Yoga for weightloss

HughesC82
HughesC82 Posts: 16 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Can you lose weight with yoga or is it more about toning?

Replies

  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    Yoga is for stretching. It won't burn a lot of calories, but it will help you stretch and feel more flexible. There is a spiritual aspect to it as well.

  • dotti1121
    dotti1121 Posts: 751 Member
    ^^^ True, but the more overweight you are, any new efforts can show considerable gains...
  • carmkizzle
    carmkizzle Posts: 211 Member
    Not unless it's creating a caloric deficit.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Nominal effect on weight loss. I do yoga for a general sense of well-being, flexibility, agility, and injury prevention. All activity is beneficial for health, if you've been doing nothing before.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    No yoga is not for weight loss.

    Weight loss- calorie deficit

    If I did 6 hours of yoga per day but still ate at a surplus then I would still gain weight.
    Weight loss comes down to calories.
  • dotti1121
    dotti1121 Posts: 751 Member
    I guess I didn't elaborate enough...The bigger you are, and the more sedentary you are used to being, even yoga can burn some calories...
  • whit37k
    whit37k Posts: 22 Member
    There are many studios that now offer a "sculpt" version of yoga with weights, which can help more than traditional yoga with weight loss/toning. However, you do lose a lot of the spiritual aspect of it.
  • lcuconley
    lcuconley Posts: 734 Member
    There is definitely an aerobic component and a strength component to most of the yoga classes I do. While it's not going to contribute a huge amount to calorie burn, there is also a focus on "mindfulness" that may help one focus on your goals.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    The problem is that sometimes newcomers don't yet understand that weight loss comes down to a calorie deficit.
    They think if they go for a walk or begin yoga that they will suddenly start losing. Yes any activity will burn a few calories but anyone who is really concerned with losing weight should know about a calorie deficit. I could go teach 10 yoga classes today but still wouldn't lose any weight until I was at a calorie deficit. Just because someone does an activity doesn't guarantee a calorie deficit.
  • lcuconley
    lcuconley Posts: 734 Member
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    No yoga is not for weight loss.

    Weight loss- calorie deficit

    If I did 6 hours of yoga per day but still ate at a surplus then I would still gain weight.
    Weight loss comes down to calories.

    However, if I had a 500 calorie deficit with or without yoga, one would be in a better position doing the yoga and having another apple!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    The problem is that sometimes newcomers don't yet understand that weight loss comes down to a calorie deficit.
    They think if they go for a walk or begin yoga that they will suddenly start losing. Yes any activity will burn a few calories but anyone who is really concerned with losing weight should know about a calorie deficit. I could go teach 10 yoga classes today but still wouldn't lose any weight until I was at a calorie deficit. Just because someone does an activity doesn't guarantee a calorie deficit.

    My goal weight is the weight I was when I was a full time yoga teacher. I didn't need to count a single calorie back then. My active lifestyle managed CICO for me.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    enterdanger wrote: »
    Yoga is for stretching. It won't burn a lot of calories, but it will help you stretch and feel more flexible. There is a spiritual aspect to it as well.

    Depends on the style. Try P90X Yoga or other Power/Ashtanga style and get back to me about the lack of calorie burn ;)
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    lcuconley wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    No yoga is not for weight loss.

    Weight loss- calorie deficit

    If I did 6 hours of yoga per day but still ate at a surplus then I would still gain weight.
    Weight loss comes down to calories.

    However, if I had a 500 calorie deficit with or without yoga, one would be in a better position doing the yoga and having another apple!

    That's great and all but this op asked about yoga for weight loss. She didn't mention a calorie deficit at all. So it seemed like a good place to start . many people who already know about cico would not start a thread asking about doing yoga for weight loss.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    The problem is that sometimes newcomers don't yet understand that weight loss comes down to a calorie deficit.
    They think if they go for a walk or begin yoga that they will suddenly start losing. Yes any activity will burn a few calories but anyone who is really concerned with losing weight should know about a calorie deficit. I could go teach 10 yoga classes today but still wouldn't lose any weight until I was at a calorie deficit. Just because someone does an activity doesn't guarantee a calorie deficit.

    My goal weight is the weight I was when I was a full time yoga teacher. I didn't need to count a single calorie back then. My active lifestyle managed CICO for me.

    Again that's great and all...but this op asked about using yoga for weight loss.
    So if this op ate at a calorie surplus and did yoga ,would she lose ? We both know the answer is no. So I stated that the op should start with a calorie deficit for weight loss.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    whit37k wrote: »
    There are many studios that now offer a "sculpt" version of yoga with weights, which can help more than traditional yoga with weight loss/toning. However, you do lose a lot of the spiritual aspect of it.

    Ya, there is often a different feel to gym yoga vs yoga studio yoga and teachers I know who teach at both places do have variations according to their audience.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Here's another way yoga can help with weight loss:

    How Yoga Can Help End Binge Eating

    One breath at a time, end the suffering of binge-eating

    ...According to Juliano, yoga gives people the skills to stay with what they are feeling, rather than turning to food to escape. People who are obese or suffering from eating disorders have a tendency to dissociate from their bodies -- to choose not to feel what they are feeling when they are angry, anxious, or sad. Often, they turn to food to numb themselves. "There's this sense that I have to feel better right now, " Juliano says. "There is a complete intolerance of what is happening right now." This need to escape unpleasant feelings triggers a binge.

    When you eat to escape what you are feeling, you lose touch with the experience of eating, as well. This is one reason binges can spiral out of control. "You have no understanding that you are full, way past full, into uncomfortable, because you're so out of it," Juliano explains. "You have no connection to what you're eating. You're eating a pint of ice cream and can't even taste it. Or you go to make yourself some toast and before you know it, half the loaf is gone."

    Mindful yoga directly challenges the habit of dissociating from your body and your present-moment experience. "The whole point of yoga is to stay connected to your body. You learn it through practice, through breathing, and through breathing through the sensations."

    Read more: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-willpower/201007/how-yoga-can-help-end-binge-eating
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Here's another way yoga can help with weight loss:

    How Yoga Can Help End Binge Eating

    One breath at a time, end the suffering of binge-eating

    ...According to Juliano, yoga gives people the skills to stay with what they are feeling, rather than turning to food to escape. People who are obese or suffering from eating disorders have a tendency to dissociate from their bodies -- to choose not to feel what they are feeling when they are angry, anxious, or sad. Often, they turn to food to numb themselves. "There's this sense that I have to feel better right now, " Juliano says. "There is a complete intolerance of what is happening right now." This need to escape unpleasant feelings triggers a binge.

    When you eat to escape what you are feeling, you lose touch with the experience of eating, as well. This is one reason binges can spiral out of control. "You have no understanding that you are full, way past full, into uncomfortable, because you're so out of it," Juliano explains. "You have no connection to what you're eating. You're eating a pint of ice cream and can't even taste it. Or you go to make yourself some toast and before you know it, half the loaf is gone."

    Mindful yoga directly challenges the habit of dissociating from your body and your present-moment experience. "The whole point of yoga is to stay connected to your body. You learn it through practice, through breathing, and through breathing through the sensations."

    Read more: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-willpower/201007/how-yoga-can-help-end-binge-eating

    Thank you for more copy and pasted responses (because we can't Google on our own )
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Here's another way yoga can help with weight loss:

    How Yoga Can Help End Binge Eating

    One breath at a time, end the suffering of binge-eating

    ...According to Juliano, yoga gives people the skills to stay with what they are feeling, rather than turning to food to escape. People who are obese or suffering from eating disorders have a tendency to dissociate from their bodies -- to choose not to feel what they are feeling when they are angry, anxious, or sad. Often, they turn to food to numb themselves. "There's this sense that I have to feel better right now, " Juliano says. "There is a complete intolerance of what is happening right now." This need to escape unpleasant feelings triggers a binge.

    When you eat to escape what you are feeling, you lose touch with the experience of eating, as well. This is one reason binges can spiral out of control. "You have no understanding that you are full, way past full, into uncomfortable, because you're so out of it," Juliano explains. "You have no connection to what you're eating. You're eating a pint of ice cream and can't even taste it. Or you go to make yourself some toast and before you know it, half the loaf is gone."

    Mindful yoga directly challenges the habit of dissociating from your body and your present-moment experience. "The whole point of yoga is to stay connected to your body. You learn it through practice, through breathing, and through breathing through the sensations."

    Read more: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-willpower/201007/how-yoga-can-help-end-binge-eating

    Thank you for more copy and pasted responses (because we can't Google on our own )

    If we all googled on our own, there'd be no need for forums, now would there?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    At this point I should recommend that those new to yoga not start off with the vigorous styles of yoga but first learn the poses in beginner/moderate classes.
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
    I enjoy yoga and I do like how I feel when I do it. But it definitely doesn't burn many calories. Like any work out, you have to burn more than you consume. Yoga doesn't help you burn calories as much as a cardio activity but as long as you keep below your calories you will lose weight.

Categories