Anyone else swimming for weight loss??

I started swimming 2 wks ago and I love it. For the first time I dont feel like im exercising. Well not dreading that walk in the heat or home work-outs. I wanted friends with similar interests to talk about exercises in the pool, etc.

Replies

troyn123

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)?

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.

luv2scrapbook

I did after we got a pool last fall and I will be again as soon as we get it cleaned up and going again. Awesome workout without feeling too much like a workout. Love it!

you look amazing! i cant wait til the day i can post my before and afters

troyn123

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.

alltacht

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/

luv2scrapbook

Swimming is great exercise but not the best choice for most people if your trying lose weight.

it seems to be working out for me but im very curious to know- why not???? i have heard that some people gain weight by building muscle and something about the water being to cold and your body trying harder to reach a certain temp, mixed with over eating?

knowing these factors and controlling them should help, no?

Squidgeypaws007

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

luv2scrapbook

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'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.

ok just saw this one! I swim in a heated pool

deliciousappleblue

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.

jesuslovesme145

I swim ALL the time! I love it, and am on a swim team (even though I am to old :P ) . I swim four times a week, and the work outs range from one hour to three. Love to add you as a friend if you like!

Ripken818836701

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.

Ripken818836701

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'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.

ok just saw this one! I swim in a heated pool

Doesnt matter, please see my post above this one.

misty2ann

I swim because I love the feeling I get from it. I don't know yet if it is going to help me tone up or lose weight, but I figure anything will be better than nothing! I am always SO HUNGRY afterwards though, and now I guess I know why! I have always wondered that! I will be sure to keep a healthy snack in my back to have afterwards. I am a freak, though, and have a serious phobia of my face in the water, so all I do is a back stroke. I can definately feel it in my oblique muscles though. And, fyi, one of the pool lifeguards told me if I got one of those kids noodle things and put it under my knees while I back stroke, using just my abs and arms, it gives an excellent ab workout......something I am going to be trying very soon. As long as I don't splash the ladies that just got their hair done....I'm all good! :happy:

Ripken818836701

I swim because I love the feeling I get from it. I don't know yet if it is going to help me tone up or lose weight, but I figure anything will be better than nothing! I am always SO HUNGRY afterwards though, and now I guess I know why! I have always wondered that! I will be sure to keep a healthy snack in my back to have afterwards. I am a freak, though, and have a serious phobia of my face in the water, so all I do is a back stroke. I can definately feel it in my oblique muscles though. And, fyi, one of the pool lifeguards told me if I got one of those kids noodle things and put it under my knees while I back stroke, using just my abs and arms, it gives an excellent ab workout......something I am going to be trying very soon. As long as I don't splash the ladies that just got their hair done....I'm all good! :happy:

Misty same here!! During the summers months I spend 7/10 days a month at my house in SW. FL.
Because of the summer temps I decided to switch my exercise from running on the beach to swimming. So I did and it was a great workout, but each and every day it was alot harder to stick to my diet (even though I did) then when I jogged on the beach or at home in PA. lifting and doing Insanity. I assumed it was because swimming caused me to burn alot more calories than my normal exercise program. So my next trip to FL. I did the same thing , swam everyday but bumped up my calorie intake. (was still hungry though) When I got home I was shocked to see that I gained weight. So did some research and found that the amount of swimming I was doing was actually burning less calories than my normal exercise program back home. But why then was I so hungry from swimming? I did some research and found out that is common knowledge that doing swimming (even in a heated pool) as your main source of excerise, especially while eating at a deficit will cause you to want to eat more food than if you burned the same amount of calories doing an exercise that caused your body temp to rise. Swimming ( even in a heated pool) will cause your body temp. to drop, and that slight drop along with eating at a deficit will cause your body to want to eat because it is tricked into thinking your freezing or starving. I'm not saying it will cause you fail at losing weight, it just makes it alot tougher to stick to your diet.

crazydv

I love to swim and I do it because I love it! i'm not sure if it has helped me lose weight but i'm sure it has helped me lose inches. Anyone who swims....feel free to friend me!

Hope every day is a swim day! Lol

misty2ann

I swim because I love the feeling I get from it. I don't know yet if it is going to help me tone up or lose weight, but I figure anything will be better than nothing! I am always SO HUNGRY afterwards though, and now I guess I know why! I have always wondered that! I will be sure to keep a healthy snack in my back to have afterwards. I am a freak, though, and have a serious phobia of my face in the water, so all I do is a back stroke. I can definately feel it in my oblique muscles though. And, fyi, one of the pool lifeguards told me if I got one of those kids noodle things and put it under my knees while I back stroke, using just my abs and arms, it gives an excellent ab workout......something I am going to be trying very soon. As long as I don't splash the ladies that just got their hair done....I'm all good! :happy:

Misty same here!! During the summers months I spend 7/10 days a month at my house in SW. FL.
Because of the summer temps I decided to switch my exercise from running on the beach to swimming. So I did and it was a great workout, but each and every day it was alot harder to stick to my diet (even though I did) then when I jogged on the beach or at home in PA. lifting and doing Insanity. I assumed it was because swimming caused me to burn alot more calories than my normal exercise program. So my next trip to FL. I did the same thing , swam everyday but bumped up my calorie intake. (was still hungry though) When I got home I was shocked to see that I gained weight. So did some research and found that the amount of swimming I was doing was actually burning less calories than my normal exercise program back home. But why then was I so hungry from swimming? I did some research and found out that is common knowledge that doing swimming (even in a heated pool) as your main source of excerise, especially while eating at a deficit will cause you to want to eat more food than if you burned the same amount of calories doing an exercise that caused your body temp to rise. Swimming ( even in a heated pool) will cause your body temp. to drop, and that slight drop along with eating at a deficit will cause your body to want to eat because it is tricked into thinking your freezing or starving. I'm not saying it will cause you fail at losing weight, it just makes it alot tougher to stick to your diet.

This makes sense to me! I guess if I did a little research I would have found that out! Thanks for the info! I still love to swim though,,,,,,,even if I look like a drowning dog most of the time lol

cornerofgreystreet

I have been swimming since September. I am training for a sprint triathalon in June and am shooting to do the Olympic distance one next year. I have not lost any weight since then but have been eating pretty much at maintenance so I didn't really expect to. I have, however, noticed a major difference in my arms and shoulders. I swim a mile twice a week and the muscles in my arms continue to become more defined everyday. I never expected to get the results that I have seen and I love it.

I have completely fallen in love with swimming. The feeling I get while swimming laps is not matched by any other exercise that I do and I look forward to doing it every chance I get.

paledi

I am swimming again because of knee problems after running competively for 25 years.

I really need some swimmer friends! Anyone feel free to add me!

screening2

Here i am too... for my accident, to swimm its perfect and,.. even i love it

antijen

I've added swimming and water exercise to my routine once a week to shake things up a bit. I used to be a great swimmer, but now I'm floundering a bit. I hope that before long I wont look so stupid, however I think (hope) it will help me achieve my goals.

antijen

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) I don't wear a cap because I'm lazy and my pool uses saline and not chlorine.

2) I don't wear goggles because I'm lazy (see a trend?) and my pool uses saline and not chlorine and my eyes don't get very irritated.

However, I get seriously thirsty and go through a TON of water when I'm done. Saline has a downside.

BrianSharpe

Managed a 5K swim none stop a couple of weeks ago after only being able to swim about 100m none stop at the start of the year, (but you have just added me as a friend)

Fantastic! It's funny I can run 20km but struggle with swimming more than a few hundred metres - I better get my butt in gear, I have a triathlon coming up this summer.

Tempe729

I've been taking the Aquacise class through my university since January & I love it! I've always love swimming & playing in the water & I've definently seen results from it!

Maystar80

I swim because I love the feeling I get from it. I don't know yet if it is going to help me tone up or lose weight, but I figure anything will be better than nothing! I am always SO HUNGRY afterwards though, and now I guess I know why! I have always wondered that! I will be sure to keep a healthy snack in my back to have afterwards. I am a freak, though, and have a serious phobia of my face in the water, so all I do is a back stroke. I can definately feel it in my oblique muscles though. And, fyi, one of the pool lifeguards told me if I got one of those kids noodle things and put it under my knees while I back stroke, using just my abs and arms, it gives an excellent ab workout......something I am going to be trying very soon. As long as I don't splash the ladies that just got their hair done....I'm all good! :happy:

Misty same here!! During the summers months I spend 7/10 days a month at my house in SW. FL.
Because of the summer temps I decided to switch my exercise from running on the beach to swimming. So I did and it was a great workout, but each and every day it was alot harder to stick to my diet (even though I did) then when I jogged on the beach or at home in PA. lifting and doing Insanity. I assumed it was because swimming caused me to burn alot more calories than my normal exercise program. So my next trip to FL. I did the same thing , swam everyday but bumped up my calorie intake. (was still hungry though) When I got home I was shocked to see that I gained weight. So did some research and found that the amount of swimming I was doing was actually burning less calories than my normal exercise program back home. But why then was I so hungry from swimming? I did some research and found out that is common knowledge that doing swimming (even in a heated pool) as your main source of excerise, especially while eating at a deficit will cause you to want to eat more food than if you burned the same amount of calories doing an exercise that caused your body temp to rise. Swimming ( even in a heated pool) will cause your body temp. to drop, and that slight drop along with eating at a deficit will cause your body to want to eat because it is tricked into thinking your freezing or starving. I'm not saying it will cause you fail at losing weight, it just makes it alot tougher to stick to your diet.

I was a swimmer and water polo all through out highschool along with being a wrestler in between my "swimming" seasons. swimming is definitely awesome for cardio endurance and strength and just for the amazing feeling of speeding through the water, but I can attest to the fact that it's not the best cardio for weight loss.
in highschool, while doing these sports year round 2 hrs/day, 5-6 days/week, I went from 140-168, yo-yo-ing in between that all the time with my constant dieting. I understand now that my caloric deficit was too low for how much exercise i was doing, but i noticed that whenever i reduced or stopped my swimming and upped other cardio such as running and cycling I immediately lost weight that wasn't coming off with my intense swimming. also, i noticed that the best swimmers were often on the chubby side. One girl who completed a 500 yard swim in about 5-6 minutes (extremely fast!) looked to be pushing 200-250 pounds.
For now I've given up swimming in order to focus on dry land cardio for fat loss. I figure once I get to my goal weight (only 12 pounds away) I can start swimming again a couple days a week for triathlon training. but it def slows down weight loss for me.

CookieCrumble

Swimming is great exercise but not the best choice for most people if your trying lose weight.

it seems to be working out for me but im very curious to know- why not???? i have heard that some people gain weight by building muscle and something about the water being to cold and your body trying harder to reach a certain temp, mixed with over eating?

knowing these factors and controlling them should help, no?

I swim 3 or 4 times a week for 45-60 minutes per time. I don't find that I'm hungry afterwards but as another poster said, a great sense of wellbeing and no water retention, my swollen legs, feet and hands are things of the past.

JB5349

For the girl who asked about the swimming cap for chlorine here is what my hair stylist said to do, wet my hair and then put on the cap when going swimming - she said that if your hair is already wet it helps the follicles in your hair to resist the chlorine because they are already full. I took it one step further when I know that I am going swimming I leave conditioner in my hair so that when I wash it after swimming it is softer and it does not appear to have too much damage.

As for the googles and contact lenses I have no idea - if you get the correct fitting ones then it should keep the water out of your eyes

Gary1977

I've recently added swimming to my routine! It's a great way to get that burn in. I tend to jump in for a 30 minute swim right after circuit training or using the elliptical while my heart rate is already up

alanalosesit

I've always loved swimming and I live about 15 minutes walk from a nice wee pool so I'm definitely going to start going. Was there a few days ago just messing around with a friend, did some laps then realised this is exercise and I enjoy it! Win win

CyberEd312

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.

If this were true than can you explain to me how I lost 170 lbs. in 16 months exclusively in the pool doing nothing but walking laps with weight wrist and ankle weights and webbed gloves just 4 days a week for 90 minutes a session. I couldn't walk when I first started and had to use the water displacement to lessen my weight (started at 560 lbs.) so that I was able to walk. It was only after I drop 170 lbs. that I was fitted for DonJoy OA braces and began knee injections and pain pills that allowed me out of the water and on to dry land... I was never any hungrier than normal and just stuck to my dieticians meal plan that she put me on to lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week....

Ripken818836701

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.

If this were true than can you explain to me how I lost 170 lbs. in 16 months exclusively in the pool doing nothing but walking laps with weight wrist and ankle weights and webbed gloves just 4 days a week for 90 minutes a session. I couldn't walk when I first started and had to use the water displacement to lessen my weight (started at 560 lbs.) so that I was able to walk. It was only after I drop 170 lbs. that I was fitted for DonJoy OA braces and began knee injections and pain pills that allowed me out of the water and on to dry land... I was never any hungrier than normal and just stuck to my dieticians meal plan that she put me on to lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week....

Never said that swimming isnt great exercise and that you couldnt lose weight by swimming. And Congrads on your hard work!! But what I am saying is that by choosing swimming as your main form exercise makes it harder for the average person (including myself) to stick to their diet compared to other forms of exercise that do not cause your body temp to drop. Google it and plenty of links will come up for you to research it. Over my 13 month journey to lose 83 lbs. ( I could have lost it alot faster but choose to drop the weight at 1-2lbs per week) the only time's I had to fight food cravings was when I was swimming.

crazydv

I think that every ones journey is different. I swim 4 times a week (for 60 minutes/2 miles) as well as walk/run and bike ride. I have never been hungrier after swimming than any other form of exercise.