First of all, thanks for any advice in advance...

I am a 36 year old woman and weigh right around 340 lbs. I have been going to the gym since September and started for the first couple months swimming 3 days a week. After a couple months, I added resistance weight machines the opposite 2 days a week. (swim M/W/F, weights T/Th). I have lost about 15 lbs in this time, but expected and hoped for better than that. I definitely have no been perfect with my diet, but have tried to make at least small changes. I am looking for advice on whether these particular exercises are my best bet or if I would be better off doing a treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical some of the days. I have been increasing my number of laps and am currently at 26 laps each of the days I swim, which takes me between 40 and 50 minutes. The resistance machines consist of the general mix of arm and leg machines (give or take 10 machines?) and take me around 40-45 minutes. Also, when I swim, I don't just swim the whole way - I start at the shallow end, run as far as I can touch, then swim the rest of the waym turn around and swim back until I can touch, then run again. I don't really know if this is better or worse than just straight swimming, but it seems to get my heart rate up better.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, because I just want to do what will get the best results!

Thanks so much, Patty

Are you trying to lose weight strictly with exercise? Because that's tough. Weight loss is done in the kitchen, primarily, and fitness is done through exercise. They work best together- the exercise can bolster your weight loss and a good clean diet can bolster your fitness efforts.

I love that you're swimming and that you're running in the water. That is a fantastic exercise. And I love that your strength training, because far too many women skip that and we need it! It builds bone as well as muscle, and it will help keep us functionally able into our golden years.

If you do decide to add in a cardio machine, I'd do the elliptical. It's easiest on the knees. A bike is, too, but I find a bike just makes my butt sore, haha.

I am not trying to lose weight just with exercise. I was just admitting that I am far from perfect as far as my diet. I was hoping that the exercise would give me a good jump start and motivation to do even better with the diet part! I am just trying to figure out if what I am doing seems like the right way to go or if it is too much of one thing and not enough of another...I apologize if this maybe should be in a different area of the website, but there are a million different places that I would have started the thread and I am just starting out, so I chose this one. I do also have PCOS, so there are difficulties with that as well and I know there is a board for that.

Thanks for your reply

No apologies necessary, I was just trying to clarify. Personally I think your current exercise program is really good. And PCOS does pose some add'l challenges. I have Hashi's, a thyroid disease, so I understand when your hormones are working against your weight loss efforts!

Whatever you decide to do, best of luck!

Welcome and good luck on your journey!

Have asked a personal trainer about resistance weight machines? Your cardio program sounds awesome but weight machines can be tricky without a professional explaining. Because weight machines can make you gain muscle weight which may make you depressed when getting on the scale when really you are doing awesome. Also, you may be gaining muscle in areas you don't want to (I gained muscle in my shoulders which I hated and my trainer recommended different weight machines and changed how much I lifted).

All you will need is about two sessions to get in the swing of things!

hi

im still new here but reading your thread, i just want to wish you best of luck in whatever you do. cheers!

Hey Patty. I'm with EagleRiverDee on this. I think the exercises you are doing are great. I'm doing really short, intense workouts (15-20 min) only 3x per week and then just trying to be naturally active otherwise by walking or ice skating. My weight is coming of slowly but steadily. In my mind, the problem with adding too much exercise is that you have to go to higher and higher levels over time to get the same effect and you want something that you can maintain in the long run.

The exercise has definitely helped my weight loss efforts, but it is as much about burning calories as it is for stress reduction and hormone regulation (insulin, leptin, etc.). Diet is really the main thing you have to focus on to see the changes. If your diet is far from perfect as you say, its quite likely that that is the problem. You could take a journal for a few days to see what you are really eating in terms of calories and portions and then you'll be able to implement the necessary changes to help you get that scale moving.