The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Weight Loss and Hot Yoga › I am quite overweight and doing hot yoga
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Weight Loss and Hot Yoga › I am quite overweight and doing hot yoga
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Hello everyone
Thanks for keeping the conversation alive!
Not so long ago I received an email from a woman of similar age (actually in her fifties) and similar issues. She also said that she had 5 children and that her years and years of trying to remove the mid section flab was very difficult. Her hot yoga has helped her tremendously to reshape her body (but not so much around her abdomen). The thing that she said changed her midsection was working on her core.
I received a beautiful email from her due to the results she has achieved after watching and putting into action the simple exercise on my video: Flatten Your Tummy And Strengthen Your Back. FYI: she did a few minutes morning and night and that was it!
Get back to me and tell me how you go.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi everyone. I am a newbie on bikram and please excuse my English. I went to my first class and didn’t find the heat unbearable. I felt dizzy in two occasions, but I was able to continue and complete the class without resting. I was able to do most of the poses except for pose that require me to keep my leg straight while touching certain body parts, bending backward. For some reason I had a headache before class. During the class it was gone, and then it came back after class. I have some questions and hope someone can enlight me. My main goal is to lose weight and inches around my mid section.
Due to work schedule and other commitment, I can only commit to do once or twice a week (Sat & Sun and/or stat holiday) at best. Am I still going to see result or is it a waste of time and might as well not doing it. I am thinking of doing back to back class or even a morning class follow by an hour or two break and then an afternoon class. That will be three classes in two days.
Does keeping the stomach tight while doing pose really help to burn the fat in the tummy and work the abs? I have yet to understand the benefit of the breathing exercise. What does it do or has anything to do with flatten the tummy/burn fat around that section?
Does it make a difference between doing the first morning class or last evening class? I mean doing it in the morning means you haven’t eat anything heavy yet so you are using stored fat for energy. If I take the evening class, I’ll be burning calories from the food I eat during the day. That means I am no burning stored fat. Is this concept correct?
I am trying to do P90X’s Ab ripper and some Insanity exercise.
Due to work schedule and other commitment, I can only commit to do once or twice a week (Sat & Sun and/or stat holiday) at best. Am I still going to see result or is it a waste of time and might as well not doing it. I am thinking of doing back to back class or even a morning class follow by an hour or two break and then an afternoon class. That will be three classes in two days.
I think any yoga is better than none. Also consider that once you know the postures you can do some on your own even when you can’t make the class. Some days I run through one set of each in about 30 minutes.Does keeping the stomach tight while doing pose really help to burn the fat in the tummy and work the abs? I have yet to understand the benefit of the breathing exercise. What does it do or has anything to do with flatten the tummy/burn fat around that section?
First off, spot reducing is a myth. However, keeping the belly in does help strengthen those muscles. That can help with your posture and make you look better. It also helps expand the lungs and for me helps release tension in my lower back.
Does it make a difference between doing the first morning class or last evening class? I mean doing it in the morning means you haven’t eat anything heavy yet so you are using stored fat for energy. If I take the evening class, I’ll be burning calories from the food I eat during the day. That means I am no burning stored fat. Is this concept correct?
My experience is that fat loss is more a result of the total daily balance of energy in (food) and out. Each class time has benefits. Morning classes make me more aware of my body throughout the day. Evening classes make me think about what I’m about to eat and how it will feel later. Both tend to result in better eating choices. You’ll also notice a difference balance between strength and flexibility between morning and evening. The best class time is the one you can get to.
Take Care,
LeeThank you Lee for chiming in with a strong voice of reason! I appreciate your commonsense approach 😉 and wholeheartedly agree.
Jeffrey, whatever you do it has to fit in with your life. Sure you can make changes to your timetable but the rest of your life (whatever form that takes or even morphs to) has to be taken into account. If, for example, you are doing morning classes because you believe your fat will burn more efficiently but are worn out for the rest of the day because you can’t function (that could happen, who knows?) then you move things around.
Relatively newbies to hot yoga often have expectations around shape change and many aspects of their practice. Over time you will see how the meditative aspects, the stress minimization and control over your own mind, plus an increased control over your life through many UNCONSCIOUS avenues will have you feel more ease in the whole experience. I look forward to hearing about that. In the meantime keep asking your questions!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Lee – this had been sitting on my “must answer list” – but you did it for me and said pretty much what I was going to say, especially:
My experience is that fat loss is more a result of the total daily balance of energy in (food) and out.
And everyone’s metabolism will be different – ie which foods will be turned to fat; where will they be stored; is that an accessible energy source for the body to use while exercising; how long will it be before food ingested that is “fat” is available to “burn”.
Most of these questions are almost impossible to answer – as Lee says, it is better to focus on energy-in vs energy-out – with a healthy diet, plenty of cardio-exercise. Even the calorie/kilojoule energy-in/energy-out equation is best left as one assessment and not as the guiding principle.
I wanted to add: There is a behavioral tendency worth exploiting – we tend to carry out our “day” in the way in which we start it. Apparently it is proven that people who start out eating a healthy breakfast for example, are much less likely to end up falling for a fatty/greasy lunch.
So maybe starting out with yoga in the morning can also help people who are making behavioral changes (to both easting habits and exercise habits).
And finally – remember to empower yourself – especially in the mirror at yoga – with some helpful beliefs eg “I change my shape easily. My body fat ratio is becoming ideal” etc
Namaste
Robert
Hi, everyone. This is my first posting on your website. This past June, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. As a result of my diagnosis, I was able to take a class at our local hospital that had some helpful guidance with regard to nutrition and weight loss. Class members were given pamphlets that list the carb values related to portion sizes of many foods. It was simple and easy to follow and dramatically changed my approach to eating. I began to lose weight immediately. I know that everyone is different, but I didn’t really understand what portion sizes and carbs were doing to my health before I took this class. I now know how to read labels and am shocked by what I would have eaten before I had this information.
About half way through the month of classes we were asked to fill out a plan for improving our lives. I committed to starting yoga, and have not looked back. I had Bikram’s beginning yoga book and also a video that seemed to follow most of Bikram’s poses. So far, I’ve lost 30 pounds and feel improvement in my body almost every day. My blood glucose levels went from very high to nearly normal in three months. I still have about 20 lbs to go before I’ll be where I should be, but I’m confident that I will get there.
So, there is hope for everyone. If I can do it, anyone can. With the right information and yoga, it is possible to change your life for the better. Thanks for sharing your experience, wisdom and expertise. Best wishes to all who are traveling on this path of self awareness and development.
Elizabeth
I started practicing in July when the stress of my job was physically making me sick. I was so thankful to drive by where I now practice and see the sign. When I first started I went 3 times per week but I have been slacking here lately. I have trouble getting into the standing bow. Any tips that anyone would provide would be appreciated.
Hello Kelly
Have you had time to search through the posts on Standing Bow? There are plenty of tips in there!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hello everyone,
I am so glad I found this forum! I did my first Bikram Yoga class last week, and completed my 4th class tonight. I love it, and am planning my busy schedule around getting to yoga.My question(s), I am overweight, and have bad knees. I have a difficult time doing any of the poses sitting on my knees. Most of the standing poses I am able to do some form of the pose, but once we get on the floor, I completely lose interest since I can’t do any of the poses. I try and lay there and breathe, but it’s difficult for me to stay in the room at that point.
I did notice an improvement tonight in my flexibility and ability to do some of the standing poses.
Any advice you can give, would be most appreciated!
Thank you!
LoriI was so happy that Bikram Yoga came to my area. I started Feb 28th 2009 and was gung ho! I wanted Bikram since I was losing my flexibility and desire to exercise. I was 59 at the time. I kept going but was inwardly discouraged about not being able to do the movements and the pain involved.
I signed up for monthly payments taken out of my account but that did not prevent me from stopping a regular routine. I feel so discouraged being older and unable to do the movements, overweight and usually the only one of a different culture.
I was glad to find this site and realize that others are having similar problems. With your encouragement and that of the instructors I will pick myself up, dust myself off and be regular again.
Hello everyone,
I am so glad I found this forum! I did my first Bikram Yoga class last week, and completed my 4th class tonight. I love it, and am planning my busy schedule around getting to yoga.My question(s), I am overweight, and have bad knees. I have a difficult time doing any of the poses sitting on my knees. Most of the standing poses I am able to do some form of the pose, but once we get on the floor, I completely lose interest since I can’t do any of the poses. I try and lay there and breathe, but it’s difficult for me to stay in the room at that point.
I did notice an improvement tonight in my flexibility and ability to do some of the standing poses.
Any advice you can give, would be most appreciated!
Thank you!
Lori
Hi Lori,
Congratulations on 4 classes straight. That’s a really good start. I would encourage you to simply be patient with yourself. Your body didn’t get into the shape it’s in over a week so it will take some time, but not nearly as long, to straighten it out. I had many challenges on the floor. When I first started it was very painful just to lay on my belly. I had to roll slightly to one side just to breath in savasana during the spine strengthening series. It took me 3 months just to get my arms on my towel for locust pose and even longer to get besode then finally under my body. As for knees, I find mine are highly variable. Some classes they feel great and others many kneeling postures feel stiff and achy. Even the stiff and achy classes are better than where I started. Stick with it and try each posture to the best of your ability. You’ll be amazed at the results.Take Care,
LeeHi Lori
Lee has some good points to make about body shape change and gave some insight into his own challenges. Thanks!
I was wondering if you would be willing to tell us what “bad knees” means. Is there any difficulty in any other activity or is it just kneeling? Sitting down on your knees with bottom down on your heels as well is often a different proposition to kneeling in readiness for Camel pose. Can you tell us a little more? Because it could be about patience but I may be able to give you a modification or 2 that will keep you more connected with your practice rather than feeling despondent and missing out!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi there,
I’ve just joined this forum and I’ve only done 3 classes, but really excited about starting my journey. I came to Bikram for a lot of different reasons, weight loss being one of them, and I’m worried that reading all these incredible stories has slightly skewed my expectations!
I am trying to lose about 25 lbs in preparation for my wedding and general health. Out of curiosity I decided to wear a heart rate monitor to my 3rd hot yoga class and discovered my heart rate wasn’t nearly as high as I thought it was and I burned 400 calories (which is still a lot, but not the 900 I thought I would be burning!). Is it realistic to expect this sort of weight loss through Bikram yoga alone? I am hoping to do it 5-6 days a week, but wondering if I should still be doing other cardio and/or weight lifting? Is there a more optimal time to do yoga (7am class vs 8pm class)?
I don’t believe in ‘dieting,’ but I do eat healthy and try to have good eating habits.
I am trying to have a wholistic approach to the yoga and don’t want to be doing it solely for weight loss purposes, but I am wondering if I can expect the results I want or if I should be supplementing with other forms of exercise as well!
Thanks
Hello bikrambride
I believe that you can lose a lot of SHAPE by doing this yoga. I know that you are very likely to build lean muscle mass. Comparing similar volumes of fat and muscle you already know that muscle weighs more than fat so can you expect to lose 25 pounds of weight? Maybe not.
BUT with:
>> A schedule of 5-6 classes per week (making 5 minimum your aim)
>> A strong belief that you can do it
>> Letting go of the firm expectation that it will happen in a predictable way
>> A focus on good food consumption (my favored system is food combining) plus ensuring that more than half the food you eat is raw
>> A reasonable amount of time to achieve your goals
>> Commitment without compromise …I think that you can CREATE the SHAPE that you want doing Bikram yoga alone.
You didn’t give us a time frame btw. I think that with 5+ classes per week you could really burn yourself out IF YOU ADD other types of exercise. Everyone wants to look great at their wedding. Don’t overdo it. If you add in other forms of exercise then make sure it is reasonable. 5 classes plus a leisurely walk is good. 5 classes plus 3 weight training sessions for example, is something I would caution against unless you are an exercise junkie.
And please stop counting calories. Getting stuck on the numbers on your counter and your scales is really so un-yoga! 😆 Have the goal, work toward it by enjoying the journey. Let go of the obsession of checking whether you worked hard enough. In my experience people don’t see changes on a day to day level. But they may see changes sneak up on them. They often report feeling despondent looking in the mirror and thinking “I’ve been going to class 15 times in the last 3 weeks and nothing’s happening”. Then next week they look in the mirror and see a massive change that seems to have simply materialized.
So… be happy that you are there every day. Say supportive things to yourself every time you look in the mirror (in and out of class (like “I’m feeling and looking better and better” or to borrow wabbit’s word “Look at me! I deserve to shine. Where can I go now?” or anything that seems to work for you).
Make your commitment SUSTAINABLE, take rest when you need to and enjoy yourself. Enjoy noticing how much better you feel and that will support your beliefs about your efforts. Oh, and throw away your scales and your monitor (at least hand them over to a friend or neighbor for the moment so they don’t tempt you to keep second guessing yourself).
Please keep us posted
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂I might add that since I am the husband of the Hot Yoga Doctor herself, one side-effect – and a very important one for a wedding – is that your skin usually takes on an inner glow. We call it the “hot yoga glow”. Other students have been known to have been stopped in the street and asked “what are you doing, you look great?” or “Did you get new makeup?” (when they weren’t wearing any)
Gabrielle certainly changed radically in her first two weeks (she went every day) – her skin tightened; she got that yoga glow … all good things for your wedding day as well as “getting into shape”.
Though I am sure you will be glowing in any case …. good luck and yes, do keep us posted!
Robert
Thanks very much for the encouraging words!
My wedding isn’t until August, but I am trying to get to my ideal body shape for my frist dress fitting, which is in 18 weeks. I do have a lot of time, but want to take things nice and slow.
I definitely don’t count calories & I try to avoid the scale as I am easily discouraged and don’t want any negative vibes at the moment. I think for the time being i’ll judge my progress by the fit of my clothes and eat according to my body’s needs. I am VERY hungry since starting, but I’m hoping my appetite regulates itself as I continue.
Hi,
Thank you so much for the response! Yes, I was diagnosed with arthritis is both knees. This was due to overuse, most likely due to the extra weight. I went through chemotherapy back in 2004 for breast cancer, and gained about 50 pounds from being inactive and the change in hormones, etc.I have been on many medications for the pain in my knees and they crack and pop when I climb up the stairs. I have had several great classes over the past week! The instructor I at first thought was so TOUGH is now my favorite. She came over and showed me several modifications using a towel and I also realized that I could do the camel pose, on my knees, just going back a little, as best as I can do. I am most struggling with the balancing poses although my balance on all standing poses is much, much better than when I started. I have been doing Weight Watchers along with the yoga and find myself naturally making healthy choices with little to no thought about it and not needing to track what I eat. That is NEW to me. I also found that alcohol (I used to drink a glass of wine or two here and there) does NOT agree with me. Wine gives me a massive headache, and I don’t sleep well, whereas, since starting hot yoga I have been sleeping better than ever before – so I will be sticking to water and herbal tea. After 7 classes, I just can not believe amazing I feel, and I have never had an exercise program that I looked forward to going to, and I am sticking with it and not dropping out. I have read so many comments where people are saying that this yoga changes their life – and I believe them 100%. I also notice a huge improvement in my skin!
Thank you Gabrielle!
LoriHI everyone,
Another question related to hot yoga and weight loss — how soon have people started seeing weight loss results? I’m wondering when I can expect to see some changes with a consistent practice (5 or more classes a week)?
Thanks a lot
Hi fellow newbie!
I will tell you that I did my 8th practice last night. I have not seen any results on the scale, but this morning, I put my pants on and they fit much, much better. I recommend that you take your measurements right away. I didn’t take mine until after already doing 7 classes so I am not able to monitor what I lost in inches.
Good luck!
LoriHello all I am new at Hot Yoga just started last week, this will be my second week going in. I too build muscle fast and may lose inches first, but my concern is the midsection that is my hardest challenge, just wondering will doing hot yoga help get rid of some of the bulge because this is the only activity I will be doing because I can’t squeeze anymore time into my busy schedule at this time. I really would like to get my midsection in order.
Hi Jeanetta
With a real focus on your midsection in class you can really work wonders. It is surprising how often you can forget to engage your core or suck in your stomach. So remember that not only will it protect your lower spine (because of core engagement) it will tone and trim you there as well. Check out the free videos in the resource center and watch the video: Flatten Your Tummy And Strengthen Your Back. It will do both these things too!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi
Well, I’m moving into my 4th week of Bikram, going at least 5 times per week and I don’t think I’ve seen any changes. I’m trying to be patient, but feeling a little discouraged as I think I thought it would be drastic!
I was also hoping for the appetite changes, but I am still finding myself very hungry and not eating little as many Bikram regulars claim. I have spoken to a lot of instructors who say their appetite is now very suppressed…
Am I being impatient or is it unusual that I have not seen changes yet?
Thanks!
I consider myself “fat”. By that I mean you can see I have flat tire when I sit straight. I am certainly not skinny. Anyway, I don’t know if I am really losing fat weight or just water weight after doing hot yoga. I practice hot yoga on weekends only (two times a week). After Saturday and Sunday class, I do feel my jean fit looser. During the week, my jean return back to fitting tigher.
Okay, Jeffrey, I’ve met you! There’s no way you are anywhere close to being ‘fat’!! You are very much a normal-sized guy. I too have a ‘flat tire’ when I sit straight, but it’s perfectly okay. When I’m standing there’s nothing to see and you’re probably the same.
Now, what you can do is work on your abs like Gab suggests with a small ball doing lower leg lifts to make your core really strong. You can do it every day when you can’t make it to yoga. This will hopefully prevent any injuries to your lower back when bending because of the power in your core.
See you at our studio!
Hi Boonie. Thanks for your comment. I guess I am trying to suck my stomach whenever I am bare in pubic so I don’t look as “fat”. :red: I think we were in the same class three Saturady in a role. I too look forward to seeing you again in the studio.
I have watched the video “Flatten your tummy and strengthen your back” but never tried it because I don’t have access to a gym ball. Instead of using a gym ball, do you think I can use my arm like when you are doing Locust. Instead of lying on my stomach, I am on my back with my arm under my body and lift my legs. Do you think if it will have the same effect?
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