Yoga and Weight loss?

[Sare-Bear]

Hi there beautiful people!

For the New Year, I've resolved to put a dent in the 70+ pounds I need to lose in order to take back control of my health. I hope that Yoga will help me get there. So, I was wondering if anyone has any stories, anecdotes, advice, or other thoughts related to yoga practice and weight loss?

Any inspiration would be helpful.

Namaste, and thank you.

[Sare-Bear]

Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. I have a cardio and strength training plan set forth, as well as a healthy food plan but I have trouble implementing these changes and healthy habits into my life. I'm hoping that consistent Yoga practice will strengthen my will power to commit to diet and exercise practices. Your story is such an inspiration. I can't believe you lost all that weight in 7 months! What a courageous and strong woman you are!

[Nona Jordan]

I agree with Ombites, Yoga probobly isn't enough in the weight loss phase. That being said, the mindful quality that is developed in Yoga can help you to eat when you are truly hungry, and stop when satisfied. I also agree that writing down what you eat is really, really important.

After I had my child, I needed to lose 20 pounds and did so through walking and running, writing down what I ate, focusing on whole foods, cutting out sugar and bread (but I ate lots of whole grains) and eating 8-10 servings of fruits and veggies per day. I already practiced Yoga every day, so no change there. :)

Good luck and I hope you will share your journey with us here~ how you find Yoga supporting your efforts to lose weight!

[Sare-Bear]

Thank you so much for the well wishes and support. Its so valuable to me, especially because I have only a very small support system from people i know outside these incredible online communities.

I appreciate your kind hearted energy in this conversation.

Namaste
Sare-Bear

[Sare-Bear]

Its always more fun to do anything with a friend and a community of support behind you. And I totally support you in losing weight and taking back your control over your own health.

Namaste
Sarah

[Kirsten]

I lost (and have kept off) 35 pounds in 2005/6, largely due to things similar to what has already been mentioned: walking 3 or 4 times a week for an hour at a time; cutting waaaaaay down on processed foods and sugars (especially high fructose corn syrup); eating lots of whole grains and veggies while going light on animal proteins; and watching portion sizes.

Eating highly portion-controlled meals was difficult at first because my stomach was used to getting all it wanted (and that amount had been steadily growing for some time), but if I walked away from both table and kitchen for twenty minutes and did something else (read, paid bills, cleaned the bathroom, etc.), it gave my body time to process the food and feel full. After a few weeks, I had to start setting the kitchen timer so that I'd remember to go back and clean up.

Yoga was integral to my weight loss as it's good mindfullness training and helps me significantly with keeping my depression under control (I overeat when depressed). And depending on what kinds of yoga you do, it can help with the physical side as well, building muscle tone, improving posture (which I've found helps my mood), and just generally giving me greater physical confidence.

Good luck!

[Gypsy Girl]

Well, you've already had such good advice, all of the above mentioned points are great and have worked for me. Health and nutrition are a big part of the yogi way of life.
It also helps to have a partner that wants to stay healthy and fit too. That way there is no junk food around at all. Preparing and sharing healthy meals can be a joy. My husband has more discipline than me, so he keeps me on my toes.

[Sare-Bear]

I have depression also, and tend to overeat (especially chocolate) in times of stress and duress. Walking away sounds like great advice. I think I'll give it a go. Thank you!

Sarah

[Kyrsten]

Hi Sarah, I hate to tell you, but I never lost any weight doing yoga until I started doing Ashtanga yoga. All of the forward bends and hip openers make you very conscious of every ounce of non-muscular materiel in your stomach, hips and thighs. I definitely became more aware of what I ate. I try to do smoothies and salads, although salads right before class are awful. I lost 20 pounds very dramatically when I started practicing Ashtanga 4 days a week and doing Vinyasa the other 2 days. Plus the jump throughs and jump backs in Ashtanga create a lot of muscle, so you burn more fat. It is hard to start a yoga practice at home, but I'm sure there are many Ashtanga DVDs out there and you can work at your own pace. Anyway, it dropped me from a 5'6" pretty comfortable 135-140 to a VERY comfortable 115-120. I don't do anything but practice Ashtanga. Walking would probably be beneficial though.

[Sare-Bear]

I'm still pretty unfamiliar with the different types of yoga but I can appreciate what you're saying about feeling every ounce of non-muscle. I have a very hard time with child's pose because of the excess weight around my belly. Every time I do child's pose and focus on ahimsa, I am reminded that I need to practice ahimsa towards my own body by filling it with good foods instead of "violent" ones. I only wish i could keep that in mind when its time to say no to the fatty foods I love.

[Smokey]

I just wanted to echo a lot of what has already been posted.

I lost roughly 40lbs about 6 years ago and have kept it off (save for my two pregnancies in the intervening years--but the weight came right off after both deliveries). I'll just say, WeightWatchers is how I lost the weight and, fundamentally, how I've kept it off. The "secrets" of WW are no different from what others have already posted. I just needed a structure to help me accomplish those secrets (portion control, food diary, making better food choices,, etc.). At the same time, I did it eating foods that I normally eat, so there was very little deprivation (well, ok, some, but...). I didn't rely on weird, processed foods that contain fake ingredients and I would normally otherwise never eat. I think that has helped a lot with the maintenance part of the program.

I think that yoga helps in the area of body awareness (as others have mentioned) as well as putting me in a good place mentally (which translates in the world of weight loss to less emotional eating and more eating for nourishment). While I think that yoga can help in your journey towards weight loss, you'll probably want to integrate other forms of exercise.

Good luck!

[Yogamum]

I have to second the idea that ashtanga yoga can be enough for a certain amount of weight loss. I lost about 20-25 pounds doing ashtanga only, early in my practice; this was practicing for 1.5 hours about 4 times a week. Since then I have had an injury that caused me to slow down and practice less, and I gained a little bit back. I do seem to have to incorporate some cardio at this point to keep my weight under control.

A book I would recommend is "What Are You Hungry For?" by Mary Taylor and Lynn Ginsburg. It's about mindful eating and is really complementary to yoga.

[Sare-Bear]

Ooo-la-la! i'm totally down to read a book on mindful eating. Thanks Yogamuj.

Hugs

Sarah