Yoga for Weight Loss
Let’s be honest. When the majority of guys have the thought of weight loss, they visualize grunting in the weight room, sweating in a run, or dripping in a spin routine. Yoga? Flexibility and calming down, that, right?
That’s exactly what I thought. However, when I reached a plateau because of my daily routine and had to fight with some lower back pain, I decided to test my beliefs. I decided to do 30 days of yoga as my first workout and answer the question that is burning my ears: Can a guy actually lose some weight doing this?
I do not come here to sell you magic beans or spiritual enlightenment. I came to provide a factual and data-driven report on my month-long experiment. I had to monitor my calorie intake, my weight, my measurements and most importantly my feeling. We will go through the hype and it will answer what you are actually typing in Google.
Which one is better, Yoga or Walking to lose weight?
This formed my greatest starting point. I’m a big walker. I am familiar with my measurements: a 4 miles/hour brisk walk would burn between 300 and 400 calories in a guy of my size (185 lbs at the onset).
On the piece of paper, therefore, a moderate Hatha yoga session could consume 150-250 calories. In an out-and-out calorie burning fight, walking takes the day. But that’s a superficial view. I was able to see, through my experience, that it is not that easy.
Walking is phenomenal, and I continue to do it as an active recovery, however, yoga provided me with an alternative: the strength-building and muscle-engaging. A vinyasa flow is not a time of poses, it is a complete body weight exercise. Pushing one arm up, chaturanga push-ups, warrior poses – these exercises develop lean muscle mass. And bigger muscle implies an increased resting metabolism. I use more calories throughout the day due to muscle that I gained in the course of my yoga practice, not only because of 60 minutes of yoga.
The Decision: To burn a lot of calories immediately and during activities, brisk walking may have a minor advantage over slow yoga. However, to transform your body structure (to replace fat with more muscle) and to improve your metabolic rates in the long run, I would recommend a lively form of yoga.
Does Yoga Decrease Belly Fat? Will Yoga help you lose belly fat?
It is the million-dollar question in most of us. I will tell you the truth: the yoga cannot do fat-spot reduction. No exercise can. A body sheds off fat in its own time and genetically determined areas.
Nonetheless, yoga could be a very powerful means of establishing the overall calorie deficit required to shed them all over, including your belly. Here’s how it worked for me:
The Calory Burn: As I mentioned, intense yoga burns a lot of calories, which helps me to lose them throughout the week.
The Muscle Building: Core-strengthening: plank, poses like boat (Navasana), and side plank are disguised ab workouts. The better my core was developed, the better my posture became. Suddenly my belly was flatter since I was not curling forward.
The Secret Weapon: The Stress Reduction. The stress hormone known as cortisol has been associated with fats in the abdomen. My level of stress was high before this experiment. Yoga compelled me to slow down and focus. This inhibition of my nervous system definitely assisted in controlling my level of cortisol. High stress was reduced and thus hormonal promotion of storing belly fat was also reduced.
So, did I lose belly fat? Yes. However, it was included in general fat loss caused by consistency and diet, which was greatly facilitated by the help of yoga with its combination of physical and mental advantages.
Which Kind of Yoga is the most Effective in Losing Weight? Which Style Burns the Most calories?
Not all yoga is created equal. In case you want to lose weight, you cannot simply turn up at any class. According to my work and studies, the following is the breakdown:
Vinyasa Yoga / Power Yoga: this was my default. This style entails moving through poses to another followed by your breath. It is lively, quick, and it gives one the impression of an actual workout. Calorie Burn: High. Expect 400-600 calories per hour.
Ashtanga Yoga: This is a sequence of poses that are done in a particular order at all times. It is strict, training and extremely physical. Calorie Burn: Very High.
Bikram / Hot Yoga: Practiced in a room where the temperature is 105 o C (40 °C) with humidity 40 per cent. Your heart works harder in the heat and thus you will burn calories and buckets of sweat. Significant: Much of the early weight loss is water dehydration weight loss. You need to rehydrate violently. Calorie Burn: High.
Hatha Yoga: This is a general term of physical yoga. Classes are more likely to be slower, and are based on individual poses. Ideal when you are a beginner, and not the most effective when you want to burn a lot of calories. Calorie Burn: Low to Moderate.
In my case, Vinyasa was the happy medium. It was very demanding, interesting and not monotonous.
My 30 Day Yoga Routine to Lose Weights.
I didn’t just dive in blindly. To make this a fair test I made rules to myself.
Time per session: 45-60 minutes.
Frequency: 5-6 days per week. Rest days are crucial.
Diet: This is non-negotiable. I did not radically change my diet; I only ensured that I had a small calorie deficit (it was around 500 calories of my maintenance level). I monitored the amount of protein I took to make sure that I was promoting muscle recovery. You cannot out-yoga a bad diet.
Tracking: I measured myself weekly and photographed myself after the first and last days (Day 1 and Day 30). My waist was also measured at the navel.
The Results: How My Body Changed After 30 Days of Yoga
This is the part you skipped ahead to read. I get it.
- Weight Lost: I started at 185 lbs. After 30 days, I weighed 180.4 lbs. A loss of 4.6 pounds.
- Inches Lost: I lost 1.5 inches from my waist.
- The Visual Change: The photos showed the real story. My stomach was noticeably flatter. My posture was straighter. There was more definition in my shoulders and arms from all those chaturangas.
- The Non-Scale Victories (NSVs): This was perhaps more impactful. My lower back pain, which I’d had for years, was virtually gone. My flexibility was through the roof. I could touch my toes without bending my knees for the first time since high school. My energy levels were consistent throughout the day, and my sleep quality improved dramatically. My mental clarity and ability to handle stress were on another level.
How Long Does It Take to See Weight Loss Results from Yoga?
It is the most difficult question to answer since this will all be a matter of consistency and diet.
When you practice yoga three times a week and do not transform your eating patterns, you may feel a little difference in several weeks, but you will not lose much weight. Even when you cannot notice it, the muscle building will begin right now.
When you practice an active yoga every day and a disciplined diet like I did, you will be able to record visible changes on the scale and on the mirror within 2-4 weeks. It is important just to believe in the process. During the first week, you may not lose much weight because your body is adapting and retaining the water to repair the muscles.
Which is the Best Exercise to lose weight?
The most effective form of exercise in losing weight is the type of exercise one will perform consistently. It was yoga in my case in this month. It was fun, it cured my ailment and it offered in into my life.
To achieve success in the long-term, the ideal mix is strength training (yoga does not need to be a stranger), cardiovascular workouts (walking or running), and an affordable diet. The genius of yoga lies in the fact that it frequently unites the former two as a single practice.
Frequently asked questions: Your questions, answered.
Q: What is the amount of weight you can lose in 30 days of doing yoga?
A: According to my case study, the realistic and healthy one is 4-8 pounds; this depends on your initial weight, the severity of your practice, and above all, your diet.
Q: I’m a complete beginner. Where do I start?
A: Start on YouTube. Type in beginner vinyasa flow or yoga to lose weight. Such channels as Yoga With Adriene are excellent. Don’t ego-lift; focus on form. A session of 20 minutes is better than a 60-minute session that has not been done well.
Q: Do I have to do hot yoga in order to realize the results?
A: Absolutely not. Hot yoga does not need to be as hot as it burns more calories, but it is unnecessary. An intensive Vinyasa or Ashtanga workout in an average temperature hall is highly efficient.
Q: Will I get bulky from yoga?
A: No. You will not gain bulk, but long, lean muscle. Body weight resistance in yoga shapes and molds without needless addition of huge bulk.
My Final Takeaway
My outlook was entirely transformed by this 30-day experiment. Yoga is not easy-going; it is a valid, tough, and very useful in weight loss and body change. It gave me a different combination of cardio, strength, flexibility and mental training like no other single activity could.
The scale stirred and baggy waist became tight and my clothes became more comfortable. However, more than the figures, I got a feeling of physical health and strength that has resulted in me becoming a believer. I have now made yoga a part of my routine on a weekly basis. It is no experiment any longer, it is necessary.
Maybe you are on the fence, then I dare you to go real and see what it can do in one month. Always be the same, keep in mind your diet, and push your flows. You simply may be surprised at its effect on you.