Frequently asked questions

1.) How'd you lose so much weight?

I lost something like 80 pounds in 8 or nine months and it all happened when I started eating like Dr. John McDougall and Dr. Dean Ornish said: low-fat, low-sugar and vegan. (Ornish allows some fat-free dairy, actually, but I rarely had it.) I also began running and while I ran a LOT, it is not necessary to do so much, as Ornish's research shows. I just happened to be athletic and loved running from my high school and college days and found great solace in the solitude of running. Even now, I find myself repeating my meditation mantra while running and totally zen out, but if you aren't one of those, running or brisk walking 30 minutes three or four days a week is a nice amount.

Yes. I love my doctor and if you have a bad one, get a new one. My doctor believes in good nutrition and sound advice. I

It can, but I would recommend a brisker exercise like jogging, brisk walking, bicycling or swimming. Weight-bearing exercise is very good for women for combatting osteoporosis, so light jogging can be a really nice thing to help you get in shape. You might tell me your knees can take it or this or that. But at the same time your arteries HAVE been able to take loads of fat. I'm amazed how cautious people are with their bodies when it comes to exercise compared to their diets or vices like drinking.

So, my advice is to use Hatha yoga for stress management, flexibility, to keep the spine in good health, to maintain good concentration, a sharp mind, to build strength, balance and coordination and to assist with better breathing and relaxation, but let another exercise be your cardio workout.

My journey from outside, in

Click the link below to read the story, which was basically a series of online posts I made at the time to Vegsource.com. I had no idea they would be later compiled into this page and used for this purpose, but the results inspired others, so alas, there it stayed and here it is in case you get something from that too.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/stars/kelly_mcdougall.html

It gives me a smile that the sound of "ji" is one that is revered in Sanskrit. We call our favorite swamis "Swamiji" and my own guru, "Guruji."

For a several month journey in my life, I was known simply on the vegetarian internet board as "KellyG."

This story really started when me more than 10 years ago -- smoking nearly two packs a day, seriously overweight and stressed out, working in a busy newsroom in management. I started yoga, quit smoking and started eating vegetarian, after having my second child and dealing with a litany of personal issues including issues with alcohol, sexuality and depression.

The journey that is  yoga brought me to a place where I realized this shell we call a body is merely a vehicle for the divine and my obsessions of what needed repairing were best spent on the inside. For the outside, I ran, did triathlon and enjoyed paddling my kayak.

But, the bulk of my work remains inward and there's a long way to still go. This is where the real work of yoga belongs and where I hope your own journey continues to take you.