SUP and weight loss

[watermelonman]

Don't know how to do a poll, but would be interesting to see what kind of weight loss people are achieving with the sport.  I just started SUP recently and hope to shed about 15 lbs.  Every sport has some estimate of calories/hr.  Anyone figure it out for SUP?  I know it depends whether you are a leisure paddler or go for a good burn.  No surf where I live, but the waterway is right out the back door, so it's flatwater for me.

[Honolii]

This one is interesting.
I've been an avid surfer/mt. biker all my Life, so I'm pretty fit.
I'm 44.
I'm 5'7", weigh 165 lbs. the last 10 years. My average body fat % has been 9.5% to 10%.
When I started SUP surfing, 4-5 times a week, I lost 5 lbs. in about 6 months.
Then I started to gain weight. By the end of the first year I was up to 170-175ibs!
I was freaking out! I haven't changed anything/routine/diet.
Well, I realize my body fat % had remained constant during that time, and a lot of friends had commented that I got bigger, more defined, as in muscles. Some even asked if I was lifting weights! LOL! If you know me, my gym has always been the outdoors.
So what I realized was I gained muscles weight in my arms, torso, upper body area in muscles I hardly utilized unitl I started SUPing.
That was 2 years ago. Today I've maintained weighing between 165 and 170, with average body fat still being in the 9.5 % and 10% area.

[Puamana4me]

Brah,

I paddled/surfed  for 3 hours this morning (nice little south swell in san diego), caught at least 50 waves, so hungry when I got out of the water.
I can't  eat enough anymore to keep my weight ON doin this SUP thing....

WHAT A PERFECT SPORT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALOHA !

[outcast]

.

[Caribsurf]

no question you get a hell of a workout and at the same time add muscle and I always heard muscle weighs more than fat so not sure about the overall weight loss...
I feel more toned and definately notice a loss of the extra 5 lbs around the waist.
I haven't done a sit up in months yet my stomach is as tight as it has ever been ....

[Rogue Wave]

15 lbs in two months and still dropping.

Also, my blood pressure dropped from high (130/95) to normal (117/75) in the same time period.

I'm in the best shape I've been in a decade and am feeling better than ever.

Yes, stand up paddling is a GREAT sport -- certainly better than any gym!

Let's here more testimonials from other people who have lost weight...

Lee

[1tuberider]

215 down to 185 and holding.  Not only that but the best shape of my life since high school football. I am close to 60.

[Jeroensurf]

I was already pretty fit because i windsurf and run+cycle a lot, but not heavily muscled.
Since i started padling  i gained 2-3 kilo just in my shoulders and arms.
Belly stayed the same, fit but  able to drop a 2 kilo some there

[seasweeper]

My weight is pretty much the same-muscles getting more defined etc. and best of all-getting more sex from my wife 

[GMONEY]

I'm down 12 pounds. Best part is the stress of not having a job has dropped dramatically. Nothing like a good long paddle to forget the world for awhile..

G$

Cant wait to watch the sun come up tmr morning..

[Jaybee]

It goes a bit like this;  Our bodyfat burns at a rate of nine calories per gram.  Body protein (our muscles), and carbohydrates or glycogen (Lunch)  burn at a rate of four calories per gram. We loosely base our maximum training heart rate at 220 minus your age. For example a 40 year old should look at a maximum safe training heart rate of 180bpm. If you want to solely burn fat to drop a few pounds, train at about 60% to 70% of your max (108-126bpm for a 40 year old). These are your long slow paddles and may seem too slow but are what you want if you purely want to burn fat.  If you train above 70% you will burn fat but you also burn muscle (Protein). This also puts you into your aerobic zone so you will get fitter.  If you are paddling and could comfortably hold a conversation you will probably be in your fat burning zone.
Think of it like firewood. When you are puffing and wheezing your body will be looking for an easy fuel to burn and will go for the lower calorie fuel like your muscles. When you are in your fat burning zone your body will be able to burn a denser fuel like fat.
The first half hour of your paddle will just be burning your body glycogen (The food you have eaten) unless you train on an empty stomach.
I would suggest you don't get too hung up on your actual weight, because as people have said here, muscle weighs more than fat so you should think about how your clothes fit and how you feel in yourself rather than what the scales say. Sorry for ranting.  jaybee.

[Honolii]

No need to apologies for very useful information!
Thanks, as it helps explains a lot on how our body works.
I appreciate it as it is explained in a very simple comprehensible way.

[stoneaxe]

I hate to admit it but I was 300 lbs when I 1st started. Just shy of one year later I was 250. I did watch my diet during that time but it was mostly SUP related weight loss. I actually had much younger women in work telling me how good I looked...maybe they meant relatively... . In reality I think I've lost much more fat. I was always muscled but the definition is much more evident. My daughter even commented that I was getting ripped.

I too saw my weight creep back up but mostly muscle weight. This last few weels I've been eating like a horse during my recovery from surgery...steroids make you HUNGRY. Pumped up to 275. Now I need to get back to training for the CCBC and hope to get back down to at least 260 by then.

[linter]

I have  been paddling for going on 3 yrs now and unlike everyone here, and all of my pals hereabouts, I have seen no physical good come from it.  I am skinny fat to begin with and have remained so all this time.  I'm not worse for wear but no better.  Vvvvery disappointing to me.  And it's not my diet.  My diet is pretty good: locarb except for before and after SUP, when I load up a bit.  Very little sugar, very few bad fats etc.  My doctor tells me its genetics and it ain't never going to change.
  Meanwhile, I blame it on a case of hypothyroidism.  Then again, with drugs, that's under control.  My latest thought is it much be a testosterone issue -- not enuf of it at age 55.  Have to get that checked out.
   Anyway, that's my story.  And sorry it's not a pretty one.  Hopefully, some day, I'll be able to count myself in the ranks of the got-fitter, but so far that's not been the case.  Crap.

[PonoBill]

I'm the smallest guy in my family--a petite 6'2 250.

I weighed about 240 when I started SUP and weigh about 250 now. My waist size is actually down a little from my 240 pound size.  I still have plenty of fat, but my muscle tone is evident--even my belly has ridges along the sides. I come from a family of huge people--at least my generation of it. I've always been active, but I don't think I've ever had this much muscle.