Pilates No Good For Weight Loss

how can you tell, pilates aren't good for loosing wieght? did you ever tried it? i did and it works. i've lost almost 50 lbs just with pilates so i know for a fact that they work!!

I would just like to thank Barbie for her comment. This gives me a little more hope.

I do not have to lose a lot of weight, but I bought a pilates tape and mat etc. in the hopes of being able to do some exercise at home in privacy not only for my own esteem, but to save money on a gym pass. When I read that it does not help lose weight, I was upset and wondering if I am wasting my time with trying this method of exercise not only for sculpting but loss.

The fact that someone has lost 50 pounds with pilates, shows that exercise is exercise and if you persue a healthier state for your body and mind, it will physically show!

Thank you so much for the added encouragement!

I have just started using Pilates last week, and I already feel so much better. It is a great workout, and although it can be challenging, it is worth it. My friend recommended Pilates to me after she had dropped 2 pant sizes from the workout.

i just had a baby 6 months ago, and i lost 10 pounds from pilates in 1 month.

I've been doing pilates for about a year now but I started it up again because I am home for the summer from college, I have lost 8lbs so far in about a month from doing it only 3 times a week. It is very low impact and I've seen great results in the slimming of my thighs, waist line and arms. Granted I just wanted to work out a little bit and not so much loose weight, but I still lost weight doing it. I say it definately works and everyone should try it out even if its just for a few weeks.

There's an inherent flaw in this study. There's a reason why weight training and cardio is more effective than just cardio. When you do cardio, you can burn a large amount of calories in a short amount of time. However, it only elevates your metabolism for about 30 minutes after the workout. On the other hand, weight training doesn't burn quite as many calories during the workout, but it raises your metabolism for 17 hours. Plus, the addition of lean mass will boost metabolism. Also, every pound of lean mass that's built sucks out 3000 calories from your body that won't be stored as fat.

I just started doing Pilates. I am curious what videos have been helpful to those who have lost weight doing Pilates. Please let me know!

I started doing pilates and a diet and i lost 31lbs in like 2 1/2 months. Mari Winsor and Suhaila Salimpour pilates.

I have been 50 pounds over weight for almost 12 years now. I gained weight during my pregnancy with my twins. They will be 12 in two weeks. I have tried countless diets. Nothing has worked. I started doing the Windsor Pilates Circle Workout just over a month ago and it is like a miracle. I am actually losing weight. My clothes are beginning to fall off. Please don't believe the study, Pilates exercize really does work!

Maria, any activity, even gardening, can make a person who was totally sedentary lose weight, if they keep eating the same amount of calories as they were before. That doesn't mean gardening or Pilates will "sculpt your body slim". If you enjoy the exercise, keep doing it, but don't expect it to make you look like a dancer with no other exercise or diet involved, that is the point of the study.

I have some questions about pilates and found this site,Barbie's comment caught my eye because I need to lose quite a bit of weight and was wondering if a Pilates starter kit and video would be a good option. I am pretty out of shape so I need something low impact and "beginner" type. Any feedback on starting a Pilate regime at home?

I purchased a mat and beginners dvd at Meijer for Pilates Floor Mat, and boy 20 minutes afterwards (now) I am felling great. My core muscles are still feeling the burn.

The exercises are fairly simple and are modified if not. I honestly didn't break a sweat, grant it, today was my first time but we'll see how crazy it gets from here. But it is worth it.

No sweating, I love not sweating and yet feeling the burn as if I did 200 situps. Im an athletic girl so the fact that the 20 minutes work out has me feeling like this is exciting.

Icanhelpyoumove@aol.com is my email if you have any questions about it, although I don't know much beyond basic faq.

Steph

Hi everyone,
I love Pilates, i own Windsor Pilates cirlce workout plus all the other dvds that came with it. I hadn't done it in a few months then lastnight i decided to try it again and "WOW" i feel it hugely this morning, i actually felt smaller or toner or something lastnight right after my workout(lol) i did the 20 minute circle workout then the 20 minute bun and thigh workout. I love the others aswell.
Anyways, i'm 185lbs, 5'7 and want to be about 140 lbs, i have already lost over 100 lbs (yikes, i know) when i was pregnant with my daughter in 1999 i gained alot of weight, it's taken me almost 7 years ( my daughter will be 7 in January- i'll be 26 on March 6th) to get rid of it all (but it's cause i went into severe deppression and didn't work that hard for a while after) so i gues it's taken me the lst 4 years to get all my weight off, and still have more to go. If anyone wants to email me and be support for eachother, i would love that. I'm from BC Canada and enjoy lot's of things in life.
email me at: wildsassysue@yahoo.ca

hugs and good luck everyone.
Suzanne
xxoo

Pilates was not originally developed for dancers. It was
created by Joseph Pilates for bedridden, wounded, WWI soldiers so that their muscles would not atrophy. It is an excellent way to boost your metabolism (and lose weight as long as you eat sensibly).

So let me see if i'm getting this straight. Is everyone agreeing that pilates and cardio together is the best option. I'm trying to get back in shape and have been researching pilates and so far it sounds good. Any opinions on weight training and pilates??

PJ - weight training and cardio is the best option for losing weight and keeping it off (see Ryan's post above). Pilates is a great complement to weight training because it helps to strengthen your back and prevent injury.

Thanks RedPanda. Anyone have any suggestions/workouts that incorporate weights, cardio and pilates??

PJ, I'd say alternating days would be your best bet there. Like doing cardio on M,W, weights on T,T, and Pilates on F.

I have been doing Winsor pilates for 5.5 weeks (6 weeks on Monday) and I have been dieting - sensibly, not cutting calories drastically. I am not doing any cardio activity whatsoever. I started the 20 min workout (which is more like 10 min since there are instructions) and gradually moved to doing about 50 min 6 times per week. I have lost 10 pounds and more importantly, I have lost 5 inches off my waist in the 5.5 weeks! I had a c section 3 years ago in a foreign country and they cut an upside down T in my abs - later I had a second surgery in the US to remove a massive fibroid (which was the reason for my c-section). I had one of those bellies that made people assume I was pregnant (annoying). Anyway, I would like to lose a few more pounds, but my stomach is almost completely flat - flatter than before I was pregnant. The point is I am doing this without any cardio activity. I am not significantly overweight (I am two pounds shy of a "healthy" bmi at this point) but through pilates and moderate dieting I was able to lose 10 pounds in just over a month. Hope this helps!

I have just bought a Yogalates DVD and have done it a couple of times over the weekend. Do I still need to use weights or does this form of excercise cover this?

Elaine, any sort of exercise without weights, be it yoga, pilates, yogalates, or even just squatting etc. with your own body's weight will cover it at first. As long as it is making you sore afterwards, it covers it. When the time comes that you sweat/find it hard to keep talking during the exercise, but afterwards, feel no muscle soreness, it is not covering it anymore and you need weights to keep getting the same benefits you got in the beginning.

I was reading all of these comments because I'm also doing pilates. I used to do it all the time and it was working in terms of toning, but then I stopped and got lazy and everything. I've just started it again and I'm really hoping that it works and based on everyones comments, it seems like it will. But what I was wondering is if anyone knows of ways to lose that inner thigh fat/weight and also lovehandles. I really don't know what types of exercises to do in order to get rid of that.

I just purchased the Winsor Pilates series for me and my fiance to use. If anyone out there is considering this program as a couple to use, I would strongly recommend you do not. The program comes only with one ball. If you want two, (two people working out at the same time), you have to purchase a duplicate program. We were misinformed by customer service and told we could purchase another ball. You CANNOT! Also, the main website for customer care is conveniently not working for Winsor Pilates. Very disappointed! If I met Mari Winsor, I would give her my two sense...which she would probably charge to receive!!

There seems to be some confusion about there about whether cardio and weights should or should not both be used to get in better shape. Let me provide some truths. For those obsessing about the number on the scale...please don't. Everyone has there set body weight. However, a caviat to that statement is that people who have more muscle mass weigh more because muscle does weigh more than fatty tissue.

Let me comment on three areas: Weight training, cardio, and pliometrics (pilates like exercises). Weight training is important to obtain muscle tone to support your skeletal structure. Cardio will aid in increased circulation in your body as well as the calorie burnoff benefit. Pliometrics, or using your own body weight to develop and tone your body is a great supplement also.

As an example, you can work out your abs and obliques all day long and they may strengthen, but if you don't do any cardio to burn off the fatty tissue layer covering it up, you will never see results. Pilates is an example of a great exercise because it tones muscle. Often peoples bodies that need sculpting or feel they need to lose weight, do not, but need to tone their muscles. With all due respect to the people who do 2 hours of cardio in one workout, and do no weights, shame on you. Because while you are burning calories, you are not also toning your muscles. They work in concern with one another.

So, I would agree with several posters about pilates being great for core toning, but not losing weight. One has nothing to do with the other. I know plenty of men and women who are big boned and rock solid, but might be concerned about their weight. That is the weight, there bodies were intended to carry....so focus on being fit and firm, help your heart out with cardio, and love yourself!

Megan, there is no exercise that can make you lose the fat from specific areas, like RG said. To lose fat, you have to change your diet and do exercise in general - cardio, weight training, whatever it is. The only thing invented that can get rid of fat just from the places where we want the fat to disappear is cosmetic surgery.

Although I just started pilates, I have been doing weight training and cardio for a while. There seem to be a few people here saying that pilates won't help you lose weight - it will only help strengthen your core muscles. In truth, though, while it may not burn off as many calories as cardio while you are doing it, strengthening your muscles will make your body keep burning calories far after your workout. So, combined with some cardio, pilates should really be a good way to lose weight.

yea vicki, but when she lost the two pant sizes did she have to diet too?

Vicki said:
I have just started using Pilates last week, and I already feel so much better. It is a great workout, and although it can be challenging, it is worth it. My friend recommended Pilates to me after she had dropped 2 pant sizes from the workout.[...]

Thank you troubled. I feel the same way. So far I have been doing the Winsor pilates for abs for about a week and i'm not feeling anything. Do you have to do it longer to get results? Do you have to diet? I don't know. Please answer my questions someone! I"m in serious need of help!

Jan - Did you diet then too? I've also been trying to loose weight off my tummy mostly, and it's not "melting off" like the movies said it would. I don't over eat, but do you think I should diet? Please let me know! Thanks,
Liv

Jan said:
Maria, any activity, even gardening, can make a person who was totally sedentary lose weight, if they keep eating the same amount of calories as they were before. That doesn't mean gardening or Pilates will "sculpt your body slim". If you enjoy the exercise, keep doing it, but don't expect it to make you look like a dancer with no other exercise or[...]

I've been doing one pilates class weekly, taking very long walks, using weight machines at the gym and doing cardio, and I'm really happy with the results.

I'm not losing many pounds but I'm losing a lot of inches and getting some nice muscle tone.

I think pilates is a very helpful component of my workout but I wouldn't make it my only exercise.

SORRY! THAT WAS SUPPPOSED TO GO TO MARIA. OOPS! (lol)
Sorry again!

Maria said:
I have been 50 pounds over weight for almost 12 years now. I gained weight during my pregnancy with my twins. They will be 12 in two weeks. I have tried countless diets. Nothing has worked. I started doing the Windsor Pilates Circle Workout just over a month ago and it is like a miracle. I am actually losing weight. My clothes are beginning to fall[...]

Mlsky - are you dieting?

Ok, here's my problem. I have tummy fat that I don't need (duh lol) and I'm trying to get it off, except everything I try isn't working. I've been doing a cardio work out for an hour and a half mon-fri, and pilates (for the abs) whenever I can, but I'm not seeing any results. My goal isn't to loose weight, it's to loose inches. Can someone please tell me what i'm doing wrong?

Sarah, assuming your diet isn't bad, I'm gonna say your problem is you are too fit for Pilates to really work for you. Try weight training for the whole body, either all muscle groups once a week, or split into 2 or 3 days, and you'll see results.

Sarah, are you doing pilates on your own or have you tried a class or a trainer? I've found that having an instructor show you the proper way to perform the pilates exercises is important, even if it's just for a couple of sessions.

Well i bought the pilates circle work out and for the first week i felt the burn and all that. buts its been almost a month and havent really seen any HUGE improvements. So this week i have been doing the FIRM work out. Which is intense cardio with weights incorported. i feel as if this is benefiting me more. When i get down to my target weight i will use pilates. because i believe it does have some benefits. the days that i dont feel like doing a vigorous 55 minute firm work out.. i'll do pilates. BUt i would like some advice. What is ur eating plan like? im very tempted by food. and would like some healthy eating tips. what worked for u? food wise?

After doing pilates for about three weeks many people , even my own brother how fit i looked. My abs got so fit and my posture so good. Also my arms, legs, and butt too.

Don't liste to this study!

Thanks for the hope ladies. I just purchased the pilates zone system I have been seeing on TV lately and it looks so effective, im excited on starting it. I understand that to loose wieght you also have to eat right but I don't understand this article. Pilates has been around for over 100 years and has worked for so many people even celebrities! Im going to trust my gut feeling and try pilates!

Pilates was not originally developed for Dancers ~ it was developed to strengthen Pilates' own body and then derived in to care for bed ridden patients. This article is not true and this goes to show that you should not believe everything you read on the internet!
I am a Degreed Dancer and 8 yr Pilates Certified Teacher ~ I SEE AMAZING RESULTS WITH WEIGHT LOSS AND STRENGTH USING THE PILATES METHOD WITH MY CLIENTS!

I purchased the Pilates Circle set after seeing it on an infomercial and there were claims of dropping 1 dress size in 10 days or something like that. I do 30-40 minutes of cardio about 3 times a week. I have a healthy diet and I am not overweight (my BMI is in a healthy range) but I have some belly fat and love handles, so I mainly want to tone my abs/obliques. The workout video seems VERY easy for me- I don't break a sweat and I haven't noticed much difference in my body. I'm getting frustrated that nothing is working. I think I might add the Pilates circle to another workout video that I have where I actually feel a burn? Does anyone have any suggestions? Has anyone ever broken the circle from pushing too hard? (I'm not saying I'm that stong, but it seems a bit flimsy).