Weight loss with Yoga?

[fitThree]

Has anyone experienced weight loss benefits from doing Yoga?

Moderator edit: Updated subject for clarity.

[YojanaFitbit · Accepted solution]

Hi @fitThree, nice to the see your face here in the Forums! 

I wanted to let you know that I've moved your post to our Lifestyle Discussion Forums on the board Get Moving, as you will have the option to interact with different people looking for similar options regarding challenges here. If you need help with anything regarding challenges or regarding your Fitbit tracker you can post your inquiry in the Product Help Forums. 

Hope you find a lot of people with the same interest than you! 

[Dominique]

No personal experience with yoga, but I can see two ways in which it can contribute to weight loss: 1) by increasing the amount of energy you expend (thus contributing to the caloric deficit needed for weight loss to occur, provided you don’t eat the calories back), 2) by decreasing stress (given that chronic elevation of cortisol - the stress hormone - can make weight loss harder, and that yoga is a known way to reduce stress).

To assess the impact of yoga on energy expenditure, you can have a look at the Compendium of Physical Activities and compare it to that of other physical activities. Here are the METs for several forms of yoga:

As you can see, the most intense form of yoga causes you to expend twice as much energy as the least intense one. I hope you can find a form of yoga you enjoy and that works for you!

Also remember diet is usually the most important factor for weight loss. The primary benefits of physical activity should be considered in terms of health and well-being.

[WavyDavey]

Gaiam put out a DVD called Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss", that was useful but not intimidating.

In general, for weight loss, pick a style of yoga that doesn't involve intricate, involved poses. Also avoid poses that are kept for a really long time, at least at the beginning. Almost any style of yoga will work for weight loss, and some folks I know swear by it.

[Esya]

Yoga can help with weight loss, but in itself it is not going to make you lose weight. Typically it is easier to battle that in the kitchen and/or with cardio. I do yoga 3 to 4 times a week and love it, but I would not say I can eat a lot more because of it. Depending on how much I did it might be an extra 100 calories for the day, but more often it is below that.

But as @Dominique already pointed out, there are some extra benefits from yoga that have an impact on weight loss: reduced stress and improved sleep are the two major ones. It is good to do some restraint training and I put yoga in that category using your body weight instead of weights.

[Mandy211]

Yes - absolutely.

Yoga can totally help you shed pounds if that's your goal.

Yoga burns calories when done the right way, that's for sure!

If you are serious about losing weight and getting fit, you might want to implement a 60-minute power yoga and/or vinyasa flow practice at least five to six days per week.

This yoga weight loss program was easy to follow and worked flawlessly for me.

Each class is easy to follow, but is varied and enjoyable. Dynamic Sequencing means you'll always be challenged regardless of your current level.

If you want to follow my example, think about coupling your practice with a whole foods diet for optimal results.

Good luck!

Mandy

[DavideFitbit]

Welcome to the Community forums, @Mandy211! 

I used to doubt of the results I could get doing Yoga until I actually tried it. I started to practice some power yoga at home and it was intense! It definitely helped me lose some weight and I learned new things along the way. 😀