Hot Yoga Challenge Starts Today

I signed up for a challenge at the yoga studio - 5 classes a week for a month - can't miss one. Why? The prize is 2 months free membership.... not a bad deal. The only hitch, the most I've done is 4 in a week and was so wiped I couldn't do more then 3 easier classes the next.

Since the pounds aren't coming off I have to focus on the other benefits as the goal. Focus on the increase in flexibility, strength, and energy. If I don't ignore the scale I'd quit. It's been almost 3 months of hot yoga and I weigh the same ... most sane people would have tried something else by now.

Hot Yoga must be the latest in pick up joints. I'm surrounded by both male and female 20 somethings strutting their stuff, especially in the evening classes. I am the token fat lady that most take pity on and keep encouraging me to keep going. This in itself is enough to make me want to head home after hitting the grocery store for junk food and sweet desserts from the bakery section. But I don't, I keep at it and try to ignore the young girls all around me with their toned bodies.

I am getting stronger, I managed to briefly hold a plank pose a number of times and get my hips up for a side plank.... This is new for me and quite the feat. If the doctor thinks I'm not lifting weights doing this he should try to hold up my weight in a pose or two. So although the scale remains the same and my pants aren't looser in the waist I keep going. I've measured the different areas of my body so that I can compare inches lost in lieu of pounds, since the pounds want to hang on. So hopefully the inches will start to decrease.

I know the doctor said that yoga wasn't going to help me loose weight and that I needed to join a gym instead but I already sign up for the challenge. Am I going to be able to handle adding cardio and strength training to the hot yoga challenge?

I'm still amazed at how much the heat takes out of me. How much the heat drains my energy and leaves me wiped.