problem eith yoga

[Guest guest]

Hi, I'm new to this club and I have a question. I

fell in love with ashtanga practice about 1 year ago

and I practice 3 times a week. My problem is that I

am overweight and need to lose. I don't do yoga for

that even though I've heard ashtanga can help you lose

weight. I love the way it makes me feel mostly. The

problem is that since I've started for some reason I have

been gaining weight. Does this make sense? should I

quit practice?

[Guest guest]

I have no answer for your question, but wanted to

comment that I have also gained weight after developing a

regular ashtanga practice. I don't think my eating habits

have changed, other than the fact that I am eating no

more processed foods. Of course, lots of people say

that the additional weight is due to gaining muscle

mass, and my shoulders have really beefed up, but I

also consider the fact that before such a regular

practice, I was much more hyper, very Vata. I often wonder

if the calmness that yoga added to my life actually

lowered my metabolism. <br><br>The final consideration is

that in the end, I am more healthy now than I was

before yoga became a part of my life. Many of my bad

habits in regards to health dropped away without effort

or contemplation, which I found completely strange.

I am calmer and breathe more deeply. I am becoming

more and more at home with the simple things of life;

I spend more time cooking wholesome foods, and I am

stronger and much more flexible. In the end, the benefits

are well worth the extra five pounds--but I do

remember being shocked by the weight gain. However, many

do say that their habits change after beginning

ashtanga, and then the pounds begin to come off. I guess

true change is often (not always) a slow and steady

process. <br><br>No answers here--just thoughts from my

own experience, which is very limited! <br><br>Take

care.

[Guest guest]

jordon,<br>everything you said is exactly what's

going on with me. I do have many benefits so maybe I

should do yoga twice a week and try one day of cardio or

try to increase my yoga practice to four or five days

per week and hopefully the slow steady process thing

will work for me. Anyways, it's encouraging to know

I'm not the only one with this particular problem.

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

don't ever quit the one good thing in your life.

Initially ashtanga yoga can increase your appetite because

you burn energy and then your body needs nutrition.

Taking in smaller amounts of highly nutritive foods will

combat needing to eat a whole lot of food to get the

same nutrition.<br><br>Remember the body keeps sending

hunger messages until it has the nutrition it

needs.<br><br>Here are some power foods: Spirulina (the hawaiian

brand seems good - 2 tablespoons in a smoothie right

after practice). <br><br>I don't need it anymore but

you can also add a scoop of protein powder into your

smoothie. (there are many good ones but one suggestion if

you eat dairy is Jay Robb's whey protein - get

vanilla. Hint: a protein powder has as close as possible

to 0 carbohydrates listed, and very very low sugars.

If the sugar and carbs add up together to more than

the protein- check the food listing on the container-

then it is a carbohydrate powder not a protein

powder.)<br><br>Add also 2 tablespoons of flax oil (in refrigerator

in wholefood store) or better yet flax/borage

(BARLEANS Omega Twin) for all the essential fatty acids. If

you have sufficiebnt GOOD fats in your body you will

not crave bad fatty foods.<br><br>Believe me , if you

have this smoothie right after practice it will not be

able to eat anything else right then. Oh, add a banana

for smooth texture and some rice milk or juice. And i

add a vitamin supplement which is in a sweet juice

which is excellent - if you're curious about that i can

send you the info.

[Guest guest]

Omprem/TLSlade, you used to write as Tshamoya

with such an adorable fake Japanese accent. Now we get

that pseudo-friendly salesman inflection,

overexplaining everything in perfect new-agey English. Breezy,

in that style so prevalent among public relations

hacks.