Yoga For Weight Loss

Here’s what you need to know:

Without padding the truth…

Unless you have a very extreme lifestyle, your daily calories burned will look something like this:

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): 70% of daily calorie burn (basic body functions, of which the brain is the single biggest calorie-burner)
• Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): 15% (the normal movements that occur as you go about your daily life)
• Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): 10% (energy needed for digestion)
• Exercise Activity: 5% (actual workouts, often overestimated)

Notably, poor sleep reduces fat loss by 50% and increases hunger. High stress levels lead to fat retention and cravings for unhealthy foods. Thus, yoga helping to reduce stress and improve sleep is actually more beneficial here than any calories it might burn.

Because the basal metabolic rate is something we can change over time (such as by building more muscle or losing fat—muscle mass “costs” calories to maintain, whereas fat triggers the body to slow the BMR) but not in the short term, Liv’s position is that NEAT matters most, because non-exercise movement (like walking, standing, doing chores) burns more daily energy than structured workouts and plays a bigger role in fat loss. To this end, she advises to move more throughout the day, regardless of your yoga and/or other exercise.

Further on the topic of yoga and weight loss, she advises:

• Ask why you want to lose weight: the desire to lose weight often comes from from societal pressures; yoga can shift focus toward appreciating your body for what it can do.
• Yoga varies in intensity: the energy burned in yoga differs greatly depending on the style—intense forms like Rocket Yoga burn more than gentle ones like Yin Yoga.
• Do what you enjoy: the most effective exercise is the one you enjoy and can stick with long term—this could be yoga if it’s fun and sustainable for you.

For more on all of this, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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Take care!