Weight Watcher activity points for scuba diving?

[passionforscuba]

Hello,
I have been on Weight Watchers now for 4 months and have lost 20 pounds (so sloooow!). Anyway, I am going diving in the Bahamas next week and would like to TRY and stick to the points. My question is this: Does it sound correct that 30 minutes of diving is equal to 5 activity points? That is what my WW calculator said. It just seems to me that diving really doesn't require you to move all that much (if you are doing it right). I suppose that I could burn more calories if I waved my arms around, but that would not be good How come diving burns so many calories, and does 5 activity points per 30 minutes of diving seem correct?
Thanks for your help! I would like to come back having remained the same weight or even lost a bit, since I have been doing good so far. It has been so hard!

 

[PatrickDives]

Although I don't know the points, it is a workout, at least in the Seattle area. Not only are points or calories consumed in the dive for the workout, but also for just being in the cold water that we have up here. The body has to work harder to maintain core temperature.

In the Bahamas...who knows? My first dive was in the Caribbean and I wore a t-shirt and swim trunks. The girls in our group were wearing shortys and were cold. So, I don't know if it can be quantified that easily.

I would assume to be on the safe side that you calculate it as if you were swimming in a heated pool, then any extra points or calories consumed would be a bonus.

Hope that helps.

Patrick.

 

[siikik]

...The body has to work harder to maintain core temperature.

In the Bahamas...who knows? My first dive was in the Caribbean and I wore a t-shirt and swim trunks. The girls in our group were wearing shortys and were cold. So, I don't know if it can be quantified that easily....

In addition to external factors, your body also warms up the air you are breathing. I believe a lot of energy is expended just to maintain your temperature either way.



Ken

 

[BabyDuck]

i'd say it's fair. even though the 30 min of actually diving might really be 2 or 3, the toting things to & from the boat should add a few points but isn't actually part of the 30 min in the water. now, if you don't carry your gear yourself, then i'd go with the slider and how long your dive actually was and whether you felt your activity was light or moderate based on your breathing & stuff.

and congrats! i've lost 26 over 5 months, so i know what you mean about slow, but man - it's wonderful to fit in some different clothes!

 

[passionforscuba]

Thank you so much for your help. So what I am hearing you say is that it is not the actual movement during diving, but the fact that you have to exert energy to breathe and to warm your body temperature. Am I correct? Also, I don't think that I will be lugging the gear, since I intend to keep it with the dive shop during the week. I wonder how Weight Watchers comes up with the activity numbers for diving. I have the online program, and it says 5 points per half hour. I wonder if they actually consult a diver or if they are just thinking that diving burns many calories. Hmmm...

 

[swimsurflive]

It depends how much energy you exert into it. 5 sounds about right.

 

[Diver Lori]

I've been on WW since 2000 and I'm also a leader. Five APs is a little high. Go ahead and count them, but I wouldn't eat them. WW recommends you only eat 4 at the most per day, on the day you earn them. A good rule of thumb, when in doubt, 1 pt per 20 mins of activity.

To give you an idea....when I first started diving locally in Ohio in the quarries, and in the Florida caves I could eat like a horse and come home with a weightloss.... in a wetsuit. When I got a drysuit, that all changed. I had the same appetite, and ate like a horse and GAINED!! So yes, the water temperature your body has to combat has alot to do with it.

I have NEVER lost weight on a dive trip to anywhere tropical, in fact I have gained. So be careful!

Congrats on the 20 so far, and that's an average of 5 lbs a month...that's a nice safe loss you'll be more likely to keep off than if you lost any faster. A safe loss is .5 to 2 lb per week. Be happy!!