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My experience agrees with Freimaya’s. Before I started hot yoga (not Bikram) I lost 50 pounds in six months with alternate day fasting (water only on fasting days). I had stayed away from fasting prior to starting in July 2008 because I had read that you’ll lose muscle mass when your body breaks down your own muscle to provide necessary calories. However, I did some research and found that muscle wasting does not start until about 48 hours into a fast. Except for one time to get past a plateau, I always fasted less than 48 hours and usually fasted for 36 hours at a time. I was not exercising with any regularity for the first six months of the alternate day fasting program.

Nearly six months ago I found a hot yoga studio near my house. At the time I was still fasting every other day to maintain my weight loss and I was prepared to continue indefinitely. I started going to hot yoga at least four times a week and I began to lose more weight. I really didn’t need to lose additional weight. I now fast one day per week and go to hot yoga six or seven days a week. I’ve maintained the weight loss for two years now.

Alternate day fasting was the easiest way I’ve found to lose weight. I’ve lost weight in the past by reducing calories and exercising but when life got a lot more hectic I didn’t have the time I needed to work out enough to keep my weight down. Alternate day fasting takes less time than other diets – you don’t have to prepare and eat meals or go to a restaurant – so it will work no matter how busy your life gets. If I wanted to lose weight now I’d combine hot yoga with alternate day fasting but I haven’t looked into Gabrielle’s weight loss plan.

-Robert