Hot Pants – Hot or Not??

The battle of the Bulge is something most of us are always fighting – and more often than not, losing! When I first read about the Zaggora Hotpants on a couple of blogs, I was sure this was a mere marketing gimmick. I discussed this with my favourite virtual ‘fitness pals’ and the general consensus was that nothing works but working out! Fair enough.

However, I still had that nagging doubt.. What If? What if the claims made by Zaggora were true? (Click here or on the Image to your left, to head over to their website). What if the ‘hot pants’ really worked?

I decided to give it a shot. I got in touch with the wonderful people at Zaggora, who immediately sent a pair of ‘Capri flares’, along with a personalised hand-written note from Ms.Lucy about how/when I could use the hotpants (which was practically any time!)

The very first time I worked out (treadmill) while wearing the Hotpants/Capri flares, I sweated so much that I needed to open out the windows on a cold January morning, to help me cool down. As I wore them more often, they got more comfortable. Two weeks down the line, I clearly felt some of the weight had fallen away. Unfortunately I hadn’t taken any measurements, so I couldn’t be specific.

Then I pencilled in lots of structured work-outs like Zumba fitness, and realised that wearing the Hotpants very clearly made me sweat much more than I normally would. I didn’t want the weight loss to be a ‘water loss’ trick. So I made sure I drank lots of water post work-outs.

And guess what? The Hotpants actually worked!!! Over the last two months, I have lost just over 6 lbs, and have nearly dropped a dress size. I don’t hide behind baggy jeans anymore!

The Hotpants do tend to make your skin sweat a little even when you are simply wearing them on and not actually working out. Unlike some other people, I don’t actually wear the hotpants all day, as I don’t find it comfortable that way. I absolutely ensure that I use them during my workouts (be it treadmill/stepper/Zumba/aerobics).

The only drawback with the hotpants is that they need to be hand-washed and dried atleast overnight! So you really can’t afford to be lazy. Unless ofcourse you have two pairs, then you can alternate using them.

Now, I am not sure if there are any side-effects. I have not noticed any till date, and I hope there aren’t any in the future either.

Needless to say, there is no substitute for working out! But I find that the Hotpants maximise the impact of the workout!

So it definitely is a Thumbs-Up from me!! If you are considering investing in a pair of Hotpants, I’d say ‘Go for it’!!! It makes a considerable difference to your weight-loss and fitness program. These Hotpants are definitely Hot.

Thank you Zaggora!! Here’s to many more such Hot inventions!!

(PS: I received a pair of Capri Flares from Zaggora for the purpose of this trial, no other consideration was received for this review. The review is entirely personal and not influenced by Zaggora in any way).

Lara ka Yoga!

(Ok, I don’t know if it is Lara KA Yoga, or Lara KI Yoga!)

First, it was Shilpa flaunting her huge.. er.. smile on everything, starting from Poppadums to Yoga Dvds. And now its our dear Lara Dutta.

Image via Wikipedia

I saw this link on FB, from Flipkart, that announced a new product – ‘H.E.A.L. With Lara Dutta – “Yoga: Recovery & Rejuvenation’.

Excellent venture. For the producers and Lara!

But what of the thousands of people (and here, I’m just being optimistic about the number not being in Lakhs!!) who will actually buy the DVD?

Thousands of people will believe they can actually learn yoga, and achieve ‘inner peace’ by copying Lara!

Thousands will imagine they too, will turn ultra-slim and glamorous, only by practising Yoga from a DVD!

And thousands more will be happy to flaunt that they too, belong to the elite group of people who do Yoga for well-being.

Honestly, people, do we really believe it is safe to learn yoga from a DVD?

Here is something very basic about Yoga. Yoga is not just about postures, it is about breating too. And the technique you adopt has to be absolutely correct.

Image courtesy - Google, link to original image

The wrong technique could lead to injuries of any sort. It could even render the entire exercise useless!!

Image courtesy: comfortinstylemag dot com

• If we really do want to achieve inner calm, let’s spend some time in silence!!
• If we desire happiness and a sense of purpose in life, let us spend time with the less fortunate – we will not only help them, but will also automatically realise how much we ‘have’ as compared to what we hanker after!!
• If we want to look thin and glamorous, then let’s eat sensibly and work-out every day, rather than buy a ‘Heal with Lara’ Dvd!

Well, the only ray of light in this sort of a money-making venture is that the common man/woman may not find the sight of a Baba Ramdev visually appealing (!!!), but might just be tempted to have a taster of ‘Yoga’ just because a filmstar endorses it!

Having said that, it seems ridiculous for people to try and learn Yoga from a DVD.

It is like reading a book or watching a DVD on ‘How to Swim’ and jumping straight into the ocean!!!

What do you think, ladies and gentlemen? Do share!