Yoga And Weight Loss By Donovan Baldwin

Many people in America today try all sorts of things in pursuit of healthy, permanent weight loss. Unfortunately, they mainly seem to try fad diets, diet pills, celebrity diets, the grapefruit diet...you name it. In fact, stick an adjective or noun in front of the word "diet", and you might be the creator of the next diet craze.
while a someone might temporarily lose a few pounds with a "diet", diets are not successful when it comes to permanent weight loss and healthy weight loss.
As they say, I have some good news and some bad news.
The good news is that there IS a known and proven way to achieve significant, healthy, permanent weight loss. More good news is that, although some modification to what you presently like to eat will be necessary, extremely drastic changes are seldom required. Oh, yes, you might have to learn to substitute something you don't like that much right now for something you do like, but, in time, you can get accustomed to this, and even learn to like the new flavors and foods. I know. I've been there.
The bad news is that, along with modifications to your eating habits, you are going to have to become more active. Dare I say it....?
You will have to exercise!
The benefits of exercise is an article in itself, and I have written elsewhere about how exercise can take many forms, so there is no need to lock yourself into an unpleasant or painful exercise regimen. What I really want to do here is give a small pitch for the practice of yoga as my exercise program of choice. Remember, however, my exercise program of choice might not be yours. As much as I like yoga, you will have to decide if yoga is right for you.
Before I speak specifically about yoga, let's just list some of the known benefits of regular exercise in general. Exercise...
>Reduces the risk or affects of many illnesses and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis to name a few. Some studies even show possible reductions in the risk for some cancers.
>Elevates mood and reduces depression.
>Helps maintain healthy bones, muscles, joints, and nervous system.
>Delays affects of ageing, making seniors more mobile and self sufficient and less likely to fall prey to injury or illness.
>Reduces risk of premature death (sounds like a big one to me).
>Helps maintain a healthy weight.
Okay, since any good exercise program can provide these benefits, what does yoga have to offer that makes it special?
In addition to providing the basic benefits of exercise in general, yoga does have a few specific things going for it.
1. Despite the apparently agonizing contortions seen in every yoga book, the benefit is in the attempt to achieve the position. The models in the books arrived at their present level of ability over time, and many a skilled practitioner of yoga today began in the same shape you're in right now. It is okay to modify a position or to come out of it a little early if your body is not ready yet. The regular practice of your best version of the movement or position (asana), combined with yoga breathing techniques (easily learned) will produce progress over time.
2. No personal trainer or special equipment is needed, nor is it necessary to go to the gym or even out in public at all. You can do yoga naked if you don't have a pair of gym shorts, and a carpet is just as good as a yoga mat...at least at first. Yoga is actually so simple that it CAN be learned from a book, although it certainly wouldn't hurt to get guidance or training from a certified instructor.
3. Yoga is relaxing and relieves stress. Not only is this of great personal value in today's world, but if any part of your weight loss problem is stress related, and I can almost guarantee some relationship, the stress relief offered by yoga can ease that portion of your weight loss journey.
4. In addition to being good for your health for several reasons, simply learning yoga breathing and practicing it regularly can help you burn fat.
5. As you begin to progress in your ability to better perform yoga poses (asanas) you will notice a sense of control, of mastery of life and self, which will become more evident. This new inner strength will aid you in facing difficulties, including temptations concerning eating and your new eating behaviors. You will also find yourself more forgiving, not only of others, but of yourself as well, and when you slide a little, you will be better able to shrug it off and get back on your path to success.
6. With more progress in your yoga practice, you will begin to experience new feelings of health, strength, and well-being. These feelings will in turn motivate you to take even more control of your life so that you can continue your progress with no desire or temptation to return to the way things used to be.
Nothing is perfect for everyone, but, as you can see, the practice of yoga does have some benefits to offer which may make it valuable in the pursuit of healthy, permanent weight loss.
The author is retired from the Army after 21 years of service, has worked as an accountant, optical lab manager, restaurant manager, and instructor. He has been a member of Mensa for several years, and has written and published poetry, essays, and articles on various subjects for the last 40 years. He developed an interest in health and fitness in the '70s after reading numerous books, including Dr. Kenneth Cooper's "Aerobics". This has led him to continue his personal research into health and fitness for over 30 years, and to pursue course work on the subjects of health and fitness, including yoga, which he practices regularly. Learn more about Yoga and Weight Loss.

Are You Losing Body Fat or Water?

“I tried that diet and lost 8 pounds in the first week!”
“I’ve gained three pounds in one day! It must have been the cookie I ate or maybe the mashed potatoes!”
These are comments I hear so often that I decided it would be a good topic for an article to help people have a better understanding of the fluctuating numbers on their scale. It is important to understand, when we step on a scale, it is measuring every part of our physical being at that moment in time, which means it measures our fat, muscles, organs, tissue and water weight.
Water weight can affect your total weight anywhere from 1-10 pounds and sometimes even more. It is important to understand what kinds of dietary factors can make these fluid shifts happen. To start, many of the high protein, low carbohydrate diets such as Atkins, or the beginning of South Beach can cause a dramatic shift in your water weight. This is because as you significantly cut back carbohydrate intake your body starts breaking down the stored carbohydrates (glycogen) to use as energy, and this breakdown causes the body to excrete large amounts of water. Once the body begins to use stored fat for energy, weight loss slows. This is why most people lose a significant amount of weight right away on a low carb, high protein diet. Extreme low carb, high protein diets can often lead the body to a state of dehydration because of the significant fluid loss.
What is misleading is when a person following a low carb plan eats a carbohydrate-rich food they can easily gain 1-3 pounds. However, this weight gain is just your body replenishing the fluid it lost and is not gained fat. I have had numerous clients struggle with this and they end up yo-yoing back in forth with fluid weight thinking that it must be the half cup of rice they had the night before that caused them to gain that 2 pounds when in fact eating the rice just allowed them to regain some of the fluid they had lost from following a strict low carb plan. The fact is carbohydrates do not affect your weight quite that simply. Excess refined carbohydrates can strongly stimulate insulin production, which promotes fat deposition and increases appetite. This kind of weight gain will happen gradually, not dramatically overnight.
Sodium is another dietary component that can lead to fluid gain. Sodium can cause the body to retain fluid, which can lead to these frustrating daily weight fluctuations. Some people are more sensitive to sodium than others. Watch your diet and see if your weight gain corresponds with a high sodium meal the day before. For example, eating out in restaurants can often increase your sodium intake significantly.
The best way to tell if you are retaining fluid is to pay attention to your body. If you get indentations on your ankles and lower legs from your socks then you are retaining fluid. If you wear rings and they become tight and leave an imprint in your fingers when you take them off then you also likely retaining fluid. Any kind of puffiness in your skin is a good indication of water weight.
The bottom line is that it takes 3500 calories to gain or lose 1 pound of body fat. This equates to an extra 500 calories a day over 7 days to gain a pound. This means if you gained 3 pounds in one day you can chalk it up to fluid weight otherwise you would have had to consume10,500 extra calories that day which is not likely! True weight gain happens gradually and likewise we lose it gradually. Check your weight weekly instead of daily and look for overall trends. If you are seeing dramatic daily changes in your weight, it is likely the ever-changing shifts of our bodies’ water weight.
Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and owner of Real Living Nutrition Services. Sign up for her monthly newsletter to learn what's new in nutrition, weight loss success stories, healthy recipes, and more. Go to http://www.reallivingnutrition.com for more details.

Fat Burning Foods

Are there any foods that burn body fat? If yes, how is it possible? It should be possible to lose weight by simply eating such foods. What are these foods?
The fat burning foods are foods that burn more calories than the calorie content of the foods itself. There are certain foods which actually burn more fat than the calorie content of the food itself. These fat burning foods or so called negative calorie foods are natural plant foods.
Fruits rich in vitamin C like limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruit and tangerines have fat burning properties. Some of the other fat burning foods are asparagus, beet root, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, apple, blueberries, and watermelon. It you eat these fat burning foods and do some exercise, it will boost your metabolism and burn calories at a faster rate for several hours even after exercise.
A recent research reports that calcium in dairy products can boost weight loss by increasing fat breakdown in fat cells. If you compare a dairy-rich versus a dairy-poor diet you can nearly double the rate of weight and fat loss with the same level of calorie restriction.
Not eating enough will slow your metabolism and deteriorating your health. Note that in order to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume. This can be done by eating negative calorie foods. This will help your body burning up the excessive stored fat.
Copyright P. Mehta 2004, www.FatFreeKitchen.com

A Secret About Weight Loss You May Want To Know

It’s not hard to understand why diets are so popular. Cut calories, exercise more, relieve some stress and do it again the next day. Repeat process until desired weight is achieved. Good recipe…at least in theory.
What’s not mentioned is that a heavy dose of discipline, add a pinch of bland foods and sprinkle with thoughts of “why am I doing this?” are also some of those “touch up” items required.
Diets can be very useful as long as you are willing to put yourself through a strenuous activity that the body wasn’t intended to go through. Exercise and healthy eating habits are keys to unlock the person you want to be but there must be a balance. You can’t simply move into a strict regimen “cold turkey.”
So what can be said about dieting that you haven’t heard yet? There have been great strides in the weight loss industry. One of the most promising may be that of the Glycemic Index. Yes, you have probably heard of it but do you understand how powerful this may be?
First, the Glycemic Index isn’t concerned with calories, so to say. Each food is given a number (0-100). The higher the number, the quicker sugar is released into the bloodstream. Foods such as candy bars and potatoes release their sugars quickly, giving you that initial rush followed by the “down” feeling shortly thereafter.
Second, the Glycemic Index goes along with giving the body what it needs. Carbohydrates are not the enemy. It’s the type of carb that you need to pay attention to. Fats and proteins are also figured in because the body needs specific nutrition. High protein, low-carbohydrate diets may good for now but eventually, as with any diet, you will have to stop.
Lastly, the Glycemic Index won’t let you starve! When you’re hungry, you simply eat. There isn’t a fixed time to eat or a nice, pre-packaged meal to warm up. Foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and many others that you can keep at your desk or in your car on the ride home.
Now, just in case you’re wondering why candy bars and potatoes were put together in the example above, here is the answer. Both foods release sugars very quickly. It doesn’t go by the nutrition level; it goes by how fast sugar is released into the bloodstream. This is a very important factor for those dealing with Diabetes. And with Diabetes becoming more and more problematic, this should be a concern for everyone!
The diet industry, in the US alone, is a multi-billion dollar industry. However, for something so simple to follow, most dieters gain back at least what they lost. Diets don’t work because you have to quit at some point in time. Those following the Glycemic Index don’t have to stop after a couple of weeks, which might be the answer to the weight loss question!