Swimming for weightloss/fitness?

[TidyDancer]

I have some general questions, if anyone can help!

I don't have that much weight to lose, just the ubiquitous baby belly, the last of which just won't shift. I need to do a low impact form of exercise owing to an injury that is preventing me from using some of the gym equipment I would usually use. My plan is to switch the majority of my gym sessions over to swimming, so will probably go about three times a week. Presuming I do about 40 lengths in those three sessions, can I expect to tone up/lose weight? How long will it take to see a difference? I know there are no hard and fast rules, but for anyone who has gone down this exercise route, if you can give me some perspectives and opinions, I would be grateful! I am about 5'6" and maybe 10 stone now?

Secondly, I have a very overweight friend who has asked if she can come with me. She is nervous about exercising in public and I am more than happy to be her exercise buddy. She is approximately the same height as me, but weighs perhaps 8 or 9 stone more. I want to be a good support to her and encourage her so anyone who has started swimming from this weight, how much do you think she could anticipate to lose if she does roughly the same amount of sessions as me and similar lengths? And same goes for the toning? I know it will be different because we are coming from different starting points, but I know she wants to see some results from it and I don't want her to feel discouraged if it will take a while for her to see a difference.

Any help would be much appreciated!

I started swimming again regularly (3 times a week) about 3 years ago. Not to lose weight but for general fitness and toning up of flabby bits.
I think the best bit of advice I can give you is to not necessarily just always do 40 lengths at the same pace, but do it in groups...so say 4 or whatever fast lengths, then some slower, then fast again etc. so overall it would probably take you the same length of time to do the lengths but it will give you more of a workout.
Where are you planning on swimming? Our local pools do a membership so you pay a fixed amount a month but get unlimited use of all the borough's pools (5 of them), including aqua aerobics classes plus the steam room/sauna. Plus all new members get 3 one to one swimming lessons. Mine were great. She gave me some technique advice and also ideas about interval training so I was getting the best out of my swimming.

Good luck! HTH

I started swimming to get fit 3 years ago. I need to swim at least 50 lengths every single day to lose weight. Once I got to my target I reduced it to 40 five times a week. It took 18 months to lose 3 stone. However, I made no changes to my diet as I love food

I lost 5st through swimming and change in my diet

it took 3 weeks of twice a week for my energy levels to increase and 5 weeks for my shape to start changing

don't expect your friend to get in the pool and do 40 lengths, it will probably take her a few weeks to get up to this level and you don't want her to be put off by not meeting the standards set

also plese reassure her that no one cares what she looks like in a swimming costume as they are more worried about what THEY look like in a costume