Guest Author - Martha McKinnon

Yoga works for weight loss. It worked for me. I've lost more than thirty pounds and kept it off since beginning to practice yoga more than ten years ago. Many others report yoga for weight loss success too.

Back in 1995 a study was conducted by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that confirmed yoga was effective at helping men and women aged 45 to 65 lose weight and/or maintain their weight.

You don't burn nearly as many calories doing yoga as you do with many other forms of exercise so why does it work? Many, including me, feel that the power of yoga with weight loss is its mind-body approach.

Yoga helps with all aspects of the weight issue – physical, mental, and emotional. Anyone who has ever struggled with their weight knows how significant the mental and emotional aspects of eating can be.

Here are some of the ways yoga can help with weight loss

1. Reduces stress, stress-hormones, and as a consequence, stress related eating.

2. Increases your mind - body awareness so you pay more attention to your eating choices and behaviors.

3. Improves your mood which can lead to less emotional eating.

4. Improves your muscle tone, balance, flexibility, and circulation that can lead to improved hormone function and better digestion.

5. Increases insulin sensitivity so your body processes sugar and fat more efficiently.

6. Encourages you to be kind to yourself. With regular practice, you may notice yourself thinking, is this really good for me? Do I really need another cup of coffee? How will I feel after I eat this super-sized burger and fries? Often you lose your desire for the foods that aren't good for you with minimal effort.

7. Most importantly yoga teaches that each day is a practice, an opportunity to gain insight, not an all or nothing undertaking. You learn to be less judgmental and striving. You may begin to feel more balanced, your emotional swings less extreme, so you are able to find your center without resorting to harmful behaviors.

When you realize you can turn to your yoga practice, breathe deeply, take a walk, or have a bath instead of raiding the fridge or nearest vending machine, you sigh with relief, realizing that the worst of your weight loss struggle may finally be behind you, thanks to your yoga practice.