Is yoga enough?

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  • whatshedid
    whatshedid Posts: 11 Member
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    To everyone who has criticised me - I find asking someone if they are happy with their appearance slightly rude, especially if someone has suffered with eating disorders.

    I will never be happy with my appearance but that is no one else's business, and not part of my question as I asked about how to keep fit and lose stomach fat, not how to look a certain way.

    I appreciate she meant well, I were just telling her that others may feel the same as me, especially on the sensitive subject of losing weight.

    I appreciate that the comment will have little significance to most, but to some it can be really hurtful and I don't want anyone else to be hurt. No doubt people will criticise me for being overly sensitive, but I can't help how I feel and hope that at least one person will understand.
  • whatshedid
    whatshedid Posts: 11 Member
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    middlehaitch wrote: »
    Are you doing the yoga at a studio or at home?
    I have found trying to do yoga at home, especially before taking classes, that I don't engage or use the muscles correctly.
    Good posture and engagement of the abs and obliques while completing each move will improve the core muscles.

    The visceral fat and organs beneath the muscles will be supported better and the subcutaneous fat on top of the muscle will improve in look.

    Try working something like Nerdfitness, a complete body work routine into your routine 3 non consecutive days a week if you are exercising from home.

    At 5' and 110 lbs why are you on a huge calorie deficit. That also indicates that you may be eating under 1200 a day.
    Eat the minimum of 1200 and some of your exercise calories back. You are losing strength and muscle if you are under. Also consistently eating under 1200 could lead to health problems.

    Cheers, h.

    I do it at home and I do find I'm not always holding myself correctly, but I was planning on joining a class when I move to a bigger town :smile:

    Partly because I haven't got the appetite after being used to eating so little and partly because I was losing no fat when I was on 1200. But I will try and go back to 1200 again to see if I cana build muscle to help me lose fat.

    Thanks!
  • whatshedid
    whatshedid Posts: 11 Member
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    Verdenal wrote: »
    whatshedid wrote: »
    Is yoga (60 mins a day) enough to keep you fit? I'm having trouble losing my stomach fat (I know you can't spot reduce, although it would be nice if you could!) and I'm not sure whether it is because I'm not doing a hardcore work out. I hurt my lower back a few weeks ago and yoga helped when other exercise hurt. I also try to walk a couple of miles every day.

    If it is not the yoga problem, I'm not sure if I'm not losing fat because I'm not having enough calories, but I find when I have over 1300 I seem to put on weight, some days I barely scrape 1000.

    Thanks for the help in advance

    EDIT: Forgot to include I weigh 110 pounds and am 5ft. Healthy weight but still need to lose my stomach fat!

    You need to figure out how to estimate your body fat percentage and work on reducing body fat. As others have said, the primary tool is diet, but some cardio and strength training would probably help. Yoga is usually recommended for flexibility, balance, and mental conditioning. You do get a little stronger, but don't realize the strength gains you'd have with weights.

    And as someone else also said, what constitutes being"fit" is partly subjective.

    I know my body fat is 20%, not bad but could be lower for my height. I would like to get weights but I'm a bit short on money at the moment, is there anything which helps you gain strength as much as weights?
  • neela1880
    neela1880 Posts: 56 Member
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    Do bodyweight excercises like pushups, squats and planks. These are strength training excercises.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Yep, bodyweight exercising, convict conditioning and even go here to this site, read up on the ideas laid out in this article. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker20.htm.

    Get creative but using things around your house to use a weights (fill milk jugs/water bottles up with dirt/sand), and also make use of the kitchen chair (you can bench dips for example). You will surprised what you can use around the house to use as a weight. Also a$20.00 to 30.00 kettlebell will surprisingly do a lot of things to get you fit and build some muscle.

    However you will not build any muscle at 1000 calories a day, I still question why even at your height and weight why 1200 calories is weight gain for you.. I think the calorie allotment intake needs to be re-evaluated.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
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    I mentioned NerdFitness in my post up thread. I used it and found it very effective in muscle retention. It also improved my strenght, so moving to a weight lifting programme wasn't too difficult.

    here is the link: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

    cheers, h.
  • yoginijenc
    yoginijenc Posts: 4 Member
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    Maybe up the intensity of your exercise. In addition to what you are already doing, go for a jog a few times a week. Maybe for only a short time. 15-20 minutes. See if that helps.
  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
    edited February 2016
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    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    whatshedid wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    She really didn't say anything bad at all. If you are happy with yoga and walking than that's enough. It's not enough for me as I love muscles so in order to meet my goals I lift heavy and I like long distance running so I run.

    I was just offended by how bluntly it was worded, and found it surprising on a website about weight loss which is a sensitive issue to a lot of people.

    So we know, I'm curious how would you have phrased her answer such that it wouldn't have been insensitive in your opinion.

    The phrasing implies a stance that "its not good enough for me but it might be good enough for you if your standards are lower than mine." The perceived meaning would have been different without the phrase "For me it would never be enough. but for you it might be." That said, I'm not a huge fan of the "MFP is supposed to be a safe space" philosophy. Just a fan of linguistics.

    OP, phrasing aside, the question Jorocka asked is a good one for your consideration. It does seem as if you must be dissatisfied with your results if you're here asking for advice. Perhaps its time to change it up.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    whatshedid wrote: »
    To everyone who has criticised me - I find asking someone if they are happy with their appearance slightly rude, especially if someone has suffered with eating disorders.

    I will never be happy with my appearance but that is no one else's business, and not part of my question as I asked about how to keep fit and lose stomach fat, not how to look a certain way.

    I appreciate she meant well, I were just telling her that others may feel the same as me, especially on the sensitive subject of losing weight.

    I appreciate that the comment will have little significance to most, but to some it can be really hurtful and I don't want anyone else to be hurt. No doubt people will criticize me for being overly sensitive, but I can't help how I feel and hope that at least one person will understand.

    I think that's a fairly reasonable question.

    One can be unsatisfied with the way they appear and still be comfortable with who they are as a person. I am not satisfied with my appearance. - I want bigger shoulders.

    if you were truly satisfied with your performance and your appearance then there would be no question at hand- but you DID indeed ask. And further more- you left it pretty open ended- is this enough?

    Well enough for what- and really what's your goal.

    So if you are satisfied with what you look like- then yeah- it very well could be good enough. It has nothing to do with me looking down on someone else- it's simply a fact- you either are okay or are not- and if you aren't- what steps are you willing to do to acquire the change you seek.

    If you want big shoulders- then yoga probably won't do it.

    none of what you read was judgmental or hurtful- but pragmatic about how to accomplish a goal. I'm sorry you're feelings were hurt- but we can't help you if we don't know what you are thinking.

    Good luck.
  • paulandrachelk
    paulandrachelk Posts: 280 Member
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    Jorocka was not rude and you never mentioned a disorder. You have good answers so you can meet your ends.

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