Anyone else swimming for weight loss??

I swim every 2nd day. Im not fast at it, but i go for like 45 mins and always feel great after. It burns those calories so fast.

I have always loved the water and that now shows in my son. I started swimming laps two weeks ago. I swim anywhere from 20-45 minutes. But I have not lost a pound since I started swimming for my exercise...WHAT gives??

I used to swim up to 6 days a week when I was in university. I have since lost that but I am looking forward to start swimming again at least a couple times a week very soon! The swim times at my pool now are just horrible! I look forward to chatting with everyone else who loves the water.

And also another comment about swimming and losing weight, it burns calories, it tones, but I haven't noticed as big a weight drop with swimming as I have for other cardio exercises. I swim because I love it, but I feel ravenous after EVERY time. Anything you do to burn calories can't hurt though!

Swimmers! Two (possibly dumb) questions:

1) if you wear a cap, does it keep your hair dry so that chlorine (to avoid dryness)?

2) if you wear goggles, does it keep water out of your contacts (to avoid infection)?


THANK YOU!

1) Nope. at least not all the way. Get a silicone cap, they are gentler to your hair. I always get my hair wet (in a ponytail), and then put on my cap. Make sure you have a way to leave it "open" to dry, and add some baby powder to prevent sticking (more necessary on latex caps, but still good practice). If you leave your hair dry, the cap is more likely to slip and be annoying. Just shower right after you are done, and if you're blonde (i'm not), there is an anti-chlorine shampoo that you can buy that prevents the green.

2) Yes and no. They can, but sometimes they leak. i'm REALLY BLIND (-6.0 on one side, and -6.75 on the other) but I just wear regular goggles, I like the kind without any kind of sealer. Sometimes I even just go without (though the pool I once used at an LA fitness was waay too much chlorine even for me. All you need to see is that big line on the bottom and the + on the wall. If you want to see underwater, speedo makes (or at least used to, I haven't looked in a long time) "prescription" goggles. there's only a small chance they''ll exactly match your Rx, but it should be close.

I swim at least 3 times a week, i love it, its such a great work out! I do laps and then just swim around having fun with my daughter! Feel free to add me if u need more friends!

Swimmers! Two (possibly dumb) questions:

1) if you wear a cap, does it keep your hair dry so that chlorine (to avoid dryness)?

2) if you wear goggles, does it keep water out of your contacts (to avoid infection)?


THANK YOU!

With regards to the goggles, its not a good idea wearing contacts in the pool. Im only -3.5 but if I didnt wear prescription goggles Id be bumping into people! Heres actually a really easy way to make your own if youre interested
http://www.instructables.com/id/Prescription-Swimming-Goggles-for-12-See-Underw/

Swimmers! Two (possibly dumb) questions:

1) if you wear a cap, does it keep your hair dry so that chlorine (to avoid dryness)?

2) if you wear goggles, does it keep water out of your contacts (to avoid infection)?


THANK YOU!

With regards to the goggles, its not a good idea wearing contacts in the pool. Im only -3.5 but if I didnt wear prescription goggles Id be bumping into people! Heres actually a really easy way to make your own if youre interested
http://www.instructables.com/id/Prescription-Swimming-Goggles-for-12-See-Underw/

Yeah, I found myself turning to an elderly lady in the pool the other day and asking if the rest of my lane was clear.....blind as a bat....didn't realise you could get prescription goggles though!!

1) The caps are usually just to keep your hair wrangled, reduce tangling and drag. A cap tight enough to keep water out when you're submerged would get pretty uncomfortable, fast.

2) A decent pair of goggles that fits you well will keep the water out. But then again, if you bump them hard, or if they start not fitting as well over time (rubber eventually wears out), water could get in. They're expensive, but you can get prescription goggles!

*edit: apparently, I need to type faster next time. Two people beat me to it.

teehee

I don't swim to lose weight, but I do swim for exercise. When I first started, I was working out in the gym 5 days a week, lifting weights, running without stopping... so of course I thought I was in great shape. When I pulled something while lifting, I decided to hit the pool because it was lower impact, rather than stop exercising altogether while I healed - and then the next day, every muscle in my body ached. So much for being in great shape, I guess? Swimming works every muscle, and it doesn't feel like work. It's fantastic. So now swimming will always be part of my exercise routine.

I'll explain when I have more time this eve. but swimming causes your body temp. to drop and other cardio based exercises cause your body temp. to rise. When your body temp. drops (especially when your already eating at a calorie deficit) it causes your body want to eat alot more food because your body thinks your freezing to death and starving.

Most public pools are kept around 78-84 degrees in my experience. If you're actually swimming laps, not just playing around in the water, your skin temperature might drop, but your core temperature rises a hair, just as it does with any other vigorous exercise.

If you're swimming in cold water, that's a different story though. Side note: Pools that focus on competitive swimming are usually colder, 77 or less, even down to 68 in some places. Blah.

Doesnt matter, below is a pic. of my swimming hole which is warmer than heated pools. Doesnt matter if I'm swimming in the Gulf of Mexico in SW. FL. during hurricane season or your swimming in a heated pool, Your body temp will drop and when it does (especially when your eating at a deficit) you will want to eat more food than if you burned the same amount of calories doing another type of cardio that caused your body temp to rise.