To ask if anyone has changed their body shape with pilates or yoga?

[gardenangels]

Loosing weight and keen to find exercises that won't bulk me up

The reduction in food intake might be the issue, actually? Maybe try increasing your food intake, but making sure you're eating more good stuff.

Oh and I wouldn't worry too much about the scales either

PT is waffling about macros. I'm doing walking & swimming on non gym days and definitely making an effort to 'eat clean', but I am getting dispirited. I'm 5'6" and bang on 10 stone. 10 stone seems a lot? Perhaps I am being unrealistic!

Macro counting is very big in the weight lifting world. It ensure you are getting the right amount of carbs, fat and protein to assist muscle building while losing fat.

'Eating clean' actually means nothing and doesn't ensure fat loss.

Well...I'm obviously doing something wrong if people are seeing marked results in 12 weeks. When I say 'eating clean' I basically mean cutting out all the shite I was previously eating :D

I kinda thought maybe 3 months was too soon and perhaps I was being impatient.

When you 'eat clean' you could be over eating or even under eating.

When I started weights I felt like crap, logged my food on my fitness pal and it turned out I was eating only 800kcals a day.

Both are as bad. Do you track what you eat at all?

Some people can lose weight no problem.

Agree with focusing on eating enough of the right food, rather than worrying about weight loss.

Also agree with not looking at the scales - muscle weighs more than fat so at first, getting back into training always makes me put weight ON but it all sorts itself out in the end :)

Otoh, if you're a bit worried that your PT isn't helping and you're not getting the results you want you could put up what you eat/ your training people here might be able to give you some helpful feedback?

I'd bear in mind that everyone is different and different things work for different people tho, so sometimes other people's opinions are just that rather than helpful.

You say your pt 'waffles' have you tried it?

Why are you reluctant to listen to your pt when it comes to food?

10 stone is not a lot for 5ft 6, esp if you are gaining muscle.

Have you taken measurements?

When I say 'Waffling' I mean I spoke to him about my concerns and he said we will look at them in our next session. Sorry, that sounded disrespectful. I really like him - he has me doing a range of free weights, machines and body weightcstuff thatcI find deeply unpleasant, so gotta be right, surely

I log my intake with honesty on mfp and am at around 1200 cals per day.

PT took measurements a few weeks back but I can't remember what they were, however...the boobs are disappearing! A good 3 cup sizes gone I reckon

Great thread. Very inspiring! After whacking on the weight with dc3 I've done 30 day shred back to back and lost over 2 stone. I only use a 3kg weight. I'm not sure I could cope with more? I didn't think I was particularly weak?! What should I be lifting for the strength excercises and do any of you rate the shred? (I've just moved onto ripped).

Must add I've never felt so fit or full of energy despite being nearly 40, having 3dcs under 5 (including a 4 month old).

3 kg might be all you can manage now, but if you start a proper weights programme you'll soon build up.

I think the best thing to do is buy a book and do the programme they suggest - lift like a man, look like a goddess looked alright to me

Jackshit sympathy on the disappearing boobs ... Sadly when the fat goes, it doesn't necessarily go from the places you'd prioritise given the choice! Sounds like you're making big changes tho - good on ya!

Metafit and conditioning training has definitely made a difference to my problem areas. The main thing is having a good instructor

I've been doing the Strong Curves program and it's amazing! I am developing a waist and a butt and even though my weight has stayed the same I look so much leaner.

The good at maths thing is a cod psychology sexist red herring ... Lots of big, bulky testosterone rich men who quite literally will never be rocket scientists. The two most testosterone receptive women I know are drama/media types: I know many willowy/slight scientists and mathematicians (because close attention to detail, patience and rule awareness are the very opposite, and are the 'other way in' to excellence with logic/problem solving).

I fit all the markers for being "bulky" and have a 25 inch waist and twig arms although I'm strong.

My tip would be intensive, decent, mid-paced swimming - if you're good at a range of strokes. Never known anything like it for toning. Sea or wild swimming is toughest but us inaccessibility to many. I'm talking about swimming hard though, so you feel the heat and sweat even in the cool water, and varying the stroke: it's the ongoing resistance at different angles.
Mind you it ruins the hair a bit!

Quick point about yoga - a few people have mentioned Ashtanga Yoga as the most intensive/impactful style, but I would seriously disagree. Ashtanga is way more intensive than Hatha, because it involves constant moving between postures, so is more of a workout, but I got much stronger (and built muscle) doing Iyengar Yoga. That's the one where you have to maintain very precise postures really exactly and still for minutes. It uses body weight and balance and when I started it hurt like hell and made me sweat buckets! That said, I can't find an Iyengar class in my current area, so it has to be weights for me.

...oh and the only time I've ever injured myself by pushing myself too far was holding an ambitious pose too long in yoga. Social activity my arse. Going in with that attitude got me injured.

That said it will tone and neaten what exists rather than changing anything. There has to be other stuff be it weights or whatever.
And go for trad/slow forms, or a dance warm up (some studios offer them) - essentially what's harder, 5 press ups in a hot room or a 10 minute plank?

Liska cross posts. YY.

I'm 47 and do a combination of weights at home and HIITs, mainly Joe Wicks the body coach who is great, and Emily Skye whose videos you can save on Facebook. She's slower paced but great technique.

I can honestly say I look f***g fabulous, though I'm not posting a pic as I'm now sitting in bed in my jamas and I can't be arsed to put my fitness gear back on. I'm a powerfully built woman, tall and quite muscular, though I carry fat on my arse and thighs so am constantly trying to deal with that and the pp is right about squats. Even if you can build up to 100 squats a day as a start you will see a difference. 5 sets of 20 squats would take 5 mins in the lunch hour. God I sound insane.

I did the bodycoach kettle bell workout earlier. It's free from YouTube. Do something every day, eat plenty, drink lots of water, give up booze if you like (I have, loads more energy, feel great).

IMO Pilates will do bugger all.

Mixing up your exercises is the way to change your body shape! Boot camp, HIIT, tabata style, spinning, weight lifting etc.

I do lots of weight lifting and have big arms, a very pert bum achieved with squats and I have almost eliminated my cellulite. I only started gym going in the autumn. I've done it to fix several injuries and issues I had and its worked, largely. I'm very strong.
3-5kg hand weights are light; I'm not enormous but I use 8-10kg and can clean and jerk about 40kg.

I really like to eat though, so my next task is to stop eating so much junk and carry on eating my normal dinners! I think I need some advice, as Myfitnesspal hasn't worked for me...

Thanks for all the information absolutely brilliant.

Would anyone be able to point me in the right direction for a good HIT programme and a goods weights schedule. I would prefer to do in the gym if possible.

My gym also has loads of classes so class suggestions would be brilliant too. I really want to dramatically change my fitness and body shape and feeling very motivated .

Google The Body Coach
His YouTube channel has brilliant HIIT videos which are mostly own body weight.

And also Google Christine Salas. She uses a mix of own body weight and actual weights. You can buy the weights from sports direct or any sports shop for a few quid

Both do the videos with you so they get out of breath as you do, and you can see what you should be doing. They don't have any music so you can play some if you think you need it to help keep you going.

Between them, you'll have all the workouts you'll need. They are ace

Start with this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q20pLhdoEoY
and this is his YouTube channel
https://m.youtube.com/user/thebodycoach1

And this is Christine Salus:
https://m.youtube.com/user/ChristineSalus

this is my favourite of her workouts:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLDZyLIuGoSHy_kRxHDvDJtvLqwduaOLas&v=a-8tlRLvww8