From your personal experience, is there any truth to 'weight loss' pilates?

[Sunnyday]

I have to agree, I don't lose weight with pilates alone and I love pilates. I would do it on rest days or combined with a short cardio w/o.

I can tell you I like the 10MS dvds, but wasn't thrilled with The Method pilates workouts. I do like Ana Caban's pilates workouts, one uses green weights and another, a ball.

[Jane P.]

I went to a Pilates studio once or twice a week for two years plus using dvd workouts at home and didn't lose any weight until I watched my food intake.

[carres1973]

I agree with the majority on this one. Unfortunately, I did not see any weight loss results from Pilates. Though, I did find it very relaxing and challenging at the same time...weird!

And to Taiga with the donut: that is HYSTERICAL! Unfortunately, the whole darn dozen seems to roll right over me and attach to my thighs, stomach, arms...

Carrie

[dnk]

I think Pilates can help you lose weight, but the catch is that you have to spend the entire workout truly connected. As in, you feel your intrinsic muscles tremble with even the smallest movement. Connection, in my experience, is more important than speed or the number of repetitions. That's hard to maintain for an entire 45- to 60-minute session. Even in private sessions, most people are going to want a little bit of a break.

I lost about ten pounds while I was in my certification program. The difference were the reformer sessions. Another woman in my program- who didn't have any weight to lose- lost about 7 pounds. Our trainer, who had been crazy busy before and had let her own practice slide for about four months, lost a crazy amount of weight. None of our eating intake changed significantly.

Deb

[PeakFitness]

My experience is no, it doesn't burn enough calories for weight loss, but it makes my abs strong like nothing else, which makes a difference in appearance after 2 kids. But weight loss, no.

[shicks]

I have dabbled with pilates and have a question for those of you that have been doing them regularly. If one was to do pilates plus cardio and watch intake would that be enough to keep the muscles pulled tight in the arms and legs as well as the abdomen? Is pilates enough??
Sherry

[dnk]

Sherry, assuming you're not just doing the abdominal series, yes, it should be. As long as you do it consistently and with a constant connection.

[ukjocilyn]

When I first started working out seriously about 4 years ago, I started with Ellen Barrett's Crunch workouts. I used Fat Burning Pilates and Burn & Firm Pilates with good results. I am not sure if you could call these pure Pilates workouts though.

[dnk]

Not an Ellen Barrett fan. I think she goes too fast, uses too many reps and her form is lacking, which is what Pilates is all about. But most of her workouts are Pilates-based, and I think it "counts"

Deb

[Eibhinn]

My cousin used to be a Stott certified pilates instructor (I guess she still is, just not teaching), and in her experience the answer was that pilates will change your body - and fast - but it doesn't make you lose weight. Part of the reason is that pilates develops lots of compact muscle, so if you are looking for quantitative weight loss, you certainly aren't going to find it. Although my cousin looked like she weighed in the 125-130 pound range, in reality she was so muscled that she was closer to 170 pounds. Even realizing how inconsequential the actual number is, she kept her body fat levels down by running and eating a healthy diet. She did drink more beer than one might expect from someone with a body like hers, and both the running and huge amount of muscle she was carrying probably helped counteract that. I think the short answer is that pilates is not enough on its own, but it will certainly enhance any weight loss results you gain from other methods, and make them look more dramatic by improving your muscle mass and the way you carry yourself.