How to Lose Weight Swimming

First, although it might sounds obvious, you need access to a pool. If you are joining a pool, make sure it has traditional lengths for lap swimming, 50 yards for an indoor pool or 50 meters for an outdoor pool. Be sure there are standard 'lap swim' times that fit your schedule.

Buy good swim equipment. You will need a good suit that is resistant to chlorine, goggles, optional underwater MP3 player. If you want to increase strength and increase the resistance that you experience while you swim, purchase hand fins (they look like gloves with webbed fingers) or foot fins. Look for either 'racing' or 'fitness' suits. The fitness suit will last longer in chlorine. The racing suit will make you more streamlined and faster - but since you are doing this for exercise - this might be counter to the goal.

Arrange your exercise routine for optimal weight loss. Bottom line - you have to burn calories. Faster exercise will help to burn more calories. But long extended exercise where you are not fighting for breath is considered optimal to burn fat. To burn fat, it is less important to push yourself hard for short period of times. Plan times when you can allow time to get to the pool, swim from 45 minutes or an hour, shower and drive home. You will feel amazing! You can feel your muscles still pumped up (and continuing to build) for a couple hours after one of these sessions.

Create a schedule that you can sustain. This schedule should include one or two hour long sessions a week. Because we all have other commitments, schedule shorter swim sessions throughout the week. Consider using hand fins or foot fins when you are swimming for only 15 or 30 minutes. This will increase the calories burned during a short swim session. Be careful of the additional stress on your joints. You probably will not want to use these accessories when you are swimming for 45 minutes or an hours.

To maximize weight loss be very aware of what you eat before and after swimming. Before swimming eat protein and drink a lot of liquids. After swimming resist the urge to have a big meal. This urge to eat after swimming can be hard - know what you are going to eat so that you don't just open the fridge and gorge. Have a high fiber snack, like an apple, right away. Continue to drink lots of liquids. Have a moderate meal.

Use a laptimer to establish your baseline and slowly pick up speed as you gain endurance, making sure you burn optimal amount of calories. Consider buying a watch that has a laptimer.

Since swimming increases muscle strength significantly, consider measuring arms, legs, abdomen, chest to measure progress.  With increased muscles, the scale may not show results as soon as the measuring method.