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| Does yoga help to lose weight? | |
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| It helps. So does eating less. | |
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| Yoga helps more to tone than to lose weight... For one thing... even if you burn 10 pounds/kgs of fat, and in turn gain 10 pounds/kgs of muscle, the scale will show ZIP, but you'll be a pant size smaller!!!
Edwina | |
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| Between yoga and giving up regular pop (soda) I have lost a lot of weight as well as 2 sizes. I think you just need to eat/drink healthier and be consistant in your exercise and it will work wonders. | |
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| Good counsel from Edwina & Chrissy--welcome to the forums to you both! | |
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| Dear Mr. Bruce:
Take care of your diet, exercise under proper supervision and well panned YOGA program, plus few herbs and you will reduse.
Avoid Meat, spices, fatty subs and stress.
Namaskar
Dr. Ajai Singh
Toronto | |
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| Yes it does and if in combination to herbal, avoiding few specific food and abating stress.
Regards
Dr. Ajay Singh
Toronto
cyaram@hotmail.com | |
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| yoga will help u to reduce weight along with little diet restriction.
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| Juicyjuicee:
You have the answer in your own user name: JUICYNG is delicious, great and healthy!!! | |
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| Bruce - 2004-07-13 9:52 PM
It helps. So does eating less.  | |
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| Yoga alone I do not think will help you lose the amount of weight you want. Weight training to increase lean muscle to boost metabolism is a big help, improved nutrition will be very important as well as cardiovascular activity. A combination is your best bet. | |
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| Sure it does.
When your in you aerobic zone your body's optimum full is fat.
Just so you know. | |
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| I'm also starting to agree with Zoebird and others. Unless you are power lifting a heck of a lot of weight yoga is probably a better replacement. You'll get more muscle "toning" from chaturangas and other asanas where you are using your own body weight as resistance than you ever will from gym machines and light dumbbells. | |
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| Yoga and power lifting are really a lot alike. (The same effect on the body)
The bolt have great benefit for each other. "Said Science. | |
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| Okay, I personally have big hips, big thighs, and a big butt. I really want to lose them all. Everything else, yeah i would love to be a little thinner, but my problem area is my hips, butt, and thighs. Will Yoga help tone all of these down? Its hard for me to go out and run, because it hurts my lungs do to Asthma. I am 5 feet, and 125 pounds, if not more, around 125-135. I have tried to get rid of my problem areas but they wont go away. I have quit drinking soda, for over a month now...so i am sure that will pay off in the long run. I eat 3 meals a day, and 1 snack. My breakfast consists of a Bagel, my snack normally is a peice of cheese, and yogurt. My lunch usually concists of a Sandwich, apple sauce, and something else, depending sometimes its crackers, sometimes is Enanomi beans, and sometimes its a fruit like kiwis. My dinner, really depends, sometimes i wont eat anything (depending on how hungry i am)-but its never like grease driven foods anymore.
So what my main concern is, am i eatting healthy enough? I haven't started doing yoga, because i want to know it works. You say you gain muscle, rather then loosing weight. But that doesn't mean that my butt, hips, and thighs will still be BIG, but just muscle right? Because that wouldn't be what i want. I want to slim down, i want to walk in a skirt without my thighs touching. I want to wear pants that actually look GOOD! I want my hips to be much thinner, i know that perhaps my hip bones are just big, but i know that is not the case, there is some fat on them that i would really like to be gone. I also would like to have my "love" handles be gone, my waist is pretty slim, just i have love handles. My legs, besides my hips are pretty skinny, and my wrists are very skinny. My arms are decent, except about a little past my elbow they get semi chunky.
So please please please, help explain this.
Also, all i drink is Juice, and water. Mostly Water. Occasionally Tea, but i do NOT drink soda AT ALL anymore.
Edited by BrokenBallet 2005-09-24 2:21 AM
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| First of all there is a myth that you can lose weight in certain areas and target certain spots. Don't believe it. You of course know that the key to your problem is diet and exercise. Of course, that sounds simpler than it is. There are lots of ways to combine diet and exercise to get the effect you want.
Diet: talking about diet is like talking about religion or politics. People are very vocal and have definite opinions and don't really care about your side of the story. My vote is for the Zone Diet and/or the Paleo Diet: one or both in combination. Avoid refined sugar, partially hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, grains, dairy. Eat lean meats and fish, fresh fruits and vegetables and nuts. Learn about portion control. Sounds like you are making an effort to eat right, but your percentages are probably off. Try to eat 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat at each meal and snack.
Exercise: My vote is for lots of yoga: an active style of yoga like ashtanga, vinyasa and/or anusara. Although sitting around waiting for your kundalini to rise is great it won't melt the fat off your a$$. In addition to yoga, you should do some exercises for general physical preparedness: squats, lunges, pullups, dips, pushups, situps, back extensions, etc. If you can't run, then get on the rower. I have asthma too but working out has only made it better.
If you want get your heart pumping, then do sprints. Cardio doesn't have to be 30-60 minutes on an elliptical machine. Do this: Tabata Squats. 8 sets of squats (just you bending down as low as you can with your heels on the floor) done for 20 seconds with 10 seconds of rest in between. You shouldn't do less than 12 squats in each 20 second set. Shoot for closer to 20. This workout is 4 minutes in length but is a greater cardio challenge than 30 minutes on the bike.
If you still want more. Then learn to lift. Avoid the machines at the gym. Learn to do REAL lifts. Learn to pick weight up off the floor, put it over your head, move it for distance. Learn some gymnastic skills. Dance. Go outside and play.
BrokenBallet - 2005-09-24 2:16 AM
Okay, I personally have big hips, big thighs, and a big butt. I really want to lose them all. Everything else, yeah i would love to be a little thinner, but my problem area is my hips, butt, and thighs. Will Yoga help tone all of these down? Its hard for me to go out and run, because it hurts my lungs do to Asthma. I am 5 feet, and 125 pounds, if not more, around 125-135. I have tried to get rid of my problem areas but they wont go away. I have quit drinking soda, for over a month now...so i am sure that will pay off in the long run. I eat 3 meals a day, and 1 snack. My breakfast consists of a Bagel, my snack normally is a peice of cheese, and yogurt. My lunch usually concists of a Sandwich, apple sauce, and something else, depending sometimes its crackers, sometimes is Enanomi beans, and sometimes its a fruit like kiwis. My dinner, really depends, sometimes i wont eat anything (depending on how hungry i am)-but its never like grease driven foods anymore.
So what my main concern is, am i eatting healthy enough? I haven't started doing yoga, because i want to know it works. You say you gain muscle, rather then loosing weight. But that doesn't mean that my butt, hips, and thighs will still be BIG, but just muscle right? Because that wouldn't be what i want. I want to slim down, i want to walk in a skirt without my thighs touching. I want to wear pants that actually look GOOD! I want my hips to be much thinner, i know that perhaps my hip bones are just big, but i know that is not the case, there is some fat on them that i would really like to be gone. I also would like to have my "love" handles be gone, my waist is pretty slim, just i have love handles. My legs, besides my hips are pretty skinny, and my wrists are very skinny. My arms are decent, except about a little past my elbow they get semi chunky.
So please please please, help explain this.
Also, all i drink is Juice, and water. Mostly Water. Occasionally Tea, but i do NOT drink soda AT ALL anymore. | |
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| But my question was...will it just take up the space with muscle, and no fat? I don't want to be a big hipped, big thighed, big butted, ball of muscle! Because i just want to get rid of the fat, NOT gain it all in muscle, and still be the same size. Im a size 9, and i want a small butt, and i want small hips and a butt, i want to be a size 3, or even a 5 would be nice then what i am.
Will Running, allow me to lose my butt, and it not be muscle, it be actual fat loss, and not so much muscle coming back to it, to make it the same way.
My point is, no i dont want to be all skins and bones, but i dont want to be as big as i am now , just full of muscle. I want to be healthy, and actually LOOK skinny.
A lot of my lower weight came from steroids when i was younger, for my Ashma.
Edited by BrokenBallet 2005-09-25 1:54 AM
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Expert Yogi
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| Size 9 is skinny. Eat, drink, exercise and be happy  | |
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| BrokenBallet - 2005-09-25 1:41 AM
But my question was...will it just take up the space with muscle, and no fat? I don't want to be a big hipped, big thighed, big butted, ball of muscle! Because i just want to get rid of the fat, NOT gain it all in muscle, and still be the same size. Im a size 9, and i want a small butt, and i want small hips and a butt, i want to be a size 3, or even a 5 would be nice then what i am.
Will Running, allow me to lose my butt, and it not be muscle, it be actual fat loss, and not so much muscle coming back to it, to make it the same way.
My point is, no i dont want to be all skins and bones, but i dont want to be as big as i am now , just full of muscle. I want to be healthy, and actually LOOK skinny.
A lot of my lower weight came from steroids when i was younger, for my Ashma.
People have this ridiculous idea that it is easy to grow muscles. Where does that come from? Why do think people sweat so hard in the gym and lift all those weights? Why do you think that people take steriods? It's really hard to put on muscle....a lot harder than you think. People just use that as a LAME EXCUSE not to exercise. "I don't want to be too muscular." Puhleeeze!
So you create 2 problems: 1) people do weak exercises to avoid building too much muscle: like 50 reps with tiny dumbbells. High rep, low weight exercises are useless. 2) Conversely people workout like bodybuilders because that's what they read in magazines. If all you want to do is gain muscle, then doing bodybuilder workouts that you read in a magazine will take you down that road. However, one can exercise to gain strength as opposed to size and that will produce some hypertrophy but only proportional to your strength.
So to answer your question, Brokenballet, I suggest you start working out and stop making excuses. Running will help you lose weight. Writing about it on the internet won't. If you are reading magazines while on the treadmill then your results will be subpar. Yoga will work too, but only if you do it.
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Expert Yogi
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| Thankis for that yoga guy and sorry I was a little short with my last reply. Even at 5 ft, size 9 is great for most people. I am 5' 2" and usually a size 10 and feel that is a great place to be. First, BB keep working on the food thing. Don't skip meals, don't drink a lot of juice. Add in as many green leafy, juicy vegetables as you like - as long as you don't smother them in sauce or fatty dressing, you can eat a mountain of veg and not gain anything except better health. My experience is tha tif you skip dinner, you'll be really hungry by 10 or 11 the next day and probably overdo lunch or cheat yourself by eating something junky.
As far as yoga goes, I can tell you my experience. I did lose weight but not until I began a regular practice (daily for one hour) and no, I do not practice an aerobic form. I study Iyengar yoga. And although the exercise folks here will correctly say there is no such thing as "toning" what DOES happen is that do seem to take up less space than the fat did. I looked a lot
"trimmer" and better before I looked thinner.
Yoga is a wonderful form of exercise. Find a good class and try it for 8 or 10 weeks. It can be very beneficial for asthma, as well. I heard a very interesting thing about diet and asthma when I watched Jamie Oliver's school lunch shows. One school had staff that spent every lunch hour doing asthma puffers for the kids. Once they started eating good whole foods there were NO kids lined up for puffers at lunch - ever. And that is just the difference of one meal per day! | |
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| Making excuses, would be me saying oh well, i dont want to exercise anymore. Im sorry but i am not going to go out, and do some excersize BEFORE i get the right information on it. Everywhere i look, it says doing things like lunges, will make your butt just more muscly then less fatty. But if you want to be rude about it, then go ahead. Im not making excuses, i just want the RIGHT information, is that making excuses?
So ..what if i just HURRY up and do an excersize, and then it does not have the effect i want , and it would be a RESULT of being too hasty and not having all the right information. Because im apparently making "excuses". | |
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Expert Yogi
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| OK - we understand that. But fat does not "turn to muscle" in the way that you would get the same volume of muscle where fat used to be. Think of someone with big, fluffy hair and how it looks so much thinner when it is braided (it took quite awhile to think that one up!). Muscle moves into the bone and makes you look thinner even before you lose weight. I think yogaguy pointed out that body builders really have to work to make big muscles. I don't know any yogis with gigantic muscles - only long. lean and nicely defined ones.
Now off you go and find yourself a yoga class and report back soon!  | |
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| BrokenBallet - 2005-09-25 1:41 AM
But my question was...will it just take up the space with muscle, and no fat? I don't want to be a big hipped, big thighed, big butted, ball of muscle! Because i just want to get rid of the fat, NOT gain it all in muscle, and still be the same size. Im a size 9, and i want a small butt, and i want small hips and a butt, i want to be a size 3, or even a 5 would be nice then what i am.
do you have a body type that will allow for this? not all bodies are the same. I am the same height as my sister, but the body type that she has is different from mine. She's a great looking size 8-10. I'm a great looking size 4-6. We're different body types. No amount of exercise or diet is going to get my sister to a size 4. and no amount of weight training and eating is going to get me to a healthy size 8-10. (i could always gain weight and become overweight, but that would be unhealthy for me. But, it's healthy for my sister).
I recommend the book Body, Mind, and Sport by John Doulliard to begin to understand body types and how to have healthy bodies.
The sizes of clothing change every year, and shop to shop. They're meaning less. Your health, that's what you want to look to. UNderstanding what is healthy for you, what is the right size and shape for you--that's what's important. | |
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| BrokenBallet - 2005-09-25 4:16 PM
Im not making excuses, i just want the RIGHT information
in exercise and sports science, nutrition, and all of that, there is no 'right' information. There is a great deal of information, and a great deal of varying opinions on that information. What you have to do is become a savvy reader and decide for yourself which information is the information that you want to follow, which information will work for you.
So ..what if i just HURRY up and do an excersize, and then it does not have the effect i want , and it would be a RESULT of being too hasty and not having all the right information. Because im apparently making "excuses".
you actually can't predict the results. The same exercise on different bodies will have different results based on any number of factors including body type, methodology (there are multiple ways of doing the same exercise--for instance, high weight and low rep, low weight and high rep, super slow, super fast, etc), nutrition, etc.
when you read an article in something like 'shape magazine' they're dealing with a central idea and with a certain body type in mind--either the very thin ectomorph or the mesomorph with ectomorphic tendencies. THese exercises may provide these results for some of these people with this body type, but probably not ALL of them. And, the results will be different on another person.
But, generally speaking, if you want to decrease your body fat percentage, you need to increase your cardio. Running will work. Cycling will work. Walking will work. Hiking will work. You get the idea? The most effiecient cardio for decreasing body fat is what is called 'interval training' or 'speed work.'
Gaining muscle, though, is part of the component of lean-ness. You will gain muscle from any activity, but muscle takes up less space than fat. pound for pound, they weigh the same, but muscle has less volumn. So, you could actually weight more, be muscular, and yet be physically smaller than when you began. Lifting weights is a great way to gain muscle mass.
Of course, different people respond differently to different forms of exercise. My sister's body type will gain a lot of muscle in her legs if she lifts weights--so much so that she actually needs to get pants with wider pant legs--even though her waist and hips will be basicly the same. Whereas when i gain muscle from weight training, i tend to fit into smaller pants, and look leaner. We're just different like that--two different body types.
So, you won't know until you start doing it and seeing what the results are. Then, you can go back to your information and fine tune based on yoru knowledge and experimentation.
(also, there's no such thing as toning).
But, tourist's advice is best. Eat well, have fun with your movement, and get enough rest. | |
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | zoebird - 2005-09-26 12:48 PM
do you have a body type that will allow for this? not all bodies are the same. I am the same height as my sister, but the body type that she has is different from mine. She's a great looking size 8-10. I'm a great looking size 4-6. We're different body types. No amount of exercise or diet is going to get my sister to a size 4. and no amount of weight training and eating is going to get me to a healthy size 8-10. (i could always gain weight and become overweight, but that would be unhealthy for me. But, it's healthy for my sister).
How funny, I have a younger sister with a body like your's Zoebird....she was the skinny one and I was the rounder sis with a little bit of everything. I always wondered if it was caused by the fact that I was a year and a half older than her and would steal her bottle from her crib. My Mother would find me in the closet with both bottles in hand,
IF, I wanted to be like my sister, I could very easily. This is what I would have to do...STARVE TO DEATH for about 3 months and then I will be a nice size 5 or 6. I do not look good when I am this skinny and it was soo uncomfortable. Not to mention how UN-healthy I would be. I have no desire to force this type of weight loss on myself (which I did 20 years ago), it was pointless because I always ended up back at my healthier size 9, which suits me just fine. I think the best thing anyone could ever do with theirselves is be happy and content with who they are and then if you want to adjust, do so moderately and reasonably. Dropping 4 sizes from a size 9 is totally unreasonable and not exactly smart, since a size 9 for most women is a fair moderate reasonable average size. Dropping a size 20 to a size 12 is a different matter and probably needed and more reasonable for most people. | |
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| Let me put it this way. I am not even. If everything was right, as in my legs werent so chicken legged, and same with my wrists...my hips and such wouldnt be so annoying. And my hips, butt, and thighs ARE fat..its not muscle...it is fat so i know i CAN get rid of it.
And on the muscle thing...The weight is the "same" but the mass is not- am i understanding this correctly?
I have started to run...yesterday i ran for about 35 minutes. Then today i had to run for school...so that was probably 12 minutes if not more...we dont go by minutes, we go by points. Then later i ran for probably just 10 minutes. | |
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| BrokenBallet - 2005-09-26 11:39 PM Let me put it this way. I am not even. If everything was right, as in my legs werent so chicken legged, and same with my wrists...my hips and such wouldnt be so annoying. And my hips, butt, and thighs ARE fat..its not muscle...it is fat so i know i CAN get rid of it. And on the muscle thing...The weight is the "same" but the mass is not- am i understanding this correctly? I have started to run...yesterday i ran for about 35 minutes. Then today i had to run for school...so that was probably 12 minutes if not more...we dont go by minutes, we go by points. Then later i ran for probably just 10 minutes. So if you are more "even" you'll be healthier? just move to feel good. the rest will come. | |
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| BrokenBallet - 2005-09-26 11:39 PM
Let me put it this way. I am not even. If everything was right, as in my legs werent so chicken legged, and same with my wrists...my hips and such wouldnt be so annoying. And my hips, butt, and thighs ARE fat..its not muscle...it is fat so i know i CAN get rid of it.
most people aren't 'even.' different bodies will carry and hold fat in different amounts, in different places, and in different ways. Even two bodies of the same 'type' can be vastly different in how and where they carry their fat. So, the fat you have may actually be healthy (i don't know), and only being extreme (like cyndi's experience--my sister had the same) will allow you to be that small, but being that small may not be healthy.
This is why i mentioned the book Body, Mind, and Sport by John Douilliard. It will give you an understanding of your bodytype, the trends in foods, exercise, and sleep patterns that help individuals with thta body type, which can help you formulate a healthy plan and understand what your body looks like when healthy.
also, if i'm not mistaken, Catherine Zeta Jones is a size 9-10 and so is Liv Tyler and both women are gorgeous. My sister is also gorgeous.
And on the muscle thing...The weight is the "same" but the mass is not- am i understanding this correctly?
a pound of feathers and a pound of iron weigh the same--one pound. But, the volumn (amount of space) that they take up is different. A pound of fat equals a pound of muscle in weight, but the volumn is different.
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | zoebird - 2005-09-27 11:48 AM
most people aren't 'even.' different bodies will carry and hold fat in different amounts, in different places, and in different ways. Even two bodies of the same 'type' can be vastly different in how and where they carry their fat. So, the fat you have may actually be healthy (i don't know), and only being extreme (like cyndi's experience--my sister had the same) will allow you to be that small, but being that small may not be healthy.
Well, I don't know about the extreme part, I don't consider myself extreme in my size 9,  , however, sometimes looking at my skinny bony little sister, I think she looks too frail. She is very strong and is a workout nut...she even has her own personal trainer. BUT, my sister is always the one to catch colds easily and she is always the first one to get stressed and/or wiped out with her stressful life and career. In fact, the way she has to balance herself leaves very little time for her to have family relationships and she treats everyone like a business...she's so very zen like. I'm the complete opposite from her. Sometimes I think my sister and I should have been joined together in one to make a complete human being,
Anyway, don't forget about the size of the bones and joints....I think this plays a big part in how you can distribute weight and how a certain weight gain or loss will look on you.
One of the things that helps me more than anything with my weight is when I'm not focused on how I look and my weight period. When I take care of myself...mind, body and spirit, i.e. meditation, exercise whether it be walking, hiking or yoga (I don't do the gym) it naturally balances out. To me, that is the big secret of weight success!! Too much physical exercise without the right diet is bad, and too much diet of food while being sedentary is also bad...so, balance is the key. I think people need to find out what their happy balance is and then you will be successful at whatever you do. When your mind is content that is the biggest factor of all while in a human body. | |
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| cyndi:
i was refering to the time when you struggled to be as small as your sister and that during that time you were unhealthy as the "extreme" time in your life. My sister had a similar experience where she 'got down to' a size six (and my mother was encouraging her to go farther) but she was tired, sick frequently, and not at all herself.
When she returned to her normal, healthy size 8-10 (and depending upon the clothing line, sometimes a 12), she looked great, felt great, and it's right for her. Just as, when you returned to a size 9, you found a size that worked for you and that was healthy for you.
I think that BB benefits from this kind of experience and can learn from your (and my sister's and other's) experiences in this regard. At a certain point, understanding that your body may be of a certain type and that it may be healthier at a different size than you originally thought or imagined helps you find ways to seek health and through that, true beauty. | |
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Yes, it took many years to learn that I did NOT have to be like my sister, it was all in my head and mostly because she helped put it there with her judgements about my size compared to her's...not to mention she had the media, magazines to help back her up. My sister likes to compete as well and tries to be very dominating when it comes to size and clothes....which I came to the conclusion a long time ago after watching her and her daughter who has major eating disorders. My sister is very insecure, not very self confident and likes to control others. To me it is very sad and unfortunate. The good news for me is that I learned valuable lessons with my experiences, others may not be so fortunate - especially in this strange materialistic society. One thing is for sure, my breasts are mine and all natural...they are not fake and so is everything else on my body - natural that is, | |
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| my mother is obcessed with stomaches. when she was a girl, her gymnastics coach used to tease her about the 'pooch' below her navel. i've seen the pictures, and i've looked at my own body. I know that that 'pooch' wasnt/isn't that big, and that everyone woman has it to some extent because our muscles down there are shaped that way (where as a man's are more flat in that area, ours are more cylandrical).
so, i grew up with my mother constantly obcessing about her abs, and then my sister and i constantly getting told "hold your stomach in" and what not. I still get it to this day.
One of the things that i had to work through was my mother's insecurities coming onto me. I still have reactions like hers, and i still have reactions to her when she'll say in the same 20 minutes "you look great in those pants!" and "those pants make your belly look flabby." So, which is it? it depends upon her security/insecurity.
my sister got it harder, because she is the 'heavy' one and my mom thinks that she should be a size 6 or so, rather than the 8-10 that she is. it doesn't make sense to me, just looking at my sister's body type which is the most obvious kapha i've ever seen. She's healthy and strong and looks great. I tell her this frequently and she's started to get the idea about her own body type and assert this when mom starts bringing things like diet and exercise up. Sure, her diet isn't perfect--whose is?--but it's good for her and it works and it keeps her healthy and happy.
Anyway, it's really my mom's insecurity that i can either internalize or not, so i've learned to 'not' and it turns out that i have a 'great body'--which for the first time in years i was actually able to 'hear' and not just say 'yeah, whatever, except for my poochy stomach." which, it turns out, isn't poochy at all--and even if iti s, i like it this way. | |
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | zoebird - 2005-09-27 3:59 PM
my sister got it harder, because she is the 'heavy' one and my mom thinks that she should be a size 6 or so, rather than the 8-10 that she is. it doesn't make sense to me, just looking at my sister's body type which is the most obvious kapha i've ever seen. She's healthy and strong and looks great. I tell her this frequently and she's started to get the idea about her own body type and assert this when mom starts bringing things like diet and exercise up. Sure, her diet isn't perfect--whose is?--but it's good for her and it works and it keeps her healthy and happy.
Zoebird,
Being a heavier type does not necessarily mean that your sister is a Kapha type - unless of course she has been thoroughly diagnosed this way. There are other factors that involve determining your body's constitution besides the build and the weight. I am a size 9, 4 sizes bigger than my sister, but that does not make my dominate dosha a kapha, in fact, I am the opposite having dominate Pitta dosha. My sister on the other hand also has a dominating Pitta dosha as well, but her secondary dosha is kapha, then vata. Her dosha's are more balanced in nature than mine are in a lot of ways when it comes to handling life and financial stresses...(she has NO financial stress). Her secondary dosha being Kapha enables her to eat spicy foods, but even that has limits for her, she just doesn't realize it. BTW, she would kill me for talking about her like this and does not believe in anything but her western medicine, she thinks this is crap
Mine on the other hand is Pitta, Vata then kapha. Due to having 3 major surgeries, my dosha's have a tendency to get out of balance easily when I'm stressed out, therefore, that is the reason I chose to live in the country and live a more peaceful settling life. My financial stress is much different because I am self employed in my own business and is a different kind of stress. My sister's dosha's when she wipes out with stress is a totally different story - she can't get away from it like I can,
Your Mother sounds like me. After having the surgeries, my muscle tone is not good in these areas. Lately, I've been working with a Chiropractor who has really helped me in this area. My pooch pouch is due to Uterus issues of not completing my pregnancy with c-sections and of having to raise children in this wierd society that does not support and/or nurture family life very well. I don't tell Kristina to hold her abs in...instead, every time we go somewhere, I am the one always in the mirror asking, "Do I look fat?"...my kids and my husband make fun of me for always asking this of them, | |
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| my sister's dosha was self-diagnosed, but she also has IBS which is another dosha imbalance. we haven't found a consistant ayurvedic doctor near here, although i've heard good things about the new one who works through Thomas Jefferson Medical School and Hospital System which also hosts/supports the Yoga Research Society in our area. So, i'm thinking of tracking him down to help with my sister's IBS. She's more of a 'western girl' too--but at least my family is willing to 'go with me' with some of these altneratives. For example, my mom does black kohash for night sweats after i suggested it, and avoided statin drugs by adding in raw dairy (which she loves) which lowered her cholesterol (since menopause caused it to raise, which is actually normal for most women in menopause). Anyway. . .
i can't remember if mine goes vata-pitta or pitta-vata--but i can't eat *really* spicy foods. i just prefer 'spice' to 'sweet,' 'sour' and 'salty.' sweet is actually my least favorite followed by sour. so, salty and spicy are my favorites, but perhaps savory is a better term since spicy indicates heat. Too much heat sense my stomach in a knot.
it is true to how dosha can 'change' depending upon what happens to the physical and energy bodies. i've seen women and men get unique imbalances that i never thought would happen after returning from accidents or going through stress or whatever else.
and so true about modern society messing with or not supporting normal, healthy family life. I don't even have children yet, and i get crap for some of the ideas i put forth like--home birth, home school, natural weaning, wearing a baby sling, 'attachment' parenting (i'm not 'all for it' but there are some good ideas) . . .things like this. i dont' even have a kid, but when i talk to people about some of my hopes and dreams (usually other young women without children like myself, because i know when confronted with it, it will be a different ball game!) for my family life, many can be quite negative about it. . .it's really sad. | |
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Expert Yogi
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Didn't you say you were near the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam?? If so, you should ask them if they plan on having an Ayurvedic MD visit them? Sometimes in Atlanta the Indian people will invite an Ayurvedic MD from India to come over to do consultations and offer treatments. That is how I received both diagnosis which were exactly the same from 2 different Indian Doctors. He also spent 2 hours with me and Satyam..it was so nice and very informative. I learned so much that day about my body and he gave me an insight on how to help my family members as well. I wish I were in New Mexico. In Alberqueque (sp?) they have the best Ayurvedic shool..they also have correspondence school too, but you have to be available to do your test and internship there and go to India for training. It's been a while since I contacted them for lack of time. | |
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| i'll try and find out.
i'm in contact with a woman who wrote an article for Alternative Health magazine in regards to her experience at an ayurvedic clinic in india. she went from zillions of problems to total health in 6 weeks at a clinic. and i've seen other 'miracles' of this sort too from other sources. Certainly, just from tinkering around a bit on my own research, i've learned and experienced a lot of positives from 'general' ayurveda practices. I'd like to take my whole family over for treatment--dad has type 2 diabetes, mom has spastic colitis, sister has IBS. i don't have anything, but a good once-over wouldn't hurt.
i will ask the gurukalam to see if they are setting anything up or will set something up. that would be a great opportunity. those who come to TJ usually are from India, but do not stay long. so disappointing. probably a visa matter. anyway. . .i'll check into it, thanks!
i've also read about the school in NM and considered their home-study course. i just don't have the time for the internships and training either. There's a school in CA that interests me too and comes highly recommended--but i can't take there until i live there. . .which may be a couple of years. it's an amazing study. | |
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| On the Liv Tyler thing, and Catherine Zeta Jones. I don't know how tall Catherine Zeta Jones is, but i know that Live Tyler is atleast 5'8" ..okay for her to be a size nine, yes she has a great body. But...thats atleast 8 inches taller then me...it looks different on shorter people. For me, being a size 9, makes me look like a way big size for someone who is say 5'8". But people don't understand that. Because the world is SO obsessed with tall people.
It'd be soo much easier for me to find pants, that fit better if i am a less size. Because the clothing industry seems to think if your a size 9 you are like 8 feet tall.
And the fat i have, is NOT healthy...its gross. I dont see how fat can be healthy anyway...atleast not my fat. I mean i know people need a little meat on their bones. But i dont like my skin touching, like how it is with my thighs, I dont think that is healthy. | |
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| who says it's "OK" for someone to be a size nine? the world? society? bull. i can't find pants that fit my body type either. that's not MY fault.my body is not unhealthy because the fashion world says that i should fit into a certain pair of jeans and i can't. fashion designers change their mind 4 times a year at least. what do they know? I understand you want to be thinner,and look a certain way, but try to understand that sometimes trying to look like someone else is just impossible. it's like wanting long, curly red hair when yours is stick straight and chocolate brown. you can color it and perm it but it's not the same. my advice is to try to focus on moving your body and eating healthfully. do exercise you enjoy. your body will respond, and as you progress, THEN you can start worrying about body fat percentage and specific training routines, you can work with a trainer at that point or i or someone else here can recommend some books for you. start by learning to enjoy exercise.learn to love what your body can do for you.(that's why i love yoga. i enjoy it in a way i never really enjoyed training.) the rest will come.promise.
Edited by anya sharvani 2005-09-28 10:16 PM
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| BrokenBallet - 2005-09-28 9:20 PM
On the Liv Tyler thing, and Catherine Zeta Jones. I don't know how tall Catherine Zeta Jones is, but i know that Live Tyler is atleast 5'8" ..okay for her to be a size nine, yes she has a great body. But...thats atleast 8 inches taller then me...it looks different on shorter people. For me, being a size 9, makes me look like a way big size for someone who is say 5'8". But people don't understand that. Because the world is SO obsessed with tall people.
that's an interesting perspective. as a 'tall person' at 5-7 who can hardly find clothes that actually fit (even though i'm a size 4-6, everything is usually too short)--it seems to me that the world is obcessed with short, small people.
It'd be soo much easier for me to find pants, that fit better if i am a less size. Because the clothing industry seems to think if your a size 9 you are like 8 feet tall.
not necessarily, and besides you can always get things taken in if you need to. many places do it without extra cost.
and besides, this may be your 'natural' size.' but, you'd have to *READ THE BOOK* and then *DO THE WORK OF THE BOOK* to find out. as opposed to complaining about 'what the world thinks' and 'what the fashion industry thinks' and whether or not C Z-J or LT are somehow perfect.
And the fat i have, is NOT healthy...its gross. I dont see how fat can be healthy anyway...atleast not my fat. I mean i know people need a little meat on their bones. But i dont like my skin touching, like how it is with my thighs, I dont think that is healthy.
but you don't *know* because you're going on cultural assumptions and ignorance rather than knowledge and experimentation and experience. And you would *know* if you would do appropriate research and start experimenting to see what works.
Also, this book is a good one: The Yoga of Eating by Charles Eisenstien. | |
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| I personally look a lot better in a size 12 than I ever would in a size 8 (or 6 or 4 - like that's possible). Because in order to fit into that size, I would have to be constantly fussing about every bite I put in my mouth, every calorie I burned, about what the world thinks of me and how I'm not good enough and will never be. NOBODY is attractive with that kind of attitude. You feel crabby because you feel deprived and unworthy. And so you act crabby, and nobody wants to be around you. At least that how it was with me, back when I chose to allow such things to make me crazy.
At a size 12 I can be strong and healthy, and still indulge myself in the things that I think are fun (pizza, ice cold beer, dancing like a fool, shouting at hockey games) without having to obsess. Most of the time I take pretty good care of myself, and I've learned to like things that are good for me like whole foods, yoga and exercise, but I still like some things that aren't so good for me. But I realized the occasional slice of pizza would do less damage over time than constantly worrying about how I looked and hating myself. Yes, I have some extra padding that I could probably lose if I got real serious and focused and worked very hard at it. But, I don't want to work that hard. All work and no play makes Jean a dull girl - dull, crabby, and unattractive. So maybe 12 is my natural size - the number on the tag doesn't matter anyway. I feel awesome because I enjoy my life, and I think people react well to that.
If you honestly can't find any clothes to fit your figure, get a sewing machine and learn how to use it! When I was a size 18-20, I could not find ANYTHING cute to wear. I love fashion, so it really made me mad. So I got a $100 sewing machine and some incredibly cool fabric online, and whipped up some fabulous skirts to wear with stretch tops, tights, and boots. Really, an awesome ensemble can make any girl feel like a million bucks.
Edited by jeansyoga 2005-09-30 6:33 PM
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Expert Yogi
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| One other thing, BB - you MUST buy petites. Seriously, I am a whole 2 inches taller than you and when I buy petites, EVERYTHING looks better. And yes, being able to sew is a huge help. Just forget the numbers, live well and it will all happen. We promise! | |
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| I don't really like junk food though. If i eat anything like cake, muffins, ding-dongs, cookies, it makes me sick...so i dont really eat them a lot. And if i eat too much cheese ( i DO like pizza) it also makes me sick, so basically i only CAN have one piece without feeling like im going to puke. So to give up all that- it isn't really a big deal.
And im kind of sick of everyone telling me, well maybe you cant be a size smaller...because YOU don't know my body.
And the petite section, does not give all the answers, they still are too long.
It would be, easier if i was a size smaller..but i dont think any of you realize how hard it is, for someone of my height. Because even 2 inches taller then me, is infact a lot...because 2 inches DOES make a difference.
And FYI i am not ignorant, you don't know how hard it is, to find a pair of pants..and realize it may be the perfect size length wise, but its too small hip wise. So then you go to a size bigger...and its legs are WAY bigger then the last size. ITS FRUSTRATING.
Edited by BrokenBallet 2005-09-30 9:00 PM
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| You are so right, BrokenBallet. We are all so stupid. You are the only person who has ever had trouble losing weight, and the only person who has ever been frustrated by store sizes. Maybe if you posted some pictures, we could all finally realize how hideous you truly are, then we would stop trying to cheer you up.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Jean!
BB - have you ever watched "What Not to Wear?" When they get people who really do have problems finding the right sizes they basically symjpathize and then do what we are doing - tell the person to suck it up and keep shopping until they DO find something that fits better. Then, as we have said, they tell her to find someone who can alter the clothes to fit. And they also tell them to IGNORE the size on the label and find something that FITS without being obsessed with the number on a tag.
We are all trying to be sympathetic here. Women especially have ideas about their bodies that play with their minds and goodness knows the manufacturers don't help by switching the sizes and what not. These are facts. It is what we do about it that makes the difference. It has been a week since you first posted. What have you DONE? Have you found a yoga class? Have you increased your walking program? I know you said you went running, but we are the yoga forum... | |
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| jeansyoga and tourist, BB, you haven't said what you like about your body. all youv'e done is tell us how "gross" it is. it's not healthy to hate yourself this much. and we are not telling you you CAN"T be a size smaller, we are telling you not to obsess about it.
Edited by anya sharvani 2005-10-02 9:06 AM
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Expert Yogi
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| Thanks anya One thing I forgot to say is that even at a "towering" 5' 2" I still have to hem my pants most of the time because I have a longish torso and shorter legs. When I have $ and don't shop at Winners (TJ Maxx down south, I think) I go to Eddie Bauer. I can wear their petite sized jeans and slacks right off the rack | |
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| tourist - 2005-10-02 10:55 AM Thanks anya One thing I forgot to say is that even at a "towering" 5' 2" I still have to hem my pants most of the time because I have a longish torso and shorter legs. When I have $ and don't shop at Winners (TJ Maxx down south, I think ) I go to Eddie Bauer. I can wear their petite sized jeans and slacks right off the rack Whoa Stretch. how's the weather up there? i am 5'1" and have yet to buy anything off the rack. i have a small waist and a big back porch so i always have to get the waist taken in and the legs shortened. or, i buy the size smaller and do the robot walk. i wear mostly capri's (as pants) and skirts. platform shoes help too. | |
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Expert Yogi
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| OMG!  I've worn "normal" sized capris as full length pants, too! Too funny.
My SIL has a tiny waist and bigger in the hips and she has a heck of a time finding pants to fit, too. I think it was actually a bit easier when pants were higher waisted because they didn't gap so much all the time. I find I am having to take the lower waisted ones in a lot and I am not that hippy but have a decent amount of "junk in the trunk" | |
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| this is what we need. a place to appreciate how wonderful and beautiful the human body is (in all it's forms) I like that I am short. it gives me good balance. i also appreiciate my muscly legs because i can really run when i want too. | |
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| BrokenBallet - 2005-09-30 8:58 PM
I don't really like junk food though. If i eat anything like cake, muffins, ding-dongs, cookies, it makes me sick...so i dont really eat them a lot. And if i eat too much cheese ( i DO like pizza) it also makes me sick, so basically i only CAN have one piece without feeling like im going to puke. So to give up all that- it isn't really a big deal.
this is good, because it means you already have an intutive sense of your diet. keep following that--as well as getting good nutritional information--and you'll have a healthy diet.
And im kind of sick of everyone telling me, well maybe you cant be a size smaller...because YOU don't know my body.
no, i don't, which is why i recommended a book. Since i'm not looking at you and i don't know you and i'm not taking you through a process that i take my clients through, i really couldn't say. But, i can say "read this book to find out" and maybe you can loose weight (and it will tell you how) or maybe you can't (and it will tell you to be healthy at that size). So, Read the book.
And the petite section, does not give all the answers, they still are too long.
then i recommend what i recommended before--get things altered. or, like jeansyoga said--get a sewing machine and do it yourself. i tried that and really i don't have the skill for it at all. so, i have to rely on others.
It would be, easier if i was a size smaller..but i dont think any of you realize how hard it is, for someone of my height. Because even 2 inches taller then me, is infact a lot...because 2 inches DOES make a difference.
And FYI i am not ignorant, you don't know how hard it is, to find a pair of pants..and realize it may be the perfect size length wise, but its too small hip wise. So then you go to a size bigger...and its legs are WAY bigger then the last size. ITS FRUSTRATING.
no, you're right. i don't know how hard it is to find clothes. No one else ever has this problem. Only people who are 5 feet tall and size 9 have this problem. No one else does, ever. Never ever. It's never happened to me. It didn't happen to me when i was over weight, and it doesn't happen to me now that i'm the right weight. It never happened to me when i was growing up, and it won't happen to me as i grow older.
The fact is, everyone has this problem because people are different sizes. My problem is that what fits in the waist and hips, is too short in the legs. And guess what--you can't get pants taken OUT. So, i have to shop and shop and shop. And what is worse is how the designs change every year. Last year, i found a pair of gap jeans that fit perfectly. They redesigned and now NONE of their new designs fit. I need new jeans and I can't find any (yet). And, the only pair that fits has such as huge 'fit and flare' that they look like bell bottoms--and it's not a look i prefer. So, it doesn't matter what size you are in which direction, it's going to be hard to find clothes that you like and that fit.
So, it's better to like yoruself, then worry about whether or not your clothes are going to fit--because the feelings you have for yourself stay the same (or improve, or you have them longer) and the clothes change every season.
As to the issue of ignorance, you're not ignorant because you can't find pants. YOu actually state your own ignorance--you don't know how to work out to achieve the results that you want. That's ignorance. And with that ignorance comes another ignorance--an assumption that your body, in a given form of exercise, will give you the results that you want.
with knowledge about 1. body types and what type of body you'll have, you'll be able to gain a reasonable picture of what sorts of results you can achieve--because not everyone can achieve certain results. For example, one of my clients (and my husband's as he does the personal training side) is a very large woman. she's only 5-3, but she has a large frame and a lot of muscle (a lot of muscle!). When she first came to us, she brought in a picture of some super-thin, tiny tiny model and said 'i want to look like her!" and my husband and i said that unless she got a new skeleton and completely new muscles, it simply wasn't going to happen. We then found pictures of women more like her in shape and size, and set her on a path to fitness. she looks great and now competes in 'strong man' competitions and 'scottish games'--she has a lot of self esteem and also has problems finding pants.
So, understanding body type is the first part--what sorts of results are possible and then you can think abuot what you want to achieve within that. ONce you know that, then you can start to look to the types of exercise that work for you and how they work for you--as well as the dietary and sleep information. This is the second part of your ignorance--not knowing how to work out for your body.
So, you read the book, you learn about yourself, you learn about what sorts of results are possible, and then you learn how to exercise to achieve a healthy, strong body that will serve you well for your many years.
And you find that you worry less about your pants, and that everyone goes thruogh the frustration of striving to find things that fit. Okies?
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| I like that my legs and arms are really long even though my torso is very short. It makes it impossible to wear certain styles, and makes certain yoga poses particularly challenging! But it also makes me look taller and thinner than I am. For some reason people refer to me as "that tall girl," and I'm just barely over 5'5"!
Of course, that IS taller than some. It's pretty average I guess. Definitely not extraordinarily tall! I have good posture, too (thanks to yoga!) so maybe that helps. | |
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| It's clear from reading this thread that we won't be happy until all the women look like supermodels! Stop eating, start smoking and a lot more puking. Best of luck.
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| Working in the fitness center I get tons of beautiful, healthy women asking me all the time how they can lose their tummies, thighs, "fix" their "problem areas", etc. It is so sad - especially because the ones who ask are the ones who work out all the time and are in fabulous shape to begin with. What can I say but, cardio burns fat, strengthening exercises increase muscle tone, but the really important thing is that you feel healthy and strong enough to do all the things you want to do. You do the best you can with what God gave you, but at some point you have to accept that genetics will be a factor.
Or you could take the starving-smoking-puking route and just lie around looking glamorous because you haven't got the energy to move! | |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | YogaGuy - 2005-10-03 3:19 PM
It's clear from reading this thread that we won't be happy until all the women look like supermodels! Stop eating, start smoking and a lot more puking. Best of luck.
Don't forget to Stop doing Yoga too!! Most Supermodels don't do yoga. Satyam hit the nail on the head the other day when we were discussing a particular actress and her body. He said she had a "pills" body. I thought that was cute, | |
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Yoga and weight loss