Yoga and weight loss****Update***

Hello All, I wanted to update and say thank you for the great advice. I have now lost six pounds since my last post! I made some of the changes mentioned and they really got the ball rolling. Hope my post can help someone else. So I would like to take off 15 total and am thrilled with the six so far!
The changes:
Completely cut out Diet Coke...sad but true:sad:
Limit myself to one carbohydrate a day
Doing yoga with weights three times a week...I think this was a huge game changer, especially in regards to muscle mass that was mentioned
Increased my calories. I am supposed to have 750 deficit and was coming in even below that daily. Not enough calories.
Lastly, one day on the weekend I don’t count calories at all, if I feel like a burger and fries I do it.

Thanks again for the input!

That's wonderful. Do you feel awesome too?
 
The only thing that I've found to really work is the MyFitnessPal app. Every calorie is counted. If I work out, I can eat a little more. It really holds me accountable. Some food and drinks have way more calories than you think.

Edited to add...I should have read the whole thread. Glad you found something that works for you!
 
Following your progress...nice work!

I'm hoping to get some ideas on what I can do from this thread. Prior to having children I was a steady 98 pounds since I was 15 years old (around the time I stopped growing...lol). I ate anything I wanted. My mom always cooked lean, nutritious meals but I was never limited on what kind of snacks I was allowed to have so I grew up drinking a lot of soda and I could polish off a box of Ho-Ho's in 2 days by myself, and remained 98 pounds. I drank Starbucks Java Chip Frappucinnos at least twice a week (expensive hobby that I could only afford when I lived with my parents!). Anyway the idea is that I grew up with a love of sugar (and pasta... grew up with Sicilian family) without any noticeable effects. So it's an ingrained habit. Then when I was 26 I had my first baby... I bounced back after that but then I had 2 more. I now regularly fluctuate between 109 and 113 pounds depending on the time of year (winters are long). It's not an incredibly high weight but I'm only 5 foot tall so I notice it -- I just feel like a different person since kids. Flabby core, uncomfortable feeling. I've been focused on trying to reduce the number on the scale (I kept trying to meet a goal of 105) but I think maybe that's the wrong approach at this point. Plain old calorie reduction doesn't seem to help for some reason. I think I need to work more on toning and trying to build muscle instead. And I need to reduce daily sugar intake (I'm trying to start small -- reducing/removing it from coffee... it's hard).

I had 3 c-sections in 3 years and as a result have diastasis recti, which prevents me from doing certain exercises. My core has obviously suffered some damage from this, lol. I do things like side planks and leg lifts but haven't made much difference other than increasing my stamina in doing those things.

We have a treadmill that I use mostly in the winter (boring), a rowing machine (also boring), I have some light hand weights, and we also purchased a weight bench with leg lift thingy (that's the technical term right) from Craigslist over the winter, but I'm unsure how to make that best benefit me. In the summer I bike (but not extensively), and our 2+ acre property requires a lot of work so I spend most summers doing a lot of lifting, shoveling, etc. This year we're building a retaining wall concrete patio out front and changing the way the yard slopes so I've been lugging around 50 pound bucket of rocks, wheelbarrows full of busted up concrete, dirt, lifting retaining wall blocks, etc. But then winter comes.... plus my job in web development is sedentary. So it would be nice to know the best way to use the weights to benefit me year round.

As for the Diet Coke thing -- the only time I drink soda anymore is with a rum & coke, and I am a very rare drinker -- usually only for special occasions. I don't like the taste of diet soda so I never tried to swap to that. I do like carbonation, and I am not a good plain water drinker, so what helps me is sparkling water. Just a thought!


I have to laugh about the coffee creamer because I was going to do that as well but then decided that had to be the last to go! A girl’s got to have something!!! I will say the yoga definitely works on the core!! I love the sculpt too because it encorporates the weights as well. Maybe Klayfish would have some ideas. One thing I did a few years back that was great was P90X. It used weights, cardio and yoga. Plus you can do it in your own home. I think one of the questions you would have to ask is whether you are really challenging yourself in your workouts? I think I ran for so long, same distance, same routes, there was really no challenge. I had to do something that was different and when I am done with yoga I am absolutely exhausted and fairly sore the next day. Interestingly, after one class there was a lady that went up to the instructor to discuss the sculpt class. They were offering a new 45 minute class instead of the usual 60 minutes. After class this lady said she did not like the class because it was not long enough. She said she needed a longer challenging class. However, I noticed during the class she modified every move. That is fine, I modify some things but to say the class is not challenging but you don’t use weights or sit further back in chair pose or whatever is on her not the length of the class. Anyway, I hope this helps a little! It’s tough when your body changes with age and the same old things don’t work!
 


I do feel good and some of my summer clothes are beginning to fit again; my wallet is thanking me! I can’t wait to lose more!

What a great feeling. :goodvibes:thumbsup2

_____________________________________

Tell us more about yoga sculpt. Is it back and forth with the weights and postures? Or in tandem the entire time? Curious.
 
I have to laugh about the coffee creamer because I was going to do that as well but then decided that had to be the last to go! A girl’s got to have something!!! I will say the yoga definitely works on the core!! I love the sculpt too because it encorporates the weights as well. Maybe Klayfish would have some ideas. One thing I did a few years back that was great was P90X. It used weights, cardio and yoga. Plus you can do it in your own home. I think one of the questions you would have to ask is whether you are really challenging yourself in your workouts? I think I ran for so long, same distance, same routes, there was really no challenge. I had to do something that was different and when I am done with yoga I am absolutely exhausted and fairly sore the next day. Interestingly, after one class there was a lady that went up to the instructor to discuss the sculpt class. They were offering a new 45 minute class instead of the usual 60 minutes. After class this lady said she did not like the class because it was not long enough. She said she needed a longer challenging class. However, I noticed during the class she modified every move. That is fine, I modify some things but to say the class is not challenging but you don’t use weights or sit further back in chair pose or whatever is on her not the length of the class. Anyway, I hope this helps a little! It’s tough when your body changes with age and the same old things don’t work!

I seem to recall my SIL has that P90X DVDs, I might borrow those from her. I'm really glad to hear you've been having success. Keep kicking butt.
 


I have to laugh about the coffee creamer because I was going to do that as well but then decided that had to be the last to go! A girl’s got to have something!!! I will say the yoga definitely works on the core!! I love the sculpt too because it encorporates the weights as well. Maybe Klayfish would have some ideas. One thing I did a few years back that was great was P90X. It used weights, cardio and yoga. Plus you can do it in your own home. I think one of the questions you would have to ask is whether you are really challenging yourself in your workouts? I think I ran for so long, same distance, same routes, there was really no challenge. I had to do something that was different and when I am done with yoga I am absolutely exhausted and fairly sore the next day. Interestingly, after one class there was a lady that went up to the instructor to discuss the sculpt class. They were offering a new 45 minute class instead of the usual 60 minutes. After class this lady said she did not like the class because it was not long enough. She said she needed a longer challenging class. However, I noticed during the class she modified every move. That is fine, I modify some things but to say the class is not challenging but you don’t use weights or sit further back in chair pose or whatever is on her not the length of the class. Anyway, I hope this helps a little! It’s tough when your body changes with age and the same old things don’t work!

IMO, to the bolded part above, x1000 times yes. The caveat I'd throw out is that any workout, even if one where you stop challenging yourself, is better than doing absolutely nothing. But if you're really looking to get fit, then you always need to challenge yourself. Doing the exact same thing day in day out, for months, years, will be a steep diminishing returns investment. You've got to challenge yourself and look to have some variety.

Sorry, I really can't give a lot of input on P90X or cardio/yoga stuff. I don't mean to sound negative, but there are a lot of workout trends/fads that come and go...P90X, hot yoga, cold yoga, thunderstorm yoga :D , etc...they all tend to have some variety of cardio and mild strength training. Again, don't get me wrong, as I said before any workout is better than none, so I would wholeheartedly 110% support people who pick up any style of an exercise routine, whether P90X or spin class or underground yoga. However, DW and I are more "old school" in our approach...maybe because we are old(er). Here's our routine....

Wake up at 4:10am. Ouch.

In the gym by 4:30am. We both start out with pure weightlifting. Barbells, dumbbells, Olympic bars, weight machines, etc... We divide our week up...one day is leg day, one is arms, one is shoulders, etc... I can't tell you precisely what DWs routine is, as we both sort of do our own thing. But generally speaking, I'll do 3 supersets, 4 rounds each. In other words, this morning was shoulder day for me. So a "superset" would be a set of 10 front raises (or as close to 10 as I can get), immediately followed by a set of 10 side raises. Take a rest, then do it again. Rinse and repeat 4 times. Then move on to the next superset. DW does a bit more volume than I do because I have much bigger time constraints (my commute is 60 miles each way, hers is 1.6 miles). I lift for about 50 minutes and then do 10-15 minutes of cardio. DW will do 60-80 minutes of lifting with 10-20 minutes of cardio. On days I work from home, I can stay longer and I'll do additional cardio just to keep my endurance up some. We do a huge variety of weightlifting exercises, varying it up often. But there's no P90X style stuff involved, it's just old fashion lifting. I'm pretty strong, especially in the upper body, but DW can do things on leg day that would send me to the hospital. It gives me a healthy fear of her...one swift kick and I'm done for. :duck:

DW has a "coach", but it's online and done through e-mail and pictures. I don't have a coach, just do things based on research and reading I've done over the years, and talking to others into the hobby.
 
So if I want to start with the weight bench, I should consider alternating what I'm doing each day -- so maybe I would start with the leg lift, then the next day arms, etc. I'm unsure how much weight I should start out with -- like if I should start with as much as I can handle for a 30 minute duration or should I start smaller and work up to it. There's just a lot of information out there so I never really know where to start.
 
So if I want to start with the weight bench, I should consider alternating what I'm doing each day -- so maybe I would start with the leg lift, then the next day arms, etc. I'm unsure how much weight I should start out with -- like if I should start with as much as I can handle for a 30 minute duration or should I start smaller and work up to it. There's just a lot of information out there so I never really know where to start.

Yep, there is a TON of info out there. First, I'd say that if you have an interest in things like P90X, then go for it. Obviously, consult your doctor first, and all those good things, but getting into any exercise routine is a great thing.

If you're interested in lifting, then let me put on the loud, yelling musclehead voice...LIFT!! HARDER!!!!! No, no, I'm just kidding. Please don't do that. Honestly, I'd definitely suggest starting smaller. You're much better off doing a very light weight and seeing how it feels, and how you feel the next morning. It's much easier to ramp up the weight the next time vs. having to recover because you really over did it...or worse, hurt yourself. As you get into the routine and have done it several times, you'll get a feel for what you can and can't do. By then, you'll know your limits and how hard you can push. Plus, your body will start responding and getting better. If you haven't lifted in a long time, or ever, the first time or two or ten you'll feel like you can do more than you really should, so be cautious and feel it out. Yes, you should expect to have some soreness the next morning, but there's a big difference between mild soreness and outright pain. So start slow.

As for what to do, it depends on how much time you have. 3 days a week? 5 days? There are lots of simple basic workouts designed around your time constraints. The basic theory is yes, split up your body into parts. Only hit each part once per week, twice at the most. Start with simple exercises...squats, lunges, curls, triceps extensions, standing shoulder presses, bench press, fly, rows, etc...those types of things. Start slowly and build from there.
 
First off, congratulations Sabeking!

I haven’t read every post in this thread, but wanted to chime in on a couple of things.

In “switching up” what you do, I think it’s more about working different muscle groups each day (not just changing the order in which you do things). For example, work the legs one day, the upper body (shoulders and arms) the next, etc.. Also, supplementing what you do with different activities is helpful (I like weightlifting + cardo + gymnastics + yoga; okay, I CrossFit + do yoga. ).

In regards to drinking diet soda, IMHO, it’s a no-no. I used to drink about 1 (regular) sprite/week when we had popcorn. We changed to a zero-calorie, no-artificial sweetener carbonated water (Zevia) and love it! They have a cola flavor, which I have not tried, but I do like the cherry cola and the ginger root beer.

We changed our diet - reduced fat, reduced sugar, reduced grains - in September and I’m down 22 lbs., down 2 sizes and most importantly (for me), my cholesterol is down 50 points! (and I’m smack-dab in the middle of menopause).
 
Yep, there is a TON of info out there. First, I'd say that if you have an interest in things like P90X, then go for it. Obviously, consult your doctor first, and all those good things, but getting into any exercise routine is a great thing.

If you're interested in lifting, then let me put on the loud, yelling musclehead voice...LIFT!! HARDER!!!!! No, no, I'm just kidding. Please don't do that. Honestly, I'd definitely suggest starting smaller. You're much better off doing a very light weight and seeing how it feels, and how you feel the next morning. It's much easier to ramp up the weight the next time vs. having to recover because you really over did it...or worse, hurt yourself. As you get into the routine and have done it several times, you'll get a feel for what you can and can't do. By then, you'll know your limits and how hard you can push. Plus, your body will start responding and getting better. If you haven't lifted in a long time, or ever, the first time or two or ten you'll feel like you can do more than you really should, so be cautious and feel it out. Yes, you should expect to have some soreness the next morning, but there's a big difference between mild soreness and outright pain. So start slow.

As for what to do, it depends on how much time you have. 3 days a week? 5 days? There are lots of simple basic workouts designed around your time constraints. The basic theory is yes, split up your body into parts. Only hit each part once per week, twice at the most. Start with simple exercises...squats, lunges, curls, triceps extensions, standing shoulder presses, bench press, fly, rows, etc...those types of things. Start slowly and build from there.


Thank you, helpful information. To be realistic I'm going to start with 3 days per week. I think combined with everything else going on in life currently that will be something I can stick to. So I think my step 1 goal is to do the weights 3 days per week and reduce my sugar intake by 50%, then once I make that habitual work up from there. Thank you!
 
Yoga has been great if you have it morning and evening.
Yoga does more than burn calories and tone muscles. It's a total mind-body workout that combines strengthening and stretching poses with deep breathing and meditation or relaxation. There are more than 100 different forms of yoga.
One study found that restorative yoga was effective in helping overweight women to lose weight, including abdominal fat.
I suggest you have intense Yoga form a yoga burn DVD or have an online program.
 
Last edited:

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!











facebook twitter
Top