Real weight loss

Well, I have lost well over a hundred pounds since starting Bikram yoga, going from morbidly obese to just a little overweight. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m close.

As to my diet, in the beginning I just ate what I wanted to, as I always had. That is, I wasn’t on a weight loss diet. The weight just started to fall off. But soon an odd thing started to happen. I wasn’t consciously eating better, I just found myself unconsciously making better food decisions. I never did “diet” and I lost most of that weight without it. Then about six months ago, after reading “The China Study” and watching “Forks Over Knives,” I decided to take a Whole Foods Plant Based approach to eating. I’m not fanatical about it — I still have my sushi once a week — but for the most part, I eat very differently now, very healthily. (And I should mention Gabrielle Raiz’s books on smoothies and salads have been extremely helpful.)

That’s my story. Does that help?

Good afternoon,
I am a 23 year old female, 5’4” and 230 lbs.. I am considered obese.. I have an apple shape body type. I eat healthy in general, I do prefer the taste and I don’t like fatty foods or greasy foods. I haven’t eaten at a fast food restaurant in like 3 years. I am a CNA (certified nursing assistant) I work odd hours and am on my feet 8+ hours a day. I am also a full time student. I am hardly ever hungry, so I eat at 800 calories a day if that.. I know that’s not good but I feel full easy. I don’t drink soda, it makes my stomach hurt, I am lactose intolerant so no cheese to spread on everything.. I have started working out every chance I get, I have lost 30 pounds, but I have reached that plateau, and cant seem to budge (been here 3 months). A friend of mine told me to try Hot Yoga. I love yoga already (did it in high school) so I was thinking why not add heat. What I am wondering is if there are people who have actually lost large amount of weight eating healthy and doing Hot Yoga? I need to loose at least 100 lbs. I have seen people say they lost 10-30 lbs but to me that doesn’t seem like a lot. So f you have any advice, suggestions, comments or even stories please share!

~Ashley 🙂

I just joined this group and very keen to share my story. I started Bikram Yoga about 6 months ago at 240lbs when my blood report came with a bad A1C number for the first time, and when I lost my young BIL in kidney transplant procedure. It’s a wake up call.

I have always been an active person for whom working out is a therapy, however, due to 2 car accidents in 2 years, ignorant about treatment, lack of follow up for PT, working late hours, and binging, I started gaining tremendous amount of weight. There was no diet that I didn’t try, and working out wasn’t fun due to pain. I would lose 10-15 pounds then gain back.With my lifestyle I couldn’t keep up with stringent diet and kept getting bigger size clothes, and pain killer while ignoring the real issue. Slowly my pains became severe and started impacting my life. Being an active and cheerful person I was getting more inclined towards depression. The issue was I didn’t have time to think, meditate and connect with myself to figure out my real problem and how to resolve them.

My gym started Bikram Yoga and I took a 3 day free trial class. It was a total nightmare of gasping, barely able to do more than 15 postures, but like they say when God shuts a door he opens a window. From this window God sent teachers who motivated, encouraged, inspired me to complete 3 sessions without any gap. Then the rest was history. I immediately noticed a difference in pain and felt better. I try to do Bikram yoga 3/week and lost about 40 lbs.

For me Bikram Yoga is not to lose weight or look better. Of course, these are added value, that comes with it. But my focus was HEALTH, to get my sugar level down to avoid diabetes, to manage my pain. I am a hyper person and never knew the phrase “take one day at a time,” but Bikram Yoga has connected my body-soul-mind, and I am able to realize that slowly I will become a healthier person and eventually lose what I gained. The most striking is unknowingly I have started getting more drawn into eating healthy. I have also gained tremendous will power to control junk food and increased concentration in my job.

At times even when we think 20-30 pounds is not a big deal, with my life and experience I can say that losing weight is probably the most difficult challenge we all may have encountered. And it takes all the more determination,and perseverance to keep the weight off and continue to be healthy. Connecting mind-body-soul actually helps to connect with reality which typically happens through yoga. In a friendly note I would suggest try Bikram yoga at least 3/week for a month and experience the results.