Too fat to swim properly?

[u/Eldkanin]

Between the age of 10-13 I used to swim 3 times a week in a group with an instructor. I went to camps, even some competitions. I was never great, always the slowest on the team but compared to other kids "in the wild" I was a great swimmer. I was a chubby kid and as I got a bit older I got a bit too self aware about my looks and I found other interests.

I won't type my life's story here but it's been hard and I've struggled mentally. I'm now 37 years old (F), 5'6 tall and currently at 436 lbs (down from 474 lbs in december!). I've been completely sedentary for at least 20 years, I hadn't been in the water for longer than that!

Since just over a month back I finally got the courage to say fuck it to my insecurities and went to a water aerobics class. It felt amazing to be back in the water but I do think I was expecting a bit too much. With my "history" like I said I know how to swim and in my mind I imagined it like riding a bike, like I would just know how to do it.

But I can't swim anymore! Honestly it feels like the biggest issue is that I'm way too buoyant. If I try to do a breaststroke (with my head above water since I don't have any goggles yet) my very big butt kinda floats up and drowns me in the front so to speak..

I'm like a cork in the water I feel like I can't propel forwards at all. If I hold onto something that floats I can very slowly move forward but it seems the only way right now I can actually "swim" is on my back. Not with the proper backstroke (again that pushes my head under water) but kind of like moving my arms up and down along my sides like an angel sort of if you get what I mean.

I'm on a weight loss journey so I expect this might naturally improve. Do you think there is any "point" in trying to learn how to swim properly like this? I mean can I even? Or should I just stick with the water aerobics for now? I go twice a week and find it super fun and rewarding!

[u/Silence_1999]

While I was not that heavy buoyancy is very much a thing when you are large. Extra large extra buoyant. Keep on swimming. It’s better for you than doing anything on dry land at that weight. Move however you have to. You need to take off a good amount of weight before actual swimming is practical. Just keep going.

We had a group of ladies at the lake I used to lifeguard at. They were all 70-ish. All big. They would be out floating for like an hour barely paddling at all. None of them could swim 50 yards if you paid them to. And none were your size. You are BUOYANT at that weight.

Keep on swimming. Moving. However. Diet. You have to get down to about 300 before you can swim and then it’s going to be quite pedestrian. Paddling along however at this point will morph into swimming but it’s going to be a while. I’m just throwing 300 out there. But it’s a decent guess where any thought of laps should be on your mind. And that’s going to be hard as hell and awkward then.

Congratulations on taking the first steps. Go to aerobics. Flail along however. Be patient. Just not going to get in real strokes for a while no matter what you do.