Hi Everyone! I'm trying to post more in this community because you guys have helped me so much. I'm planning on making a long post on my journey at some point when uni quietens down, but basically I've been calorie counting and going for a walk every day for the past 4 months and I've lost 18kg (currently stuck at that number for 4 weeks so hopefully I'll start moving again soon).
I always felt like even though I was obese, it wasn't really holding me back from anything I wanted to do, I was mobile, as active as I wanted to be, could manage everything pretty well. But I had this moment a few months ago where I had to be honest with myself and admit that there were tonnes of things I would like to do that at my fitness were impossible and/or unsafe. The biggest one was learning how to surf. I grew up on the beach but I never did swimming programs, and as an adult I put it off for several reasons:
- I have asthma, anything that makes breathing more difficult is terrifying after a few trips to the ER and not being able to breathe
- I was never taught to breathe and swim at the same time
- I live 25min from the nearest indoor pool which is a lot of travelling, and I have an outdoor pool around the corner but it's only open in the warmer months.
- I lack strength in swimming that comes from fitness and technique. I can get around a pool but lap swimming or at the beach is way beyond me. I got caught in a minor current once and a friend had to save me.
- Chafing. I have extremely sensitive skin and can get large patches of chaffing on my inner thighs after a few strides that lasts for days.
- It's expensive with travel and admission.
- My eyes are light sensitive so I have to swim with sunglasses which is a major pain.
- I have circulation issues in my hands and feet that make them turn blue when in contact with something cold, even an icy cold glass of water.
I kept telling myself that I'll get there someday and right now it's all too hard to manage. But I don't want to keep waiting for some life change that will make losing and managing my weight easier. So I bought a swimming snorkel and big tinted swimming goggles, a noseclip and cap, a kickboard and a 1 year membership at the local pools so even if the outdoor pool is rained out I can go to the indoor one 25min away. Buying the membership was a big deal for me because I would need to go 70 times for it to be worth it and I'm hoping that will force me forward.
I went yesterday and it was a disaster. I didn't have a nose clip so it felt like water was gushing up my nose and drowning me while I was swimming, and my boardshorts gave me awful chafing. Today I went back with the clip and kept doing laps, taking a breather every 25m, until I felt tired/uncomfortable. When I got out I had jelly legs which wore off pretty quickly and now a few hours later I'm feeling chill and full of energy. My plan is to go a minimum of 3 times per week and just keep swimming until I'm tired and hopefully I'll be able to add more laps, feel more confident and start building up my technique. I'm thinking of buying a wetsuit to make it easier to go in the early mornings when it's still cold and help stop my tanning, but it's a big investment for something that hopefully won't fit me in a few months.
Anyways, swimming 300m is more than I thought I'd be capable of after months of work let alone first day trying. It goes to show, if you invest in yourself and give yourself the best chance at success, you can achieve your goals. Good Luck out there!
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/q31c0z/nsv_i_swam_300m_today/
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