbs last year. :)

  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    Start logging what you eat.
    For me, eating right is 90% of the battle in weight loss.
    Exercise is really just for my health.
    (you can't outswim a bad diet).
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    edited June 2016
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    I'm a swimmer + acquagym at least 3 times a week, for 20 yrs. As said above, a calorie deficit is first. I find alot of newbees arrive thinking they're going to lose alot of weight swimming and gain instead because they're hungrier. You have to also eat enough to fuel your workout. If you move in the pool, as opposed to piddling along, it's taxing. So, you need a good ballance, and need to really watch your calorie intake. Buy a digital scale and weigh and measure all food. If you know how to swim, you can start lap swimming--there are lots of workouts on internet. Try to up things every week, alittle faster, a little more difficult. If you're just starting, maybe think about some lessons. Good form is important, as is breathing. Welcome to swimming--I just love it and it's a great workout. Thinking about weightloss, it's alot like other movements, but look around at the pool--there aren't very many fat swimmers that do laps. You have to do what you like to stick to it long term. Good luck.

    PS: Just wanted to add that I see some fantastic bodies at the pool.
  • spring913
    spring913 Posts: 158 Member
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    Swimming works for me because I love doing it. In the past I've only exercised because I thought I had to, I didn't enjoy it so I never stuck with it. Swimming is different for me. It's a great full body workout, you can tailor it any way you like, using different tools to focus on arms or legs.

    That being said. Has it helped me lose weight? Not really. A calorie deficit is why I've lost weight. But I am healthier and stronger from swimming.
  • krazy1sbk
    krazy1sbk Posts: 128 Member
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    I am going to start swimming as well! I've seen it's a great way to get stronger and gain muscle, but I agree with the above posts that it won't help you lose a lot of weight. I have gotten to my goal weight and now I am working on changing what my body looks like. Definitely log what you eat and set a goal. You can always eat back your calories from swimming if you'd like! Add me as a friend if you want :smile:
  • RuchikaPal
    RuchikaPal Posts: 313 Member
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    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    You need a calorie deficit to lose weight.

    In the pool, I highly recommend you look into water jogging. All the benefits and burn of regular jogging without the stress on your joints. And as an added bonus, you don't get all sweaty. ;)
    Will definately do sO...

    Amazing suggestions you all.. Yeay
  • jdude3262
    jdude3262 Posts: 18 Member
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    snowflake954 wrote: »
    I'm a swimmer + acquagym at least 3 times a week, for 20 yrs. As said above, a calorie deficit is first. I find alot of newbees arrive thinking they're going to lose alot of weight swimming and gain instead because they're hungrier.

    Recent studies suggest that exercising decreases appetite (in women anyway). http://www.newsmax.com/Health/Health-News/Diet-fitness-food-hunger/2016/03/09/id/718260/
  • cabwj
    cabwj Posts: 843 Member
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    spring913 wrote: »
    Swimming works for me because I love doing it. In the past I've only exercised because I thought I had to, I didn't enjoy it so I never stuck with it. Swimming is different for me. It's a great full body workout, you can tailor it any way you like, using different tools to focus on arms or legs.

    That being said. Has it helped me lose weight? Not really. A calorie deficit is why I've lost weight. But I am healthier and stronger from swimming.

    ^^ Totally this.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    jdude3262 wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    I'm a swimmer + acquagym at least 3 times a week, for 20 yrs. As said above, a calorie deficit is first. I find alot of newbees arrive thinking they're going to lose alot of weight swimming and gain instead because they're hungrier.

    Recent studies suggest that exercising decreases appetite (in women anyway). http://www.newsmax.com/Health/Health-News/Diet-fitness-food-hunger/2016/03/09/id/718260/

    Exercising may--swimming not. Swimming depletes your body's water supply, which alot of new swimmers don't realize. You are ravenous after a swim of an hour or more. Some of that is thrist, but you're so hungry you don't care. As said before, any type of exercise in the pool is good for you, but there's a difference between doing laps and just piddling along in the lane. If you really swim and aren't carefull, you can overeat. Hence the caution, since the OP is interested in weight loss.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    As to what people are saying about swimming and hunger:
    A study done in Britain demonstrated that swimmers were not losing weight and this is often touted as "you can't lose weight by swimming' evidence, but follow up studies by the same group demonstrated that people who swim in cold water or are outdoor swimmers actually consume more calories after swimming than indoor swimmer/warm water swimmers. A follow up study done at Michigan showed that outdoor/cold water swimmers who took warm showers after swimming or drank warm drinks such as tea, consumed fewer calories after swimming than the cold water swimmers who didn't warm up after.
    In other words, if you find yourself ravenously hungry after your swim and are tempted to overeat, start taking a hot shower or grabbing a cup of herbal tea when you get out of the pool. It could make a huge difference in your consumption. :)
  • Zella_11
    Zella_11 Posts: 161 Member
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    I love swimming! It burns calories, which helps me meet my goals. And it feels good! Make sure you are eating at a calorie deficit though or it won't help with weight loss. ;)
  • dazzle122
    dazzle122 Posts: 2 Member
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    Hey, give it a go if it's something you enjoy.

    Iv been swimming laps twice per week for an hour since March, have rests for about a minute in between sets (I do approx 60 lengths of a 25 metre pool). I got in to it following coming off crutches due to stress reaction after giving a military boot camp ago (was on them for 3 months!); been advised not to run and so swimming seemed like the best thing.

    I started with 30mins at first and worked way up. I have lost 10 lbs and have lost 6 inches off my waist, my tummy is certainly flatter and thighs,bum and biceps more firm! I have tonnes more energy and my swimming a definitely improved.

    I have also as people have said reduced my intake, ate much more healthier (have stayed clear of ready meals, high salt contents, ate more fruit and veg), reduced portion sizes and logged!

    I don't find that swimming makes me hungry. I usually have a banana before a swim when going after work/ or on weekend morning.

    Add me as a friend if you want :)
  • playmadcats
    playmadcats Posts: 199 Member
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    I'm someone who always feels hungry after swimming. Have found preparing a meal or snack beforehand that can be eaten as soon as I get in helpful. Means I'm grabbing something to tide me over when preparing something else.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
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    I used to swim regularly. It was great exercise and quite calming. It helped me maintain physical fitness. And it made me hungry. I swam a mile a day in cool water, and I was always ravenous after a swim. But weight maintenance was far easier than when I stopped swimming.
  • playmadcats
    playmadcats Posts: 199 Member
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    Sorry not grabbing
  • jondspen
    jondspen Posts: 253 Member
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    Swimming is a good exercise, works the whole body and low impact. When I was in the Marines, my run time had hit a plateau. I started mixing swimming into my workout, about 20 min 2-3 times a week. After 4-6 weeks we did our PFT and I shaved a min and a half off my time! Did 3 miles in 19:48 if I recall correctly
  • carmencbennett
    carmencbennett Posts: 3 Member
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    I turn my phone timer on and I swim for a continuous 15 minutes. Either laps or just treading water. Not as easy as one thinks. If I don't use a timer I find myself just floating around. LOL
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    If you love swimming do it for health along with any other exercise you love.

    As far as fat loss - it's all about the calorie deficit regardless of exercise. People can lose fat even if they do no exercise. But if you want to make your lean body mass healthy, functional, and beautiful, do any exercise you love, because if you love it you'll keep doing it and that is good.

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