want to change your body?
Change your mind.
My mother is considering another dalliance with the cabbage soup diet. She does this periodically. She says she doesn’t mind the soup and she always loses a fair amount of weight. After a couple months, the weight comes back, usually with a little bit extra. This fact never enters into her diet considerations. It should. Weight gain after a diet is as common as weight loss during the diet. What we know, scientifically, about diets can be summed up in three words: They Don’t Work. None of them. Most everyone gains the weight back. While a few individuals are successful in maintaining weight loss, they are the exceptions and there is no evidence that dieting was an aid in their success.
The good news is there is a proven method for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Better still, it doesn’t involve a lot of self-denial or austerity. You never have to count a calorie. This method has many side effects besides healthy weight: improved mood, increased immunity to disease, and greater physical comfort and function among them. You’ve heard of this method. It’s been around a long time. It’s called yoga.
You may have seen the recent news. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington found that people who participate in classical yoga become mindful eaters. They are more likely to recognize when they are full and to stop eating. They are less likely to eat in response to external stimuli such as advertising, stress or other emotions. They are more likely to choose healthy foods. Yogis tend to eat less but, because of their increased awareness, they enjoy food more.
When we try to lose weight one of the first things we may notice is how divided we are. Our mind understands the need for healthy weight but our body is often weak. We may be strong and full of resolve most of the day only to give in when we are tired or upset. Yoga teaches that the different parts of ourselves–mind, body, and emotions–may have opposing agendas. Frequently, we’re not even aware of this until we try to do what we know we should do and find it to be surprisingly difficult.
Traditional yogis practice not to work out, but to use the challenges of the exercises to train themselves to become more mindful. Because of this, everyone can practice yoga regardless of their physical abilities. In practicing yoga, the point is not what we do, but how we do it. We don’t have to do it well. All we need to focus on is the quality of awareness. How does it feel? How does the feeling change over time? Does our body respond to the instructions from our mind? When does our mind wander? When do we become upset or excited?
The magic is that this simple awareness, practiced regularly, begins to spread to all areas of our lives. Yoga makes us more aware of simple physical truths; for instance, how we balance our weight on our feet and legs. This self-awareness then begins to extend to everything, including our relationship with food. We begin to really notice and enjoy the smell, color, taste and texture of our meals. In fact, all simple physical pleasures tend to increase with awareness–the feeling of sun on skin, the embrace of a loved one, the pleasure and power of a healthy body. As enjoyment and satisfaction increase, the need for more begins to wither.
Awareness is the purpose and crowning jewel of the practice of yoga. But as I said, the practice has side effects. When we bring mind and body together, the mind gains focus and awareness, while the body gains strength and coordination.
What have you got to lose? Cabbage soup? (It has side effects, too!)
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