How Can I Solve The Problem Of Obesity With Yoga?

by Narmatha
(Delhi, India)

My age is 17 and I am pretty fat for my age. How can I reduce my weight with yoga? Which asanas are good for this?

Answer
At your age losing weight will be much more easier provided you observe strict diet control and do regular exercise. Strict self discipline in eating and doing yoga daily is the cheapest and most effective way to lose weight.

I will suggest you join a hath yoga class and practice yoga under guidance of an experienced teacher. Otherwise here is a link to a generic yoga sequence.

In addition to yoga sequence mentioned above, emphasis on Kapalabhati pranayama and these weight loss yoga exercises will be effective for losing weight.

At a young age, obesity is due to lack of exercise or poor eating habits. In addition to yoga here are some guidelines for you to lose weight.

1. Being obese is a not good for health, but you must not get disheartened. Being obese and worrying too much about it without doing any action is not good.

2. Along with yoga, you need to get physically active and start walking, jogging, swimming or any other sport. Try to be outdoors and go for long walks. Time spent on exercise will remove your bore dome and urge to eat. Yoga asanas and pranayama can help you to improve your self awareness, increase self confidence and remove the negative feelings. Getting plenty of sleep is must for ensuring adequate rest to the body.

3. Set Realistic Goals. Chalk out an action plan to reduce weight. But the most important issue is to keep yourself busy so that mindless eating is reduced. Thinking too much about food is also a problem.

4. Eat Fewer Calories. Strictly limit your diet to certain number of calories in order to reduce weight. You are overweight because you eat more calories than you burn. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. Do not go for aggressive dieting or starve yourself. Change your eating patterns, seek help from a dietician and make out a diet plan and stick to it. It doesn’t mean you have to starve. You can fill up your stomach while choosing your diet wisely consisting mainly of low calorie foods like vegetables, salads or sprouts. Drink water often to keep hydrated and it kills appetite also.

5. Get rid of low nutrition high calorie goodies lying in the refrigerator. It is the most potential hazard preventing weight loss.

6. Try mindful eating and avoid binge eating. Eat only when you are hungry. Put a stop to emotional eating, so avoid eating when you feel bored or emotionally disturbed.
~ Pay attention while you are eating.
~ Avoid distractions while eating. Try not to eat while working, watching TV, reading, using a computer etc.
~ Chew your food thoroughly.
~ Stop eating before you are full, leave some empty space for water and air.

7. Diet Advice
~ Enjoy all fruits, leafy vegetables, salads and other green vegetables.
~ Include beans of any kind e.g. lentils in salads or as a separate dish.
~ Eat high fibre diet, eat chappati (made of wheat flour), brown rice, oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat or multigrain bread.
~ You can use dry fruits or dried fruits as snacks.
~ Packaged fruit juice usually contains sugar. Make your own fresh fruit juice.
~ Eat a healthy breakfast of either fruits or cereals.
~ If you cannot live without some high calorie foods like ice cream, at least limit the portions.
~ Eat freshly cooked food, it is more nutritious and more healthy.
~ Say no to any sodas or soft drinks.
~ Water or lime juice (without sugar) is the ideal drink.

8. Maintain a food journal and keep a record of what you eat. Try out different plans and find out what works for you best.

In the end, I will say never lose heart, keep trying.

You can have a look at this link, yoga for fat people.

Hope this helps
Daljit


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