Want to get certified, trying to lose weight

[FinnMom]

I got certified when I was still quite overweight. But I was pretty fit aerobically too. If you think you are in good enough shape, go see a Diving Doc and get a professional opinion about whether you are fit enough to dive.

Also, while waiting for your back muscles to get used to carrying the gear (1) you may find it easier to put the BCD w/ its tank once you are already standing in the water and (2) don't put too much weight on a belt around your waist. Use the BCD weight pockets/trim pockets/tank weights or even a weight vest to get the weight up where it won't strain your back so badly. You need enough ditchable weight to make you bouyant but anything more than that can be secured where it feels most comfortable.

 

[frontiernurse]

I was 240 lbs (5'4") and 46 years old when I got certified. I kept thinking "I'll do it when I lose weight." When I realized Im not getting any younger and this may be as good as it gets, I just went for it. I'm in decent shape with very strong leg muscles. In some respects, being buoyant is an advantage in diving as you are not going to struggle at the surface. I started out using 24 lbs of weights in salt water! (I think that was a bit much and buoyancy was a challenge initially.) Now, 100+ dives later, I still weigh 240 lbs, and I use 15 lbs of weights. I don't own a BCD so I rent whatever is available with no special set ups. I'm very relaxed in the water (much like a sea lion perhaps?) so my buoyancy is now good and my air consumption is low. I always see a look of horror among DMs and other divers when I am in a new location. People first see me and think, "Oh, here's trouble, here's a heart attack, a burden, etc." Then they are VERY complimentary when they see I am usually one the last people out of the water, I carry my own gear, I pull myself into the boat wearing my gear, my buoyancy and awareness is on target, I can fin through a current, critter-spot, hover, and I wear 6% of my body weight in lead. (I know they mean well, but it's like they are watching a dog play the piano or something.) As long as you are fit, I wouldn't focus on the weight. And it feels so great to be weightless so keep it up!

 

[CindyMac]

I am overweight (menopause has been awful for weight loss, but I decided not to let that get in my way. I really wanted to learn after I did a DSD in the Caymans. I can haul around a lot of equipment and do just fine.

I'm natural very buoyant and adding a wet suit just added to my problems with getting weighted properly, but I did it. I switched to a BP/W when I went to Bonaire in November and found that a great help.....did I mention I love, love, love my BP/W. My son sinks like a rock - he's fairly lean. My husband is fairly buoyant.

Don't worry about how much weight it takes, just enjoy the experience!

 

[julie60]

Just dive. Most fitness magazines will tell you to find a sport you are interested in and then become an athlete. The majority of the population have to practice a sport to become good at it, so just approach diving the same way. You will note what exercises will make you a better diver when you practice and discover those areas you need to strengthen. Diving is a great calorie burner and I always lose weight when I am on a dive vacation. Whether it is the finning in current or lack of stress because of the 'zen' feeling of diving, don't know but enjoy less poundage returning home.!

Water is a great equalizer so enjoy the benefits now. Like Frontiernurse, you too will surprise them all because muscle memory makes us better at tasks the more we do them. As she said, you'll be surprised when you get on a boat and see teeny tiny people using more lead than you. Everybody has their idiosyncrasies.

Don't wait till tomorrow to become certified. Its a cliche but nobody really knows what tomorrow will bring. Today you are overweight and healthy. There is nothing to say you can't be overweight and fit and a diver. Not everyone is meant to be rail thin but everyone should strive to be healthy.

 

[billt4sf]

Another male here.

I found that enjoying diving made me even more motivated to lose weight and keep it off. I also found that vigorous exercise wasn't enough; I had to restrict my caloric intake rather substantially.

Bill

 

[BVickery]

Being a man and fighting the battle of the bulge I found SCUBA to help/motivate me to drop weight.

It helps me lose weight by 1) Eating Healthier and 2) Being Active. By diving I want to have the most energy/longest bottom time I can, so proper fitness helps me achieve this goal. Since I am able to dive I then know what I am missing by less bottom time.

It also motivates me because I hate lugging around lots of lead, want to have somewhat 'normal' gear and I've seen some awesome Diver themed T's I want to wear and being in better shape helps me.


Here are some tips I give any friend I know who is trying to lose weight. I got this key point from some Doctors who oversaw some pre-surgery weight loss and it was key.

If you break the diet or whatever, DO NOT obsess over it. Just start up the next meal. Do not dwell on it. The reason for this is you can very easily spiral out of control. The studies they read show this is where it goes wrong, that the guilt is what causes most to put on extra weight.

Also, cut out as much soda as you can, even the 'diet' ones. The Doc's told me that even though it is low in cal it seems the make up of cola's tends to slow down your metabolism (and thus slows down fat burning). Also, if your able to eat smaller more numerous meals your body just burns calories because the very act of digesting food burns calories. If you time it just right your body can be in the process of digestion 24/7 and as such your losing weight 24/7. It may not be at the pace of say a workout, but it does add up. I did read about a new study that says 2 large meals helps in weight loss more than lots of smaller ones, but I'm not fully sold. The Human Body is king of storing energy, and its natural when the body feels it is not getting enough calories to just store it for later 'just in case'.

 

[femftal]

Also don't let the amount of lead required to keep you at depth get in your head space. First off, women need way more weight than men anyway. Secondly, I am blessed to be tall and relatively thin, and last dive trip with a 5mm shorty I was still hauling around 25 lbs of weight to get me down and keep me down. It's always a fight for me at the end of a dive to stay down and I still haven't figured out how to NOT feel like a giant oaf once all my gear is donned on the boat. (being clumsy and prone to seasickness doesn't help this in the least!)

 

[chrpai]

Ladies, if I may....

I'm overweight and losing also. I've also been getting cardio in. I think your cardiovascular condition is far more important then your BMI when it comes to diving. And I can tell you that watching my wife and a lot of her girlfriends at the YMCA doing Zumba, Boot Camps, and so on.... well regardless of what their BMI might be... they are doing cardio that puts me to shame. As my wife and two daughters would say: Girl Power

I'd suggest keeping that in mind and if you feel safe in the water, then go diving. The rest will come in time.

 

[guruboy]

Since I don't think anyone else mentioned it, focus on fat loss, not weight loss.

Muscle weighs more than fat and you are likely to gain muscle as part of working out.

 

[Kryssa]

I got certified around 250 lbs in 2010. Then I gained up to 265. At one point I was wearing 22 lbs with 3mm full suit in salt water, but still loving diving.

Don't wait! Dive now! Sure, work on the weight loss, I started losing in 2011 and lost 110 lbs to my goal of normal BMI, but I dove regularly all the way down. 4 wetsuits later, I'm still loving diving. Spend $35 on a cute new shirt? No way! $200 on a new wetsuit? No hesitation!