To think I can lose weight swimming?

[PattySlapper]

I've always been a typical yo yo dieter, basically losing and gaining the same 3 stone over the last few years. My problem, like many people I'm sure, is that I love good and hate exercise! I've put on a lot of weight again recently! I've had some success before exercising on a small trampoline at home, but I'm thinking about taking up swimming. I do enjoy swimming, but don't really enjoy the experience in a public pool. My dream to have one of those endless pools, I swear if I did I'd be skinny! but will have to make do with the local pool! I'd probably aim to do three sessions a week about 30 minutes a session. Has anyone lost weight / toned up doing similar? And how can I get motivated to actually go this?? It would mean some days going before work, and as mentioned I hate exercise, and love sleeping, so I can see me struggling! I plan to do this alongside following Slimming World.

I was a fairly chunky teen and I swam 4 times a week (fast, competitive swimming). It made me v hungry. I'm now 20 years older and roughly 20lbs lighter, despite having had two kids. I run instead of swimming now. Doesn't make me as hungry afterwards. I reckon even fast walking would be a better calorie-burner than swimming. Swimming does tone you though, and obviously it's better than nothing.

I lost 2.5 stone doing swimming and HIIT, plus using MFP.

Agree with PPs though, you have to push yourself hard - a leisurely swim won’t do much. I’m a total amateur and mainly do breaststroke but I do a reasonable pace and manage 100 lengths in just over an hour.

I use a tracker for my swimming and love seeing the distance, pace and calories- it motivates me. I really, really enjoy swimming, it’s totally my favourite exercise. Can’t say I enjoy the pool experience itself though

Annoyingly though, I find running better for weight loss, even though I’m hopeless at it and go at snail speed 🤷‍♀️

I I love swimming and find it does tone me! Is your trampoline small enough it can fit in the living room? Then you can watch telly and bounce and you won't even notice!

Thank you for all the replies, it's still a mixed response so I guess I'm just going to have to go for it and see! Thanks @kezzamo for the link about the 5:2, I'm going to check that out.

I'll definitely try to push myself to do crawl as sounds like that will have the best results. Thanks for linking to a training plan @Taytotots that will be really helpful.

@WillowRose79 I do go on the trampoline in the living room in front of the TV! I was doing 30-40 minutes 5 times a week but with holidays and stuff gave fallen out the habit. My master plan is that I would swim in a morning and trampoline after work, so doubling my exercise! Whether I can stick to that I don't know!

It's not that I don't enjoy swimming, it's one of only two forms of exercise I have any vague enjoyment for so although I don't absolutely love it, it's my best bet as I despise everything else!

It is a shame that to do it you have the massive drawback of using a public pool. I reckon if I had a private pool I could develop a love for it! Out of interest, does anyone have an endless pool and are they any good?

If it makes you feel better my boss has got a gym and an inside and outside pool. And it NEVER gets used. I think even if it's there you've got to have the motivation! I'm only motivated when an event is coming up like holiday with work at end of aug and I'm back in gym everyday then after I won't go!

PattySlapper- see if there are any masters swimming groups near you. It's usually for people aged over 25, of all different ages and abilities. At my club, you need to be able to swim one length to join. There'll be a coach who could teach you front crawl and you'll meet new people. The social side helps motivate me to go.

i find s.w works for me, lots of fruit and veg, and healthy home made meals (I don't eat Muller lights but do sometimes drink diet coke ) alongside some exercise you should see results, I've started taking the dog longer, brisker walks, each day and feel better for it, swimming is a good form of exercise, i personally hate seimming in public pools they're always freezing

Aqua fit classes are great if your pool offers one of those. Also there are a number of apps that can give you different training plans - anything from easy to v difficult.

Not that I can drag my ass into gear to do any of the above ...

It puts no stress on your joints as you’re supported in the water

Not strictly true—you need to make sure your technique is good or you can easily overstrain your knees, elbows, neck...

Hi @PattySlapper - I've just signed up for the 'gym' purely for the pool. Like you I have yo-yo'd with the 3 stone and want to keep it off. I've been 3 times so far (only joined last week) the first time was a killer! I am a strong swimmer and like to think with walking the school run which equates to 5 miles a day that my fitness levels were quite good. They're probably better than they were, but require improvement! The second time was much better and the third even more.

It's difficult at the moment with it being school holidays, but with working part time, I am hoping to do a morning swim followed by the aqua aerobics class then go to work.

It makes me hungry too! I took a boiled egg last time I went, just to have something to shove in my gob when I came out - seemed to work!!

Message me if you fancy keeping in touch on our swimming journey, it'd be nice to have the encouragement. I'm hoping once fitness levels are up to join a step class or something, but right now I just think I'd be a sweaty mess!

You don't need an endless pool, just a regular pool thats deep enough to swim in, and a swimming harness or tether.

If only!
I swim for 50 minutes to an hour a day five days a week I try to get out of breath multiple times during each session but the only thing that has helped me lose weight is calorie restriction.
I'm still working on it.

Will definitely check out my area for masters swimming and the pool do do aqua fit classes so will look into which ones I could do.

@cheesemongery that will be great to share swimming journeys, I'm just heading off on holiday now but plan to do my first session on Thursday when I'm back so I'll let you know how I get on!

On no @Tartyflette sorry to hear the swimming isn't doing it for you, I do think that unfortunately calories have to be quite restricted as well, it's definitely not easy though.

I aren't totally sedantry, like PPs I walk and cycle a lot from A to B as I don't drive. I used to walk to walk 30 minutes each way and since I got a bike at Christmas now cycle, but it only takes about 10 minutes. I always cycle into town etc but this small amount of day to day stuff just doesn't cut it! I guess maybe if I didn't do that even I'd be even bigger!

Ha ha @noeffingidea even a pool deep enough to swim in with a pool harness is a total pipe dream unfortunately!

You certainly can lose weight swimming and will be toned up. I did many years ago, the change was remarkable. It's good for health in an all round way.

Only thing I found about swimming was that it is sometimes very tiring. Can't imagine doing it before work but maybe that's just me.

Walking as much as possible, going upstairs instead of taking lift, is something else that's useful without being 'formal' exercise. Good luck!

I lost 2 stones over a year of Swimming. No changes to diet. 50 lengths a day of a 25m pool.

Hi, in answer to your much earlier question, yes outdoor lakes and reservoirs. And the sea, but I don't live near the sea, and it tastes horrible! Nice waves though! Obviously not by myself, only where it is safe. I have found somewhere nearby for a fiver you get staff on hand for advice (you can pay for proper coaching) life guards with boats, and decent changing and shower facilities. And no fretting about Lane etiquette, everyone has plenty of space.

Honestly
Swimming does not make you tone and lose weight.
Weights combined with HITT will.
You’d literally have to swim miles to lose weight plus no two bodies are the same.

question I most def have toned up with swimming. Only when I started swimming did my arms really change - noticeably. I can show you if you don't believe me.

I used to have coached sessions in an endless pool - it was ace! I also found a local hotel with a pool and would swim there most mornings - usually I had the pool to myself. Swimming - esp crawl - will tone your core, bum, arms and shoulders and that should encourage you to stick to your weight-loss plan

Swimming does not make you tone and lose weight
Well it may not have made you tone and lose weight, it certainly has done that for me.

try it & Let us know how you get on, OP.

Motivation: Habit!! Much easier when it's regular. Could you swim a bit longer session a weekends? I pay £20/month for my swimming membership & by golly I'm getting my money's worth by going twice a week no matter what.

Swimming is great exercise and it doesn’t put strain on your joints. However when I was doing a lot of swimming, sadly I found that my hair and skin were really dry and knackered from all the chlorine, so I had to find something else. Hopefully this won’t be an issue for you, as it clearly isn’t for PPs above, but I had to cut it right down because I was beginning to look like a giant tumbleweed!

I found that walking, couch to 5k and squash worked for me in the end. A good playlist can make a lot of things more tolerable, I think

Hmmmm I think swimming does build muscle and tone!!! Here's Pernille Blume, latest Danish swimming sensation.

Or former US Olympian Dara Torres, aged 40 with a young child!!!! I'll stop now.

Any exercise will burn calories. Now I use a tracker I'm shocked though at how hard you need to work to burn a decent amount. I've got mine set to burn 550 calories per day from activity. If I don't go to the gym it's really tough to do as it will only register an "active" calorie if my heart rate rises sufficiently (Apple Watch). I do swim but quite slowly and a hour will burn about 350 calories, couple of chocolate biscuits! You will lose weight very slowly if you up the exercise but not change your food intake but it will take an awfully long time.