Should I quit swimming?

Factual Questions
1

I’ve been dieting since last February, and since last March my chosen form of exercise has been swimming in our local lap pool 3-5 days a week.

I used to just walk in the water and do backstroke (hey, I was over 300 lbs!) but by May I was walking and backstroking to warm up and then swimming alternate laps of breaststroke and crawl for 20 mins. My total workout in the pool is 40 mins.

Oh, and whenever I went to the gym to swim, I always started off with 20-25 mins of weight training (alternating upper body and lower body on different days).

I have lost 80 lbs in one year from diet and exercise.

Near October I got an ear infection, then had foot surgery, then got sick. So by the time I got back to the pool it was January.

I’m back to my regular weight and swim regimine 3 days a week, but I don’t seem to be losing any more weight. In fact, I took this week off from the pool and walked for 40 minutes instead, 3 days a week, and I started losing weight again.

I had read in a different post about swimming and bodyfat. That’s a similar article to the one that someone here linked to.

I think I may be getting to a point in my weightloss where weight is harder to lose, but still I want to get the maximum workout I can get. I know that my heart rate goes between 125 and 130 when I do the 20 minutes of laps (I have a waterproof heartrate monitor). I haven’t tested my heart rate while walking, but I do know it’s damned cold outside and I walk about 2.5 - 3 mph. I’m 25 years old, which I know makes a difference in calculating target heart rate.

I swim about 1 lap per minute, so it’s 20 laps in all for breaststroke/crawl, 10 laps of backstroke and 10 laps of walking.

I enjoy swimming more than anything else. It’s incredibly relaxing and I feel great when I do it. My leg muscles are amazing and my arms are getting there. I still have quite a “gut” (i’m female BTW, so no six-pack for me).

But should I lay off the swimming for something more “useful” to me? The gym where I go has a bunch of cardio machines (nordic track, treadmil, recumbant bike, and other stuff) that I could use, and an indoor track. I really don’t like walking, it’s just too cold right now and I find it boring (even though I have a dog that loves walks). Walking on a track seems even more boring.

Any expert training dopers out there have advice for me? Or anyone have anecdotes about changing their own routines that would help?

2

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I enjoy swimming more than anything else. It’s incredibly relaxing and I feel great when I do it.
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Then, by all means, keep doing it. Any exercise is good, and swimming is arguably one of the best. The only suggestion I would have is to increase the intensity for my cardio benefit. There is a formula to determine optimum heart rate, which I don’t recall at the moment, but hopefully someone else will come along with it.

And congratulations on losing the weight.

3

Like Zimaane said, this is the most important thing you’ve said. Stick to whet you love because you’ll keep doing it. While it’s true that it’s harder to lose bodyfat swimming, it’s only really important when you’re talking about low body fat levels, like if you’re trying to get shredded. It sounds like at the level you’re at, that’s not a concern. I think I was the one who posted the link about swimming but that gentleman was looking for suggestions for the most “effecient” exercise. If you already love swimming, keep doing it. Maybe look at swimming sites for some suggested routines to mix it up. Or see if there’s a stroke clinic or swim class you can sign up for to get some expert tips on improving your workout.

If I had to guess at your lack of progress tho’, I’d say you’re probably plateauing and may need to tweak your diet. Also, make sure you’re progressively increasing the weights you use. I often see people who just stick to the weights/plates they used when they were starting out and then wonder why they’re not getting stronger.

Anyway, good luck! It sounds like you’re doing all the right things: diet, weights, and a cardio you enjoy.

Caveat: I’m not a trainer or anything, I’ve just spent 15 years lifting in a gym regularly…

4

Not an ‘expert’ except that I’ve exercised most of my adult life in different ways. Anyway, here’s some thoughts:

My first guess on that would be to think the short-term weight difference is due to less pumped up muscle – don’t forget your weight is as much about muscle size and density as it is fat. And it’ll soon change. Exercised last week = more muscle, less this = less muscle. Nothing to do with fat. Period.

It also sounds like you’re at the point where you really could forget the culture of the weighing scales; I know it’s difficult but the scales can be misleading when you’re as fit as you are and still exercising as you are. If you put them away and just concentrate of how you feel combined with how clothes fit you can say ‘Okay, these feel a little tight this week. I better watch what I’ eating for a few days’.

I just find that a nice place for my head to be; you can beat yourself up on the weighing scale thing just because of, say, a little extra water retention (you’re female, I think . . .). I guess it’s because a lot of weight loss stuff is number goal orientated but, now, It sounds like your body shape orientated.

Just a thought.

Also, a lot of experts advice variety in exercise; seems like swimming has really worked for you in terms of weight loss, but is it now perhaps time think of exercise not only as a weight loss tool but as part of your life routine ? If so, try other stuff, even maybe team/competitive stuff (Badminton, Squash, anything really), as well as solo stuff like a treadmill or gym weights).

So maybe think body shape now and not just number targets, and exercise beyond a weight loss tool.

You’ve done amazingly well, btw. Good luck with it.