Category Archives: Weight Loss

Yoga for weight loss has become quite popular. The exercise not only contributes to considerable weight loss but more flexibility and better health.

Helpful dietary tips for meeting your weight loss goals

Posted on by
Reply

Getting started on a new diet for weight loss can be easier said than done, which is why developing a plan for healthy eating is vital to your success. In combination with regular physical activity, here are three weight loss tips that can leave you feeling fit and healthy by summer.

Replace temptation
There’s nothing worse than knowing there’s a delicious bag of chocolates or chips in your kitchen when you’re trying to lose weight, so begin by getting rid of any snacks in your home. Once they’re gone, restock your kitchen with healthy fruits, veggies, whole grains and nuts for diet-friendly snacking when you get the urge.

Count your calories
Keeping track of the various foods you eat can be difficult, so consider using a calorie counting program to help you keep track of what you’re consuming and burning off in a given day. There are apps for your smartphone or computer that allow you to input information about your favorite foods and drinks so you know how to plan your meals throughout the day.

Diet with a friend
If you need a little extra motivation to eat well, consider convincing a friend to join your diet plan. Together, you can encourage each other to make smarter choices about meals and find delicious new recipes that will help you lose weight with style.

Related items

Tips for sticking with New Year’s health and weight loss resolutions

Posted on by
Reply

New Year's Eve has come and gone, and now you're probably getting ready to put your resolution for better health and weight loss into action. However, you might also be worried that you may give up on your goals within a week or two of the new year. Here are a few tips on how to stick with your resolution all year long.

Join a yoga class
If you're looking for a comprehensive workout plan that's sure to keep you motivated, you might want to join a yoga class. Between yoga stretching exercises, meditation and deep breathing, you'll be on your way to a healthier lifestyle in no time.

Grab a friend
It tends to be much easier to stick with dieting and exercise goals when you have someone as a health partner, so grab a friend as part of your New Year's resolution. Together, you can keep each other on track with working out and eating right when you feel like giving up.

Keep a record
One great method of encouragement for practicing better health is to keep a record of your progress. By logging how many hours you spend working out or noting your calorie consumption, you can see how much you've achieved in the new year.

Related items

Three dietary tricks to help you meet your weight loss goals

Posted on by
Reply

Many people who are trying to get started with weight loss have likely tried and failed to diet before. If you're determined to meet your fitness goals this time around, you might need a little extra help with limiting your intake of food. Here are some dietary weight loss tips and tricks to keep in mind.

Nuts are your friend
A big problem for people just starting to diet is the feeling that they're never full or satisfied after a meal, which can lead to unhealthy snacking. Because of this, you might want to consider carrying around a container of peanuts, almonds, cashews or pistachio nuts to munch on throughout the day, as these are beneficial foods that will also help your stomach feel more full.

Water will hold you over
Much like eating a package of nuts will help you make it until dinner time without over snacking, the same can be said for drinking a good amount of water. Not only will you feel more satisfied, but increasing your consumption of water can also boost the effectiveness of your metabolism and digestive system.

Eat more often, not less
While you should certainly control your portions to lose weight, you might be surprised to learn that eating more regularly can kick your metabolism into higher gear. By eating five smaller meals throughout the day, you'll help your body continue to burn off calories more quickly than if you paused for greater periods in between breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Related items

Three things to keep in mind about successful weight loss

Posted on by
Reply

With the holiday season approaching, you might be worried about packing on a few pounds due to delicious Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's Eve meals with family and friends. Resolving to start a weight loss plan is a great way to stay healthy and fit, but you should make sure your goals and methods are realistic in order to be successful. Here are some weight loss tips to keep in mind as you get started.

Starvation is not the answer
When it comes to dieting, you might think that skipping breakfast or lunch (or both!) will help you keep the pounds off. However, this isn't the way your body's metabolism operates. In fact, not eating regularly will actually send your digestive system into starvation mode, forcing it to hold onto extra fat and calories in order to help you survive.

Your ideal weight may not be realistic
While many people would like their bodies to look like supermodels' or fitness gurus' figures, it's important to remember that different people have unique body types. Your ideal weight may not be a realistic goal if your body is naturally a little larger or broader. However, that doesn't mean you won't look great striving toward a healthy weight.

Your body needs to rest
Don't fall under the impression that working out for three hours a day seven days a week is the answer to your weight loss goal – your body needs time to rest and relax in order for exercise to be most effective. If you still want to stay active on a rest day, consider meditating or practicing light yoga.

Related items

Advantages of weight loss that go beyond looking good in a swimsuit

Posted on by
Reply

Weight loss is something that many people strive for on a regular basis, especially when midnight on New Year's Eve rolls around. But while some people are just thinking about how good they'll look in a swimsuit, weight loss plans have a number of other advantages that can impact your health. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you begin dieting and exercising.

Pain management
The truth is, people who are significantly overweight often deal with pain in the back, legs and feet. This is because their bodies are not strong enough to support those extra pounds comfortably. By relieving some of the pressure through weight loss, pain in your muscles and bones may also decrease.

Cardiovascular health
It should come as no surprise that being overweight can also take quite a toll on your cardiovascular health. Your heart needs to work harder to pump blood throughout your body, and your blood vessels may be constrained by the buildup of plaque as the result of a poor diet. Regular exercise can significantly improve your heart's health.

Healthier diet
A big part of losing weight is adjusting your diet to stop eating so many greasy snacks and fatty foods. Not only will this help you shed a few pounds, but by replacing this junk with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, you'll also be giving your body the nutritional boost it needs to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

Related items

How you can use yoga for weight loss

Posted on by
Reply

Does bikini weather make you cringe? Still feel like you're carrying around that extra holiday weight half a year later? Chances are, you may need a little help kicking your fitness and nutrition routine into gear. If you're looking for a beneficial way to shed some pounds without using those complicated workout machines, you may want to consider doing yoga for weight loss. Here are a few tips to get started.

High lunge pose

A great beginner pose to kick off your new yoga routine is the high lunge, according to MindBodyGreen.com. This simple exercise involves doing a low lunge with one leg extended forward while keeping your knee bent and your body leaning forward. From there, all you need to do is position your torso upright with your back straight, and finish by raising your arms straight over your head.

Willow pose

Another exercise that's beneficial to weight loss is the willow pose. Prevention.com suggests starting with your feet and arms together so you're standing straight and tall. Next, bring your left foot and place it flat on the inside of your right leg before placing your palms together in front of your chest. Breathe deeply twice, then on the third inhale, move your arms toward the ceiling. Finally, exhale and then tilt your torso to the left, straightening as you inhale again.

Be realistic

Yoga is an amazing way to improve your body, spirit and mind, but don't expect those results to come overnight. Losing weight can be a slow and difficult process, but remaining patient and sticking to your routine will get you there in time.

Related items

With the obesity rate soaring, the best weight loss exercise may be yoga

Posted on by
Reply

Recently, U.S. newspapers have been swarming with headlines related to obesity, few of them optimistic. With this medical condition on the rise, many public health organizations are on the hunt for the most effective diet and the best weight loss exercise. For the latter, yoga may be the answer.

Though news stories about obesity may seem a little frantic, they have reason to be. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-third of Americans are obese and another third are overweight.

How did nearly 70 percent of the country become so large so fast? Theories abound. In an article for the Los Angeles Times, nutrition expert Melinda Sothern explained that the spiking obesity rate may be rooted in the way pregnant mothers took care of themselves in the 1950s.

A professor at Louisiana State University, Sothern told the news source that 60 years ago, many expectant mothers practiced what she calls the "obesity trinity" – that is, they smoked, restricted their weight and did not breastfeed.

Now, decades later, the children born in that era are heavier than any previous generation, and they're paying for it. An eHealth, Inc. survey has announced that obese Americans pay 23 percent more in annual insurance premiums, compared to adults of a healthy size.

People who have difficulty controlling their weight may want to consider trying yoga for weight loss today, before their health gets worse.

Related items

Need weight loss tips? Skip the gym jargon

Posted on by
Reply

When looking for quick weight loss tips and exercise suggestions, it is tempting to try getting a gym membership. While these purchases usually involve a free trial period, they can ultimately be quite costly – both for your wallet and your mind.

It turns out that gym jargon can be confusing, sometimes to the point that members are unsure what benefits they are getting from their membership.

An article published by Reuters explained that confusing anatomical lingo and exercise-related buzzwords can obscure what is most important about exercising – namely, the improvements it can bestow upon the body and mind.

"[Gym] terms are important if a client wants to know them," trainer Josh Stolz told the news source. "[But] understanding how the body moves, which muscles move you in which direction and the exercises associated with them, is really the key."

Unlike gyms, which often obfuscate by using a dizzying amount of physiological terminology, Dahn Yoga centers strive to simplify the pursuit of mental and physical excellence. For that reason, our yoga stretching poses, deep breathing exercises and mindfulness meditation techniques have basic, transparent names.

Related items

Studies support using yoga for weight loss

Posted on by
Reply

If you are overweight or obese, you're not alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one-third of American adults is obese, and another one-third is overweight. With poor dietary and cardiovascular health so rampant these days, it's important to find an exercise system that works. In that regard, many people are using yoga for weight loss.

Scientific studies confirm that stretching, posing, breathing deeply and engaging in mindfulness meditation may help the body burn calories and rid itself of excess fat.

For instance, a report published in the journal Topics in Clinical Nutrition found that doing yoga can not only reduce one's body mass, but even prevent weight gain in the first place.

Researchers found that adults who participated in yoga for one to four years displayed lower blood pressure than those newer to the regimen. Likewise, long-time practitioners were less likely to be obese, hypertensive or anxious.

A similar study appeared in the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. In it, scientists from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's Division of Public Health Sciences announced that regular yoga exercises can prevent further weight gain among overweight adults.

In the report, the team described analyzing the health records of more than 15,000 adults recruited for the Vitamin and Lifestyle (VITAL) cohort study. In particular, the group looked at individuals' height, weight and self-reported exercise routines for the prior decade.

The authors found that normal-weight people who practiced yoga for more than four consecutive years gained 3.1 fewer pounds on average, compared to those who'd only done yoga for a shorter period of time.

Even more dramatically, over the course of the study, overweight adults who'd been in yoga for at least five years gained 18.5 fewer pounds on average, compared to those who'd initiated yoga more recently or not at all.

Related items

Woman claims benefits of yoga helped her fertility

Posted on by
Reply

Many people know about the benefits of yoga, such as reducing stress and easing pain, and some people are now suggesting that the popular exercise program could actually help women who have fertility problems.

CBS reports that one woman is suggesting that yoga helped her have children. Holly Dougherty struggled with infertility for eight years, but began taking yoga instruction that was supposed to help with the issue.

The news provider reports that because yoga reduces stress, it could increase fertility chances by up to 35 percent.

“Being in a yoga class with other women who are undergoing the same stressful things that you’re undergoing, the time in the office, the drugs, the cost, really can help a person be grounded and relieve a lot of her stress,” Dr. Frederick Licciardi, a fertility specialist, told the news provider.

The New York Times reports that more women are choosing yoga as a means of helping them with infertility, as the relaxation can help them forget about their worries.

Related items