I am quite overweight and doing hot yoga

Hey there, I just use a big towel, all rolled up very tightly instead of a ball, works great for me…

and weight loss…I am now just going to complete my 4th month of bikram and love it. I get to classes on av. 5 times a week (never though that would be possible for me when started, i was that poor girl who burst out laughing when, they said, cu tomorrow, but then it just happened, feels great to come out of office for this or after a cold night shift on site there is just nothing better) and when away (Christmas) manage to what was mentioned here, going through a set of each where ever I am. It feels sooo good. I feel myself getting stronger and try to not scale myself in the mirrors except for alignment. Havent had scales in the last 10 years, but clothes fit just the right amount better. When started was gasping and near blacking out alot during standing and really hated the spine strengthening, even struggled with Half Moon big time, but since seriously concentrating on holding in stomach tight, lifting chest and using upper body during floor series it all feels so right. On yoga days I feel less hungry and crave only the good foods. All that makes me liking my body more, even though I am not plunging kilos like crazy. Always felt that any body reshaping should be over some time otherwise would get nervous and feel like I might put myself at risk). I am wishing everyone here that they get what they want, just try not to obsess.

One of the things I learned when losing weight was that most of us can’t tell the difference between being thirsty and being hungry. That we have lost the ability to understand the different impulses as they are sent to the brain. So what I started doing was making sure I ws eating what I needed, and then whenever I thought I was hungry, in addition to those eating times, I drank water. Lots of water. Lots and lots of water. Till the impulses were gone.

And I have over time recalibrated my body. I now know that I’m actually thirsty much of the time, rather than hungry.

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!

Hi Jeffrey

I think you can be really happy with your progress. You’re only doing 2 classes per week and you’ve still experienced such great changes.

Yes you lose water during class, but that water loss is not going to be sustained because soon after class you start drinking again.

You may be having a lower energy intake on Saturday but it’s not long term. I really don’t see this as a problem. You’re not in any famine state (clearly, or you’d likely be putting on weight). Many experts say that having a day with no food and taking in less (and even no) calories once a week is a great thing. I know that many people eat until they feel 80% full and never overeat. This is supposed to be one of the major determinants of longevity.

To me it seems as though you have a routine that you seem quite happy and comfortable with.

Regarding the calorie counter: It is a largely subjective thing. The figures will be true for some and not for others. It’s a guide. The calculator may represent the figure of someone whose body is a better energy processor. Even if those particular figures don’t fit YOUR body, the calculator is great for comparing energy expended between different activities. The amount of calories you burn may be different to someone else. Personally I don’t like counting calories for my food intake. So I only use the calculator to see where’s the biggest bang for my exercise buck.

You mentioned your tummy! If you have a goal of losing more shape then I guess one of the ways you could go is to attend a 3rd hot yoga class each week. Just enjoy your practice, the way you feel and try not to get hung up on numbers. You may just be surprised to find that when you let that go that your mind is freer to create the perfect conditions for your outcome.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Speaking of food, do you think green tea helps weight loss? I drink about 1L of green tea everyday at work. This is the brand they have at work and I really like the smell and taste. You can buy them at Costco if you are in Canada.

http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Green-Tea-Japanese/dp/B000WB1YSE

Hi Joyce

Welcome! It’s great to have you here.

You know what? It is possible to overwhelm yourself with too much information. You can’t know everything.

>> The best thing is to be well hydrated, have eaten lightly a couple of hours before (and I mean don’t turn up after having eaten bacon and eggs because that would hurt! 😉 ), turn up with enough time to sign in (20 mins before), set up your mat and towel and just sit or lie in the room to calm your energy.
>> Set up behind and slightly to the side (one mat width maximum) of your daughter (or other experienced yogi). You want to have the sense of what they’re doing in your direct or peripheral vision as well as see yourself in the mirror and you don’t want to have to turn your head.
>> And then when you start your class just go with the flow. Only be concerned with what’s going on for you and your breath. If something hurts then don’t do it! Normal stuff.
>> Expect that you might not know much at all for your first couple of classes and that it is a process that can take several classes to imprint the pose sequence itself. Then it could take months or years (depending on you and your teachers) to learn the poses themselves.
>> Stop thinking about it! 😆 Be the observer and aim to have fun.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

PS Without fail for all first time students whenever I teach, I give a preview of Pranayama breathing because it can be challenge: You can’t see how to do it WHILE doing it. So Joyce this is not necessary but if your daughter is willing to step you through a few breaths by demonstration and observation then you may well benefit. As I said it’s not essential and you wouldn’t need to be shown anything else.

I just read this entire thread, and I just want to say how inspiring all the stories on here are. You’re all fabulous and I wish you the best!

Rachel

Hi Mairi

Cleanses are really a short term solution to a long term problem. Even though you can lose weight on a cleanse the important thing is to examine why you are doing the cleanse.

There are people who eat the way they always eat, go on a cleanse because they think that will reverse the bad things they’ve been doing to their body over the last x number of months.

They eat ‘normally’ (and by normally, I mean their normal habits and doesn’t necessarily mean healthily at all) and then the cleanse and then they return to their normal habits again. It’s as if the cleanse is there to purge their guilt for their bad eating…

If you approach your cleanse in a way that is to rest your system and improve your eating habits afterward then that is obviously better. 😉

But don’t necessarily do it because you want a fast, easy and quick way to lose weight. Actually the opposite can happen. WHAT? Yes, because the most important part of your cleanse is what you do at the other end of it. You must return to normal eating in stages otherwise your body which has been in starvation mode will respond by storing…

Some people like the idea of cleanses that are fasts. They work, but you actually have to work the cleanse not the other way around. It’s an opportunity to be super conscious of your ingestion habits. If you’re doing it with a focus on denial then you would have a harder time.

Hmmmm. That was a little complex. Just my opinion. Not saying good nor bad, but stay mindful!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Oh Mairi

I am really peed off! I accidentally closed the window that I had your answer in!!! (lost a long response!)

Long and the short of it, I don’t feel that my answer would be in integrity if I recommended you to either do or not do the cleanse with the limited amount I know about you and your circumstances.

FOR ME, personally, I prefer the long term, high nutritional, mostly raw, supplemented, lots of juice and sustainable approach. But some people with say, a health issue or grossly overweight could benefit from a short to medium burst of a cleanse like the Master Cleanse and then parlay that into a good sustainable long term plan… Remember that the time AFTER the cleanse is probably more important than the cleanse itself.

Tell me what you think. On which side of the fence do you sit?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Dear Meadowlark,

Just a quick message relating to finances: my hot yoga studio has a programm which allows people to earn credit by cleaning the studio. The more you clean, the cheaper your lessons are.
They do not advertise it broadly. I only found out by accident while waiting in line at the studio.

Perhaps your yoga studio has some kind of credit programm too. It cannot hurt to check.

Kind regards,

Maya

Hi everyone! I am new here and to yoga in general. I have always thought it would be wonderful to try but never, for whatever reason, have actually tried it. Ok, I have “tried” it but not on a regular basis. I cannot afford to go to a class so this will be just me. If you have any tips on making it work, please let me know. Also I just wanted to say to Freemonink, I weigh 185 on a 4’11” frame. So I hear what you are going through. I think because of the fact of so much weight it is imperative to NOT do the running, or high impact aerobics because I think that would cause injury. Not sure about you but I am 50 yrs old and because of the weight my knees and feet already hurt some. Maybe this is really the kind of exercise I need…….Hot YOGA?

Hello Everyone, I’m new to hot yoga, having started 2 weeks ago today and completed my 9th Bikram class this morning. I’ve lost about 2-3 pounds, which doesn’t sound like much but pretty good considering that my diet is just not that good yet. Some points, and questions:

I took in a HRM to check the number of calories burned. For me it was 973. I’m a 250 lb (113.6 kg) male probably about 40 pounds overweight, 42 years old and 5’9” (176cm I think) I used a polar FT7 with chest strap. Also, I sat out about 10-15 minutes of the class.

Don’t know how accurate that number is, but anyway, it felt like a real workout. For comparison, I did a 10 minute kettle bell workout later that day and burned 135 calories, which is more per minute than Bikram’s but there’s no way I can do it for more than 10-15 minutes.

Hope that’s useful to somebody.

Then this afternoon, there was a hot Vinyasa class in my local gym so I decided to give it a try. I had worked out a lot already today so mostly I just sat and watched. It seemed to me that the poses are more complicated and the pace is faster and it works the upper body a little more than does Bikram’s yoga. The room was warm but not nearly as warm as Bikram’s and there wasn’t much humidity.

That said, I liked both classes a lot and plan to continue, probably doing Bikram’s 4-5 days a week and Vinyasa 1-2, possibly 3 if I have time.

How do others here compare Bikram with other forms of yoga? Any advantages/disadvantages? Also, does anyone do yoga as their sole exercise, or do you supplement it with something else? I hope to do kettle bells a couple of days a week and maybe ride my bike. I’ve been weight lifting for several years and plan to continue but probably cut back a bit.

Thanks again and hope to post again soon. 🙂

Krangie, I share the same type of story…I continue to have to work on my eating habits and have yet to master it..your journey is inspiring. I have just discovered this forum and love it.