Bikram yoga and running on the treadmill.....become thin?

**belleisangelic** · 06-13-2010 03:10 PM

I had my very first Bikram yoga class today downtown and it was sooo amazing...at the end haha. All the women in the class were pencil thin with concave stomachs, sleek arms and collar bones and ribs to tap on..I was sooo intimidated. I've started a fitness and diet regimen that will consist of Bikram yoga 3 ( sunday, teusday, thursday) days a week and running on the treadmill 3 days a week ( monday, wednesday and friday) with saturday as a rest day.

I'm about 60 pounds overweight, I'm 5'9 and it is embarrassing...I can't even be intimate with my boyfriend. I've been Vegan for about 6 months, and I think I can contribute the weight gain to the increase of carbs and sugars. I know I need to get back into eating fresher fruits and vegetables, no more of that crappy processed vegan substitutes.

does this sound like a good exercise plan though?

**sourpuss** · 06-14-2010 06:55 AM

It sounds good. Be careful with Bikrams though. Be sure to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! It's easy to overdo it with that kind of yoga because it feels good at the time but a lot of people push themselves too hard. Make your treadmill days easy at first and be sure to stretch.
If you're going to have that much activity, in my opinion you shouldn't be vegan. Definitely cut out the vegan processed stuff and stick to fresh fruits, veggies and bean & rice. (beans and rice in combination make a complete protein that you'll need directly after working out.) If you're willing, just be vegetarian and add in cottage cheese and skim milk.

**elay210** · 08-17-2010 11:42 AM

I love Bikram, and the health benefits are pervasive across the board. But you will need to be extremely careful about hydration, drink an excess of gallon and half, at least. Also, you can still effectively get protein in a vegan diet but it requires an immense amount of time and energy. I was a vegan for 11 years and I gained almost 40 lbs from eating to much sugar and bread, I am much healhtier and happier and fit with a little animal product in my diet.

**J's** · 08-22-2010 08:14 PM

I have been vegan for more than ten years, and now that I am doing bikram as well as cardio - I have never felt better. You can easily get enough protien with your vegan diet - especially now - beans and rice, lentels, boca burgers, and I am a big fan of seitan - just not immediately before your workout. The practice you have in mind is one of the best - not just for you but also the environment and animals!