i have just started to brave the swimming pool. I really enjoy swimming and once i am in there and get over the initial embarrassment of walking to the pool i am fine. I am a big girl and have been trying to reduce my portions and eat more healthily but the thing i need to do is increase the exercise i recently had majoy abdominal surgery and it was a scary time in my life and i think it makes you take stock and realise that if you carry on the way you are its not going to end happy. so i made a leap and went swimming on sunday and i really enjoyed it.

if i went swimming 3-4 times a week is this enough and will i see changes in my body??? i am wanting to use about 10 stone over time obviously but that is my ultimate goal. will swimming be enough to do this with watching what i eat as well??

Thanks
:thumbsup:

I'm not a fitness expert, but if you are increasing your excercise (Output) and reducing your intake then you will see change. Swimming will also gently tone .

People will probably say you should try to do a variety of exercise, but as someone that does it cos they have to not from any real enjoyment of it I always figure its better to do something than nothing.

Basically my point is that yes, you will see a difference with swimming, especially if you continue to challenge yourself - set yourself a target number of lengths and increase it just as it starts to get easily achievable. As you lose weight you might find that you fancy tryiong other things, but I think you are doping fine but swimming, its alot more than alot of people do!

Also, don't lose heart if you don't see dramatic changes quickly and every week - if you do it slowly you are more likely to get into a routine you can keep.

Good Luck!

thanks dark moomin, that is really good advice. i have decided i am not going to weigh myself i am going to see the difference in my clothes and fitness. i think its the fact i have spent all my adult life doing weight watchers and slimming world and have that constant pressure of the scales each week and the fear of what will happen if you dont lose weight has made be yoyo diet constantly. i know i can lose weight because i have done it before but i have never been able to keep it off. probably because i did it too drastically and lost it too quickly like you say. thanks

Hiya, swimming will definately help, the key to weight loss isn`t a fancy diet, its very simple (in theory) eat less, excercise more. Swimming works just about every muscle group in the body.
Enjoy your swimming, set swimming goals like an extra length a week or ten more minutes every day.
Another thing to try is to get a a Pedometer (they cost £3-£4), they are about the size of a matchbox and clip on your belt etc. and count the number of steps you make in a day,just try an walk a few more every day.
Keep in touch with your GP, build a routine and try to stick with it, its also important not to be hard on yourself if you have a bad couple of days !!!
I wish you the best of Luck.

One has to work off the calories one takes in. Swimming does just that! You are doing the right thing. Good Luck.:thumbsup:

i have just started to brave the swimming pool. I really enjoy swimming and once i am in there and get over the initial embarrassment of walking to the pool i am fine. I am a big girl and have been trying to reduce my portions and eat more healthily but the thing i need to do is increase the exercise i recently had majoy abdominal surgery and it was a scary time in my life and i think it makes you take stock and realise that if you carry on the way you are its not going to end happy. so i made a leap and went swimming on sunday and i really enjoyed it.

if i went swimming 3-4 times a week is this enough and will i see changes in my body??? i am wanting to use about 10 stone over time obviously but that is my ultimate goal. will swimming be enough to do this with watching what i eat as well??

Thanks
:thumbsup:

Can totally relate to your post. I'm in a similar position and in fact I'm off to Pond's Forge today to join Fitness Unlimited. I love swimming and know that this is a form of exercise I can keep up, also fancy trying the yoga classes too.

That walk from changing room to pool is not a pleasant one is it?:D

no it isn't bagger thats the most frightening. i am part of fitness unlimted but prefer to go swimming at hillsborough it is much nicer but obviously depends on where you live, i live closer to ponds but i feel really intimidated when i go there.

no it isn't bagger thats the most frightening. i am part of fitness unlimted but prefer to go swimming at hillsborough it is much nicer but obviously depends on where you live, i live closer to ponds but i feel really intimidated when i go there.

Oh, I've never been to Hillsborough pool. Ponds Forge is closer for me too but I think I might check out Hillsborough.:thumbsup:

The other thing you really could do with remembering is that proper exercise gets you sweaty and hot, but not too out of breath to be able to hold a conversation. If you're not getting a bit out of breath then you aren't pushing yourself hard enough and need to push more, but getting really out of breath is unsustainable and so you won't be able to work for the time you need to in order to get your proper exercise in.

You also need to do more than one stroke to exercise your body efficiently, so get learning the different strokes and alternate them on lengths. Many women favour breast stroke because they can keep their hair dry, but sitting that high up in the water is really hard work on your neck and back, so bite the bullet and get your hair wet with some back stroke and some front crawl with proper breathing too (not meaning to type cast you as someone who doesn't want to get their hair wet).

You need to aim for at least half an hour of decent aerobic exercise when you go to the pool, with a few minutes for warming up and cooling down, so you need to allow at least an hour for your pool visit.

Good luck on toning up, feeling fitter, improving your aerobic capacity and losing weight :)

I am someone who doesn't like to get their hair wet.:D

But given that there are hair driers etc in these fitness places there's no excuse really. (Does anyone know if they have straightener too?:D)

Ponds Forge has a straightener in the same area as the hairdryers, but I don't know about Hillsborough.

Ponds Forge has a straightener in the same area as the hairdryers, but I don't know about Hillsborough.

Ponds Forge it is then.:D

Swimming is one of the best physical exercises you can do, keep it up and well done..

Craig.

Glad your not commenting on the hair straighteners Craig !

LOL.. don't use em pal...

Craig.

i know the hair dryers at hillsborough are not the best. how good is that though that ponds have straightener! you know that fitness unlimited package is brilliant. i work near greens gym and i phoned for a price and it was over 40 pound a month. with fitness you get access to 4 gyms and because i work at AVIVA i get corporate membership and its only £24 a month!!!!!!!!!!!!! you would be daft to pay anywhere else ! and the gym at ponds forge since they have redone it is amazing very modern and cool and spacious!

i know the hair dryers at hillsborough are not the best. how good is that though that ponds have straightener! you know that fitness unlimited package is brilliant. i work near greens gym and i phoned for a price and it was over 40 pound a month. with fitness you get access to 4 gyms and because i work at AVIVA i get corporate membership and its only £24 a month!!!!!!!!!!!!! you would be daft to pay anywhere else ! and the gym at ponds forge since they have redone it is amazing very modern and cool and spacious!

I might check the gym out too. It was mostly swimming that I was interested in but I've seen pictures of the new gym and it does look good.

I agree, £24 a month is a fantastic deal considering what we get to use. I might take the £10.50 a month option for my 6 year old daughter as well. This option is only available if the parent has the £24 Fitness Unlimited card. As a swim is at least £3 a time for kids it would soon pay for itself.