As I said in my previous post, you need to swim 2-3 times a week to really lose weight.
I also said I used this method together with changed diet to lose weight 3 times in the past.
In 1990, I was 250lbs, 5'7". WAAY too fat. I started swimming according to what I've posted. At first, it was all I could do to swim 1 length. Then 2, then 4. However, within a month I was able to do 16 without stopping. At that point, going 3 times a week, I was losing weight rather nicely.
Eventually, I was swimming 1 mile per session, 3 times a week. Final weight by that point was 185lbs. At that point I felt good enough to begin other fitness stuff - weight training, land cardio, etc.
Left the downtown, did other stuff, no pool handy. By 1998 I was 225lbs, still 5'7" (why does only the weight change? Why can't we just get taller?).
Started swimming again at the college where I was teaching. This time I was able to start with 16 lengths, VERY slow. Kept at it, and was back to 1km (again, 3 times a week) within 1 month. This time, after 3 months my weight was down to 190.
I also tried the conditioning swim classes. Awesome workout, but VERY intense. Swim 2 lengths, out of the pool, 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 backward-arm-thingys (I really don't know the name of them), then back in the pool for 2 more lenghts. DO this for 30 minutes. YOW!
Left the college, went sedentary again. Back to 220lbs by 1994. So, back to the pool. THis time the weight isn't coming off as fast as I'm only going once a week. Doing 24 lengths, but followed by something called "deep water workout". Weight currently holding at 212, but very slowly going down.
More on the deep water workout in next post...
Cheers,
-R