Will yoga help YOU lose weight?

Recently, one of my patients shared this story with me:

“I always needed to lose about 15 pounds and it sure got harder near menopause.  After a long battle, I figured it out!!  I was always exercising hard (intense resistance and cardio training) and I was meticulous with my diet (keeping food logs and documenting calories).   None of that worked.  It just stressed me out to work so hard and see no results.   One day, I was introduced to yoga and it changed everything. I transitioned out of the hard core workouts and into a mellow routine of yoga and enjoyable beach walks.  I listened to the yogi mentality and became more mindful and patient with myself.  I continued my healthy balanced diet and those annoying pounds came off naturally.  These days I feel more happy and grateful and less stressed.”

So back to the question – Will yoga help YOU lose weight?  Probably…  If you have a healthy metabolism, yoga is the perfect addition to your exercise routine that will anti-age you and possibly help with weight loss.  As a yoga teacher and lover, of course I promote yoga to everyone.  I can’t say enough good things about it.  But on the weight loss front, it mostly depends on your adrenal function.

STRESSED ADRENALS:  If you have stressed adrenals, yoga can be your savior and will definitely help you lose weight in the long-run (especially around the midsection). So how do you know that you have stressed adrenals?  Here is a list of 10 symptoms/criteria.  If you can relate to 4 of the 10, then you probably have stressed adrenals.

1. Hectic Schedule
2. Inability to lose weight
3. Constant life (work/family/money) stressors
4. Worry wart
5. Over exerciser
6. Big up’s and down’s with your energy
7. Skip meals
8. Diet has lots of processed foods
9. Need caffeine
10. Poor sleep patterns

TIPS: There are tons of different types of yoga.  If you have stressed adrenals, you may gravitate towards the power or hot yoga classes, but these classes might be wrong for you.  I encourage you to try a variety of classes as well as a variety of instructors.  Also, aim for at least 2 classes a week to make a real impact.

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