We sometimes question whether we should talk about the physical changes we’ve experienced from our Yoga and Pilates practice. Whether we should share our experiences or not. The thing is we get this question all the time: can you lose weight doing yoga and pilates? So it’s probably best we answer it!
We want to tell you EVERYTHING about our Yoga and Pilates body transformations with zero shame because we are proud of ourselves. But most importantly the transformations go far beyond the physical body. And this is what we are most proud of.
When we surveyed 700 Aussie women, 99% said they want to change something about their bodies. Which means there are many women searching for services, content and products that might physically change their body.
But usually, these website, services, content and products use shame to market their products and often they are not sustainable or positive ways to make changes. They’re all about the weight loss goal, the body fat percentage, the body composition, oh and don’t forget the calorie burn.
They usually don’t make you feel great.
There are a billion and one ways to move and exercise your body. BUT the most important thing to look at is your intention behind these actions and the HOW you go about it.
Because let’s all agree that slim shakes, fad diets and crazy boot camps aren’t sustainable ways to live.
The reason why our Yoga and Pilates transformations were so life-changing was that we did them from a place of self-respect, self-acceptance and a place of love. This is why we created MerryBody.
We also changed our motivation. Instead of moving our bodies to lose weight we aligned the practice with bigger and more important values. Like creating joy and more energy. Feeling vibrant. Feeling happy.
We did lose weight with Yoga and Pilates (about 8 kgs each) but we also welcomed in so much more goodness to our lives!
Because you can use Yoga and Pilates to lose weight but we always say, why limit the changes?!
Yes, you can use Yoga and Pilates to lose weight but also you’ll…
Feel more love, appreciation and gratitude for your body.
And you know what, you can do all this with Yoga and Pilates right NOW with no weight loss! But if you consistently practise and you need to lose weight you naturally will… in a very healthy, safe and sustainable way while also building your self-love.
Before we consistently practised Yoga and Pilates, we’ve both had body transformations in the past…
We both lost a stack of weight by doing an hour of high intensity cardio and an hour of heavy weights every day and eating a 1200 calorie restricted diet.
We lost weight fast.
We also lost our periods and all our energy.
Even though we had the ‘perfect bodies’ we felt like absolute crap and lived in fear of putting on any weight. We never did anything and never went out for meals because we were too scared and anxious to go off our diets.
We had the ‘dream bodies’ but our lives were awful!
We were sad, we were angry and it took years to get our hormones balanced and periods back. DO NOT DO THIS!
With Yoga and Pilates, there is a deep connection to breath and presence. Through every single movement, you are fully present and you take note of your body. You begin to appreciate your body as you move and progress with your poses, strength and flexibility.
Add in a daily (or weekly or however many times per week that is doable for you) Yoga and Pilates practice and you will transform your body and mind. You will gain awareness of your amazing body, you will appreciate it for everything it does for you!
You can use Yoga and Pilates to lose weight but it’s done in a loving way. It may take longer to see results but the results will come and they will last!
Although we’ve done Yoga and Pilates on and off for many years (Emma started at home Pilates when she was just 14 and we both did Yoga with Mum growing up!).
We’ve been practising consistently now for over 3 years, teaching for 2 years and during this time we both have lost weight, built strength, we are way more flexible (the actual best feeling) and we feel BETTER than ever!
Decrease stress levels, decrease cortisol levels, balance hormones.
We don’t need scientific proof to tell you that Yoga is linked to reducing stress! All you need is 20-30 minutes of Yoga and you will feel like a different human!
You could go into your class feeling stressed, anxious and on edge and we guarantee you will finish feeling more calm, uplifted, grounded and content (this is magic!). Yoga makes life more joy-filled!
But in this article, they actually talk about a study proving that Yoga reduces stress and cortisol levels in the body.
Also… talking weight again.
High cortisol leads to weight gain and a whole bunch of other health issues. If Yoga helps to reduce this, boom.
Yoga makes us happier, more kind, more patient, more loving. Our practice helps us see the world with brighter eyes. Everything just seems more WONDER filled.
We wholeheartedly believe that Yoga makes life better!
Add more years to your life and FEEL more able in older years!
Have you heard of the saying move it or lose it? This is a real life thing and we’ve experienced it!
We’ve always been avid exercisers BUT for one random year we both stopped moving and what happened? We LOST muscle and strength, we decreased our flexibility and increased our stiffness and discomfort in joints. We also put on weight.
If we continue to do this in our later years it can cause issues. Extra weight puts way more pressure on our vital organs and if we continue to lose muscle as we age, life becomes harder than it has to.
We’ve personally seen this with our Grandparents who can no longer get up and down from their chairs without help. They did barely any exercise as they got older, it’s very sad to watch, but GREAT motivation to not follow in their footsteps.
Us humans are meant to move! And it’s never too late to start.
Sedentary living is on the rise because we sit at office desks, we drive or commute to work, we sit and watch TV. Not only does this lifestyle help us gain weight, but it also promotes low moods and irritability.
This is why we need to schedule in exercise time. This is why we love Yoga and Pilates! Because it’s a method of movement you can do forever. It’s a low impact workout that simply makes you feel good.
Our Mum who is 60, swears by Yoga and Pilates exercises. She does MerryBody Yoga and Pilates workouts every single day.
If you find yourself in a position where you’ve been told some medical advice diagnosis and the way to solve it is with more exercise, we hope you’re feeling inspired to begin! And yes, you can use Pilates and Yoga for weight loss, but we find focusing on all the other amazing benefits leads to a far more joy filled experience.
We’re so grateful that we discovered Yoga and Pilates. We’re so grateful to be able to share it with you.
If you’d like to begin (or continue) your Yoga and Pilates journey, join the MerryBody Online Studio.
Not only will you experience the magic of Yoga and Pilates but when you join MerryBody you decide to practise with a self-respecting intention.
Gain instant, unlimited 24/7 access to an entire library of Yoga and Pilates classes that you can go back to again and again. NEW classes added each and every week. How amazing that you’ll be able to access Yoga, Pilates and Meditations wherever you are and whenever you want!
You’ll also be part of a supportive community with us, your Pilates and Yoga teachers guiding you and always available to help with modifications and answer any questions.
If you have any questions now, please get in touch with us. We personally get back to each and every email.
Always merrymaking
Emma + Carla