Does Yoga help you to lose weight?

I would try it first. I find that yoga often looks less challenging than it actually is. I've been practicing yoga for about a year and it's made me really strong, so that I'm able to do my other workouts more effectively. I also find that since I've started practicing yoga I've become more mindful of my food choices. So, while you might not burn a lot of calories doing yoga, there are many other benefits that will help you reach your weight loss goal. Maybe you could incorporate it into your workout routine once or twice a week to start and see how that goes.

I feel the same way, OP, and only "get around" to going to a yoga class about once a week, if that. I have mixed feelings on it and would like to be able to do the cool poses, or even be better at the ones I already do, which I realize requires more than once a week practice. But it just doesn't feel like an effective workout for me. I just keep it in for variety. Would like to try bikram yoga though, think that might be more my style.

I have a lot of friends who do yoga it helps them out. I use it a lot if I am injured or I just can't find the time to get a heavy work out done. I like to go to the library and get DVD's and videos watch them first before I buy them as well. I myself have never really done yoga a lot until just recently I have always found it difficult really but then I started looking into yoga and different ways that people do it and I find it very relaxing and challenging all at the same time. All you can do is give; it a try. Good luck

I do vinyasa flow yoga, and sometimes during class the sweat is dripping off my face onto my mat. I think yoga has been helping me lose weight, but I do also do a lot of cardio. I notice that I'm getting a lot stronger, and there's the whole muscles burn more calories than fat thing.

Did you try it, or just watch it? Some of the poses *look* pretty easy, but then when you get in them, it's harder than you had imagined.

But, if that particular dvd isn't for you, try a different one. There are some pretty hardcore yoga dvds/classes out there. There's a reason that yoga teachers look the way they do!

BTW, on MFP the setting for calories burned during yoga is really low, but I found this site http://www.everydayhealth.com/Calories-Burned-Yoga.htm If you're doing a more intense yoga, you can really burn a ton of calories.

Yoga often looks a whole lot easier than it is. Holding the poses is great for strengthening muscles, improving balance, and gaining flexibility. Also, keep in mind that there are many types of yoga. Just one example: Vinyasa is much more athletic than Hatha, which is more of a meditation. There are a TON of different types of yoga, and it's worth looking into which type is right for you.

I really enjoy Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown. It incorporates the standard yoga poses with some cardio, so it feels more like a workout than other dvds that I've tried, but you still get the traditional yoga benefits of balance and flexibility. That is definitely one to try if you're looking for yoga that feels more like a traditional workout!

What most people have already said really. Depending on the type of yoga you're doing, it will help with strength work and be a CV workout on top of the midnfulness and improvements in flexibility that most yoga practices bring. In conjunction with eating a calorific deficit, yoga will help with weight loss.