Veggie Blog

Rapid weight loss techniques

Being overweight affects a person in many ways. It can affect your overall quality of life, your self-esteem and your mood, as well as your health risks and your ability to move freely. Losing weight brings many positive changes, which is why so many people are looking for a technique that will trim the fat quickly.

What should you do first?

The first step is to see a doctor for a full physical examination, so that you can choose the right weight loss plan for you. To lose weight effectively, four aspects of your life usually need to change: what you eat, how you eat, your behavior and your activity level.

Is fast weight loss safe?

“Fast” is relative. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that people who lose weight at a gradual, steady pace of about one to two pounds a week are more likely to keep it off. Very rapid weight loss can cause fatigue, muscle loss and gallstones. Crash diets with very few calories should only be followed under medical supervision. The tips below will help you make steady progress without taking risks.

What are six tips for faster progress?

First: Use a multi-faceted approach that combines mindset, exercise and a diet you can follow. Begin with a food plan that you can easily get used to. Add an exercise plan with at least 15 minutes a day, such as brisk walking, running, swimming or dancing, and build up from there. If you are thinking about supplements, ask your doctor first.

Second: Set realistic goals. Knowing what to aim for, and having the right attitude, helps you stay with a program. With discipline and a positive mindset, you are less likely to feel discouraged and lose focus.

Third: Listen to your body. Everyone’s metabolism reacts differently to different programs. If one approach does not work, try another. Your exercise should suit your body, because not everyone can exercise as hard as others. If walking is all you can do, then walk, because it is a great exercise. Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest, so building a little muscle also helps and looks good.

Fourth: Eat more fiber. Fiber fills you up sooner and stays in the stomach longer, which slows digestion and keeps you feeling full. Whole grains, vegetables, fruit, beans and lentils are good sources. Whole grains also raise blood sugar more slowly than refined grains such as white bread.

Fifth: Stay away from fried food, especially deep-fried food, because it contains a lot of fat. Chicken or fish are leaner than beef, but when they are deep-fried they can contain more fat than a lean piece of grilled meat. If you are on a strict diet, choose grilled, baked or steamed food, which adds less fat.

Sixth: Drink lots of fluids. Six to eight glasses of water a day keep your body hydrated, and water is the best choice, as sugary drinks add calories fast.

What matters most?

In the end, commitment and consistency are the most important things. Light dieting, regular workouts and healthy habits applied every day will give you better results than a dramatic effort followed by a return to old habits, which usually leads to gaining back more weight than you lost. For more ideas, see our posts on a weight loss plan, weight loss tips, overnight weight loss and losing weight rapidly.

The practice of ‘Yoga” which originated in India more than two thousand years ago was little known to the Western world until recent times. In the past few years there has been a renewal of interest in Yoga in the land of its origin and the reported and much publicised benefits of Yoga for physical health and mental peace have attracted many in the present day stressed out world. Numerous yoga practitioners have been seen spreading their wings in advanced countries like U.S.A. and trying to teach different versions of yoga – needless to say that commercialisation of any skill has become part of today’s money-centered world and there is no dearth of gullible public ready to hang on to any magical mantras which they believe will give them health and peace. There are, however, a few who sincerely try to pass on to the general public the knowledge and wisdom of the sages of the past in the matter of physical fitness, mental well-being and spiritual advancement through the medium of ‘Yoga’.
Among the few purists in the field of yoga as enunciated by the sage ‘Patanjali’ in India 2200 years ago, B.K.S. Iyengar stands out as the real stalwart. In his book “Light on Life” (published in 2005) we can clearly see that he practiced, taught and wrote on the principles, philosophy and physical practice of Patanjali’s original teachings with unalloyed purity, stressing the aliveness and relevance of this philosophy and practice to the modern world.
Iyenger has always practiced what he preached. The story of his own yogic journey from a weak and sickly child to a master of yoga and a yogi in a very real sense, is indeed impressive. Time and again he stresses the need for a wholesome yoga practice (as opposed to a mechanical physical exercise) where every part of our body, every cell is consciously involved in the ‘asanas’ performed; where the physical fitness is not the only purpose, and where our mind, body and soul are all in unison. Yoga has to be also a kind of meditation. This indeed was the underlying philosophy of ‘yoga’ (meaning ‘union’) as originally developed by the Indian sages.
Going into the basics of the meaning and philosophy of yoga, he has explained in his own inimitable style the external and internal components which combine to make a unique human being and how to go about achieving the goal of final union with the soul energy. Iyengar then very lucidly explains how to methodically translate this goal into practical action by learning to live in the natural world, strving at the same time to progress step by step towards the higher goal.
Iyengar not only emphasizes the benefits of yoga practices but also tells us how to find joy in their performance. The perfectionist that he is, he enjoyed teaching others too the aesthetics of yoga practices. No wonder, therefore, that the BBC Television once hailed him as “The Michelangelo of Yoga”.

This is a book of immense benefits for the beginners and serious practitioners of Yoga.

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This is the first comprehensive guide for yoga teachers and yoga students providing all the details on how to adjust or assist someone while they are performing a yoga posture. With yoga’s recent worldwide popularity, this book is invaluable to millions who teach or practice yoga. The book goes beyond just the physical aspects of yoga – it deals honestly with some touchy matters that affect yoga teachers and students alike. The book’s clear instructions and generous supply of photos make it easy for yoga teachers to learn how to adjust or assist their students. Yoga students can use this book to enhance their personal practice by working with a partner. Yoga Posture Adjustments and Assisting: An Insightful Guide for Yoga Teachers and Students demonstrates and explains adjusting techniques for over 65 postures.

Who is the intended reader?

It is written for yoga teachers and yoga students. Students can use it to work with a partner on their personal practice.

What can readers expect to find inside?

The Amazon description says it demonstrates and explains adjusting techniques for over 65 postures, with clear instructions and a generous supply of photos.

What is this book about?

The description calls the book the first comprehensive guide on how to adjust or assist someone while they are performing a yoga posture. It adds that the book goes beyond the physical side and deals honestly with some touchy matters that affect teachers and students.

This summary is based on the book description on the Amazon page.

What should I know about hands-on adjustments before reading?

Physical adjustments in a class mean a teacher touches or repositions you to refine a pose. Whether you teach or take classes, the basics are communication and consent. Tell the teacher about injuries, surgeries or pregnancy before class, and say so if you prefer not to be touched. A good teacher will offer a verbal cue or a prop instead.

The NCCIH yoga and safety page advises asking about an instructor’s training and experience and notes that sprains and strains are the usual injuries. A detailed guide to assisting poses can show a teacher what to look for, but no book replaces supervised practice and feedback in a room with real people.

Pain that is sharp, sudden or lasts after class is a reason to stop and see a health professional.

Related reading on this blog: What Is Yoga? and Yoga Videos Are Not All Equal: How to Pick One That Loosens Tight Muscles

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Anatomy of Hatha Yoga is the only modern authoritative source that correlates the study of hatha yoga with anatomy and physiology. Hatha yoga is comprised of stretching, strengthening and breathing exercises in upright, lying down and inverted postures. Yoga teachers and students, personal trainers, medical therapists, or anyone who is curious or troubled about how the body responds to stretching and exercise will find in this book a cornucopia — partly new and partly old — of readable and reliable information. It was written and edited to meet the needs of a general audience largely unschooled in the biomechanical sciences, and yet to attract and challenge the interests of the medical profession. This book features 230 black and white photographs and more than 120 diagrams and anatomical illustrations.

H. David Coulter received a Ph.D. in anatomy from the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in 1968. Dr. Coulter has been practicing yoga since 1974. He was initiated by Swami Veda, trained under Swami Rama and studied under Pandit Rajmani Tigunait at the Himalayan Institute since 1988.

Book: Anatomy of Hatha Yoga by H. David Coulter
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The old version of this post said that the poses of yoga have long been used as a foundation for athletic training, and that videos now exist for everyone from Olympic athletes to people who want “blissful relaxation.” It promised a look at four yoga tapes and then reviewed only two. Those two reviews are about workouts from the VHS and early DVD era, so I have kept their lessons and added what today’s research says about learning yoga on your own.

What do you need to start?

The old post says all you need is comfortable clothes and a non-skid surface such as a sticky mat. That still holds. Cleveland Clinic’s guide to yoga props agrees that a mat helps stop you from slipping, and a blanket or a towel can stand in for other props. If you are new to yoga, our guide to warming up, breathing and listening to your body is a good first read.

What was the “boot camp” video like?

The first video was an 85-minute power yoga class led by a Los Angeles teacher, with 13 students working through continuous movement meant to build strength and endurance. It had a five-minute introduction to basic poses, but the reviewer said the rest of the class was extremely hard for anyone who is not very fit, and that the teacher paid little attention to the beginner struggling at the back of the class. The reviewer’s test was blunt: unless you can do push-ups, balance on one leg without difficulty and have a strong core, pick an easier video. That is a useful self-check, though I would add that you should stop whenever you feel pain, sharp strain or dizziness.

What made the second video work better?

The second video was a 55-minute strength-and-endurance class in the Yoga Zone series, led by Lisa Bennett, and it followed one beginner and one more advanced student. The reviewer liked that the teacher spent time showing the beginner modified versions of the poses so she could finish every section, and that veterans could learn from the harder options. She also praised the teacher’s clear descriptions of good form, down to the angle of a bent knee and the direction of an extended arm, and her calm, encouraging manner. Those three things (modifications, form cues and a calm teacher) are what to look for in any video.

Are videos as safe as a class?

Not always. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that yoga is generally safe for healthy people when it is done properly under the guidance of a qualified instructor, and that learning yoga on your own without supervision has been associated with increased risks. The most common injuries are sprains and strains. Older adults, pregnant women and people with conditions such as knee or hip injuries, severe high blood pressure or glaucoma should talk with a health care provider first. If you choose a video, start with a beginner session, follow the modified versions and avoid extreme moves such as headstands until a live teacher has checked your form.

How hard should a workout be?

The U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines count active forms of yoga, such as vinyasa or power yoga, as moderate-intensity activity, and recommend that adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week plus muscle-strengthening activity on two or more days. A gentler, more meditative style such as hatha is a better fit if you want relaxation. The video linked at the end of this post is a beginner-level yoga video. For a longer discussion, read our posts on choosing a yoga video for beginners and yoga videos that loosen tight muscles; our guide to the posture basics explains the poses that videos use.

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