The majority of us would love to find a magic wand which would take all the effort out of losing weight and getting in shape. Yet it's unlikely that there will ever be a pill, potion or patch in our lifetime that is healthy, safe and delivers on hyped-up promises of effortless weight loss.
It seems that there's a simple choice here - learn to love your shape as it is now (and continue loving it as you get bigger) or learn to love a new healthy lifestyle.
But that's not the whole story.
Most weight loss programs expect you to embrace huge lifestyle changes almost overnight. But it's pretty hard to learn to love a complete lifestyle overhaul so quickly. It's just like deciding to get married on a first date.
You'd have to be lucky to be a good match. It's more likely that eventually the cracks will show, you'll regret your decision and you'll agree to part ways.
And so it is with a new weight loss program. You join a gym, try a new tough regime and abandon it with a sense of failure in a couple of weeks. You start a new meal plan, can't cope with the hunger, miss your normal foods and give up on that too.
The problem is that we want instant success (ironically so that we can go back to the lifestyle that made us fat in the first place!)
But let me make a plea for permanent weight loss rather than speed. Get to know the new lifestyle, diet or exercise program you're considering before you decide if it's for you. Try out the diet, sample the activities and decide which parts you can live with and which you can't. Try out different approaches, different foods, different ways of fitting exercise into your life and gradually adopt the ones which feel good.
The more gradually you build new healthy habits into your life and the more you choose the ones which suit your preferences, the more they will feel comfortable and have a chance of becoming a permanent part of your lifestyle. Build up those new habits one by one, add more and more healthy delicious meals into your repertoire and add a little more activity week by week to your schedule until you have gradually transformed your way of life into a healthier version.
As you adopt the new healthier habits you will be delighted with the changes in how you look and how you feel and this will motivate you like nothing else to make further improvements. That is the easy way to fall in love with losing weight.
Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small
Losing Weight And Exercise
Practicing yoga will also increase your metabolism, increasing the calorie burning process, but you should not see it as an immediate results method. By following the rigors imposed by yoga you will gain a holistic, long term solution to balance your life style and keep off any excessive weight.
As well as loosing weight you will also experience an increased ability to concentrate and focus, you will develop higher resistance to stress factors and an all round healthier way of living.
Metabolism is regulated by the thyroid, a component of the endocrine system. It is responsible for the chemical processes in your body that transform food into energy. Yoga uses a series of twisting poses that stimulate the work flow of the internal organs, thus boosting metabolism to burn more calories and reduce your body weight.
An improvement in local circulation is another direct effect of using yoga postures and this leads to a healthier, more energetic body. When the calorie intake is lower than the calorie output your body will start burning fat cells to acquire the necessary energy. A perfectly healthy and strong metabolism takes this process even further and you will see better results than traditional weight loss formulas.
Different back bends, combined with forward bends, are used to stimulate metabolism. Poses that affect the neck area, where the thyroid gland is situated, are especially useful as the weight problem is caused by a hormonal imbalance. These poses can be those of the camel, rabbit, plow, bridge and shoulder stand. Moving quickly between a series of poses can accelerate the process.
For people who are significantly overweight some of the bends may prove to be a difficult task to accomplish. They should gradually increase the difficulty of the postures until they are confident enough to go to more complex exercises.
Muscles can be strengthened by using standing poses, such as the warrior. A higher endurance and increased caloric output will also result from using standing poses. Energize the body and increase your metabolism even more by using Kapalabhati and Ujjayi Pranayama.
A proper diet should also be followed to support the holistic weight loss system. Try to consume food rich in fiber, vegetables, whole grains and less high fat and processed food items. Balance is essential in all maters concerning your food and no excess should be made. Do not totally eliminate certain food items from your menu and remember that diversity is the key to an equilibrated and satisfactory diet.
A gradual approach is essential with all yoga practices. Results may not be spectacular and immediate, but this is one of the best long term weight loss methods available. In addition to weight loss you also benefit from an increased protection against adverse factors as well as a general feeling of well being and inner peace.
All in all, it is definitely worth looking into the possibilities that Yoga offers.
Both Janice Elizabeth Small & John Savage are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Janice Elizabeth Small has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Cardio Training and Lose Weight. Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Get her FREE 15 page report ". Janice Elizabeth Small's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.
John Savage has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family, Online Business and Marketing. john savage maintains a Blog in which you can read about a fascinating guide to Yoga. to visit the blog. John Savage's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.