Weekly Vlog: Swimming Lessons

I have a new love in my life: swimming. And I’ve learned three things while swimming that I want to share.
Some background: I can hold my own in the water, but I’ve never been a regular swimmer-or even, frankly, a regular exerciser.
I have friends who ache to be moving. They can’t wait to get to the gym, or get outside and move their body. That’s not me. But in the past, during the stretches of time when I would get myself exercising, my cardiovascular exercise of choice was always slow jogging. But… I’m about to turn 50, and my knees won’t tolerate jogging anymore. So then I tried incline hiking on the treadmill, and in short order, that bothered my knees. Biking, too.
Finally, I tried swimming, and the minute I got into the water and swam a few laps I thought: I love this. It felt amazing.
So the first lesson is this: sometimes, when it feels like something is happening to us beyond our control, it is all in service of a good end. All my challenges with my knees, which were so frustrating, resulted in me finally getting into a pool.
There’s a wonderful saying: think not about how this is happening to you, but for you.
And there’s a sweet story with this same moral in the Baha’i writings. A man was tortured with missing his beloved. She was gone, and he couldn’t find her. One day, he went out to the marketplace to distract himself. Suddenly, a Watchman started following him. Then another. The Watchmen chased him until he came upon a big brick wall. In a panic, he scaled the brick wall, cutting his hands and arms. He tumbled over the wall and fell down into a meadow… where he found himself at the feet of his beloved. She was looking for a ring she had lost in the grass. The man dropped to his knees and cried out, “God, give thanks to the Watchmen, and long life, and love! I thought they were persecuting me, but actually they were my Angel Gabriel, leading me to my beloved.”
That’s how I felt about swimming. I was feeling persecuted by knee pain, and that’s the only reason I tried it-and it turned out to be a huge blessing.
Here’s the second lesson: I didn’t know if my shoulders would tolerate swimming, so the first day I swam eight minutes, and that was enough. The next day, I did the same-all week, three times. The next week I did nine minutes. The next: ten. I increased by just one minute a week. For months.
I couldn’t have done this years ago. I like to go from zero to 60 right away. Moderation is not in my vocabulary. But from weighing and measuring my food, I’ve learned to weigh and measure my life, and, in this case, my exercise. Slow and steady wins the race. It’s amazing how productive we can be when we weigh and measure our output.
Here’s the third lesson: this week in the pool I had an experience that was torture. Last week, I had become aware that 30 minutes wasn’t seeming like enough. So, this week, while in the middle of my swim, I started thinking about it: what if I swam more? Maybe 35 minutes? How about 40? And then I thought, why not go all the way to 45 minutes? I tried to do the math in my head for timing all the various options: what time would my swim end? I thought about how my shoulders were feeling, what my day would look like if I swam more… and on and on. It became an obsession. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was the way I used to obsess over food.
I finally got out of the pool at 30 minutes, just to shut my head up. It was my first bad swim. I wasn’t comfortable in my head because of the “Will I? Won’t I? Should I? Shouldn’t I?” thoughts.
I committed to my husband that I would swim 35 minutes the next time I was in the pool and not second-guess myself, and still I was surprised at how hard it was not to get caught up in the whirlwind of internal thoughts and questions.
The lesson? Thinking, “Will I? Won’t I? Should I? Shouldn’t I?” is sheer torture, in swimming, with food, with anything. This is why we write down our food in BLE the night before. Not after we’ve eaten it, but BEFORE. It is a mercy and a blessing to take that action. And yes, it takes more than one day to train ourselves to eat only that without second guessing it mentally, but when we stay persistent, that practice silences the internal chatter. The mental peace we get with Bright Line Eating is the number one gift of the program.
Those are my three lessons on swimming. I don’t know how I became this person, but suddenly I find myself feeling motivated to do whatever it takes to get in my three weekly swims. It’s taken me years to be someone who can exercise consistently. So that’s a fourth Bonus Lesson: sometimes big gifts come even decades after starting this way of living. Stick with it. It’s worth it.
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[@eileenlass7748]

Oh, SUSAN! My friend!!! Last week's vlog spoke to me so much! I not only scrape my bowl after eating my daily oatmeal/peanut butter/yogurt/banana breakfast, I pour filtered water into the bowl, scrape it some more, and use that water to take my daily vitamins! I really appreciate your saying, "I'm not saying anyone else has to stop scraping the bowl!" I don't know if I"m being called to stop, but now I have insight about the connection between "getting every morsel that I'm entitled to" (because I too weigh meticulously) and my addiction to quantities. But today's vlog made me laugh out loud THREE TIMES and I could so relate! I LOVE swimming, but apart from swimming I've never been consistent in exercising. I was never hesitant to go swimming, and in fact took many opportunities to swim, especially since starting BLE eight years ago next month. But of course being overweight or obese (sometimes morbidly) most of my life (my highest weight was 294) I was self-conscious. But even without a pool membership I sometimes found friends who would let me use their pools (mostly outdoor, but one couple had an endless pool in their basement so I could swim year-round)! But my full life of raising and homeschooling twelve children kept me very busy! I was on a swim team as a child, until I was twelve. That year my father died, and we could no longer afford the country club. My mother found a pool we could afford, but they didn't have a team. That was okay, though, because I eventually took Water Safety Instruction there, became a lifeguard, became a camp counselor, and taught swimming to children. The summer after college graduation, I had part-time jobs lifeguarding and teaching swimming, but since then it was just recreational swimming (and helping my children learn to swim). In August 2021, I was writing a letter to my father on the FIFTIETH anniversary of his death. I was thanking him for so many things, and a lot of them had to do with swimming. One memory led to another, and in the midst of this grateful reminiscing, I wrote, "When you died, I lost my identity as an athlete." I had NEVER been conscious of that thought until I read it in my own handwriting!!! In fact, all five of my brothers and all four of my sisters were on sports teams, but I never was. (I compensated by being scorekeeper, timekeeper and equipment manager for countless high school teams.) Five months later, I was in my bright body, and I thought, "Now it's time to add exercise!" (Yes, I later heard you say that my "hall pass had expired" and your advice is not to wait YEARS to start exercising, but just not to start a new exercise program in the early MONTHS of my weight loss journey!) But my revelation that came as I wrote to my Dad made me wonder if there was an adult swim team I could join. I asked around and started emailing the Masters Swim Team coach at the Y (where I was not yet a member). Around that same time I started sitting with a hospice patient, and the first day there the husband handed me $50. I thought, "Y membership costs $49 a month! Now I can afford to join!" So I joined, and was allowed to attend three practices for free before paying the team fee (in addition to the Y membership fee). The coach had said in an email that she likes her team members to be able to swim a mile in an hour. I had no idea if I could swim a mile, and if I could, how long it would take me. My first practice the coach watched me swim, game me some pointers, and taught me some drills to do. At the end of the first practice (lasting one hour), she said, "You swam a mile today!" I asked, "I DID? How long is that?" "Sixty-four lengths!" I had not been in a pool for six months!!! I was so encouraged! That was in March of 2022, and my swimming has brought me more happiness than I can measure! We practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 to noon. After reading the book "Why We Swim" by Bonnie Tsui, I resolved to play more in the water (in my 65 years of life, I haven't focused much on being playful). So usually after my hour of lap swimming, I play for a few minutes in the family pool, then sit in the hot tub for ten minutes. Sometimes I go to the steam room next, followed by my shower and then time in the sauna. It's like a personal spa day to me! I've learned so many lessons in my 27 months on the team. I noticed that after about 18 months, the honeymoon phase had worn off. I wasn't loving every minute in the water, and was often looking to see how long till we were done. I've learned not to compare myself to my teammates, many of whom have been on the team for decades! They have been so generous, welcoming and encouraging and I love this new community. I usually share a lane with a 92-year-old German man who's been on the team over 20 years. In the summer he and his wife swim daily in a public pool so they cancel their Y memberships and we don't see them for a while. For several months we didn't have a coach, but I still went at our regular time but did whatever stroke I wanted. I built up to being able to swim a mile without stopping in under fifty minutes! Now we have a coach who also coaches triathletes in their swimming portion. We haven't competed in any meets since I joined the team, but I hope to someday. Both my coaches mentioned that I should work on stretching and flexibility, and recommended exercises I could do. My current coach recommended yoga, which I had never done. But a few months ago the Y announced a six-week Deep-Water Yoga class, and I joined. I admit I was pretty cocky going in. I wasn't afraid of deep water, and I was on the Masters Swim Team! Well, my first class, I got cramps in both feet! Turns out we used lots of muscles that I don't usually use! Over the six weeks, I noticed that the honeymoon phase there wore off quickly, and instead of loving every minute, I was looking at the clock to see how long till class was over! At the same time, I noticed that I was enjoying swim practice more. As you described, my body craved exercise! One final story. My first day of practice, the coach introduced me to two women in the next lane. (One I had met before, but she didn't recognize me, as I weighed 100 pounds less than when we had met!) After practice I was talking to them in the locker room and found out that in addition to swimming together on the team for 30 years, many of these folks had vacationed together, traveled to meets and swim camps, started book clubs, and celebrated birthdays as a team. The month after I joined the team, one member was turning seventy and invited the coach and the teammates to a birthday lunch. Guess where it was held? At the same country club where I had been on a team over fifty years earlier! I looked over to the pool where I had first felt like an athlete, and now I was sitting with my coach and teammates from my new team! God is so good!

[@Brightlineeating]

Thank you for taking the time to share! 🥰🧡😊

[@LillieEick]

! am 73 and love doing laps at our local Y pool, 6 day a week for an hour. I actually water walk backwards, wearing a swim belt. Walking backwards alleviates any knee pain. I love the meditative feeling and the sense of accomplishment. I do a minimum of 17 laps and up to 24 laps each session. Good luck on your swimming exercise journey. Thanks for sharing your story.

[@Brightlineeating]

Wonderful to hear! 🧡

[@Chris-uo8ls]

I was a competitive swimmer in high school and the first 2 years of college. I have grappled with my weight since my mid 30s and really didn’t want to wear a swim suit in front of anyone. I am now 75 and 2 years ago starting swimming at our local Y, faithfully, 3 days a week. My husband and I have distance we want to attain and are not locked into time per se. I swim 30 lengths and walk 30 lengths whatever time it takes. Still grapple with my weight, but having an easier time being in control of it. I love to swim now. What a lot of wasted years worrying about what people might think of me. Finally doing this for me feels so darn good. 30 years ago an older man had some advice for my husband- find something you love that you are able to do into your elder years. That is swimming for us. Susan, I hope you find the same joy that we do.

[@Brightlineeating]

"finally doing this for me" we LOVE this! 😊

[@Chris-uo8ls]

@@Brightlineeating Took me long enough. Better late than never.🥳

[@juneparapini2162]

Lesson 1 You never know where your blessings come from in life They come in the most unexpected ways Man chased by watchmen finds woman he was searching for Seems like adversity - gives you what you were looking/ hoping/ desiring 2nd lesson It’s amazing how steady you can get from weighing and measuring your food and how that can transfer ( bleed out) to other areas in your life The gift of being consistent and showing up in all areas 3 rd lesson Not so clearly stated but I think it is that the way to deal with any brain chatter be it ....should I - shouldn’t I with eating, exercising, stepping on the scale etc Is to decide ahead of time and then follow the plan - do what you set out to do and ignore the chatter - move through and finish in peace

[@millbranch2]

I’ve also run into Task Chatter and task bright lines to help with focus and productivity.

[@candescommonsenseguidetodi1077]

I’m 76 and swim almost every day-in the ocean, my lake or pool (I have more swimsuits than anyone I have EVER known. Even in Jan & Feb when the pool and ocean are about 70• in Florida, I spend at least a few minutes.

[@JoyBellyPregnancy]

I really love to swim. The mediative part, the sun coming into the pool, the quiet. And how amazingly strong my body feels after a while. I love this cutting out the chatter part of it. Just have a bright line about it. I just am recovering from back surgery and I have been contemplating how to go back to swimming but I think limiting the time is perfect. (And you may already be aware, but if you’re wanting to listen to a podcast you can get special ear buds for the water that connect to an Apple Watch and allows you to listen to whatever you want. I love it! The first time I played music I loved and started swimming I was catapulted into an entirely new love!)

[@Brightlineeating]

Thanks for the tip! 🥰

[@GingerMcClellan]

Susan, I am so thankful to hear you finally address "exercise" and some of its benefits. I know you already have touched so many people with your "bright line wisdom". As a regular exerciser (for 40 yrs) I cant begin to explain the benefits (ie sleep, our joy/emotions, heart health, brain health, and longevity) I only hope you continue to reap these benefits and share with your many followers because we are listening.

[@macgregor2011]

Love this! Perfect for me to hear this week!

[@Brightlineeating]

We're so glad it resonated with you!

[@valeriekeenan-uj7wz]

What an example of CDO!!! OCD in alphabetical order!!! Great vlog - hit home with me.

[@CarnivoreKeri]

Thank you! This was so helpful to hear. I appreciate your work and willingness to share your experiences. 😊

[@karenmcgovern1789]

Amazing analysis ,I can’t thank you enough ,gives me so much to work on

[@yenh2648]

Exercise chatter…oh, how can I relate! Thank you for the insight!

[@Brightlineeating]

We're so glad you found this relatable! 😊

[@nathalieb-sq4he]

OMG such powerful vlog. Thank you so much for the lessons .

[@Brightlineeating]

Thank you for watching 🧡🧡

[@seekthetruth824]

when the obstacle is the way forward (paraphrase of marcus aurelius)

[@Melissa-pb6wv]

I've heard treading water burns just as many calories. Does anyone have actual research on that?

[@imanaziz1110]

Susan, I feel like you speak for me 😢 I have been thinki g of swimming, this is a sign. It is the only viable sport given the condition of my knees

[@Brightlineeating]

🫂🥰

[@Dori-eq7om]

I did not mean that unkindly It was just what popped into my brain. I do not realise when I signed in to the food revolution it would include this.

[@810Jafa]

I love you Susan

[@Brightlineeating]

🧡🧡🧡