New to weight loss with Swimming

[DallyB]

Hi I'm Dallas. I'm new so please forgive any mistakes I make here, but I've got a question. I've been struggling with weight loss for a long while now. I'm 17, 240 lbs, 5'8, pretty muscle heavy. I want to lose weight and tone muscle, so I got a pool. My joints are pretty sucky so I thought low impact exersices would be good. I've been swimming my whole life, and today I swam, leisurely, for about two and a half hours, and when I plugged it into my calorie tracker, it said I burned anywhere from 1000, to 1800 calories. Is this right? It feels like I didn't even exersise, so I can't believe I burned that many. Thank you for your help!!

 

[overlandflyer]

i was curious enough to look. i pulled this off a triathlon site...

And of course, it varies by your weight:

• A 130-pound person swimming freestyle for one hour will burn 590 calories swimming fast, and 413 calories swimming slower.
• A 155-pound person swimming freestyle for one hour will burn 704 calories swimming fast, and 493 calories swimming slower.
• A 180-pound person swimming freestyle for one hour will burn 817 calories swimming fast, and 572 calories swimming slower.
• A 205-pound person swimming freestyle for one hour will burn 931 calories swimming fast, and 651 calories swimming slower.

i'm not sure if slower is faster than leisurely, but i'd say it's in the ballpark. take advantage of swimming while you can. arthritis in my shoulder has narrowed my exercise choices to walking.

 

[alligatorob]

Welcome Dallas! You are wise to be doing something about your weight now while you are young. Don't wait until you are my age.

Flyer gave you a pretty good answer on the swimming calories. I know swimming burns calories and the longer and harder you swim the more you burn. However for most people it is diet that's the key to weight loss. I try to exercise, but I also keep my calories down, and I think its the low calories that have given me the most weight loss.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Llama]

Plus if you´re swimming leisurely to the point of not actually moving very much the temperature of the water is going to influence your energy burned.

 

[overlandflyer]

.... However for most people it is diet that's the key to weight loss. ...

... and even more important for sustainability. exercise will vary over time. you're not going to be swimming 2+ hours a day for the rest of your life, but eating is something you really can't give up.... only control.

 

[DallyB]

... and even more important for sustainability. exercise will vary over time. you're not going to be swimming 2+ hours a day for the rest of your life, but eating is something you really can't give up.... only control.

Thank you! I've been counting my calories and putting them into my fitness pal. That's where I saw that it said I burned so much. When I'm swimming I'm being very childish, collecting dive gems, kicking off the side, and really just having a good time, but I don't ever really stop moving while I'm in the water

 

[Llama]

In that case you probably are burning a good amount of energy but it's impossible to say how much. A watch/chest band that keeps track of your heart rate might give you a ballpark number though.