What can I do to improve my weight loss?

Answered by Kathleen Kastner, owner of Maya Yoga studio, in Kansas City, MO.

I am 5'3 and overweight. Even thought I eat five to six small meals a day and exercise, I haven’t lost any weight. Am I doing something wrong? Some people tell me that stress can contribute to my inability to lose weight. I practice Hatha and Power yoga. What can I do to improve my weight loss? -April

I suggest you walk 6 days a week for 30-45 minutes and do 3-6 days of Power yoga, Vinyasa yoga, and especially Ashtanga yoga. If there is any way you could enroll in a mysore ashtanga program in your area and do it 5 days a week, it could do wonders to help you lose weight, and lose inches, as long as you are watching what you eat. (After three years of doing just Power and Vinyasa yoga, I began a 6 day a week Mysore practice and noticed a dramatic difference in my body.)

I know this sounds like a lot of exercise, but once you boost up your
metabolism and get to your goal weight, you should be able to cut back
on some of the exercise. But for now, your body needs a jolt of energy
to get your metabolism, up, up, UP!  In time, your body will become a
self-regulating machine, and maintaining your weight won't take quite so much effort on your part.

Make sure you are doing Ujjayi breathing and engaging your bandhas (energy locks- lower abdominal and perineum muscles), when you practice yoga. This will really aid in your digestion, by helping you break down undigested food that could be resting in your intestines and your colon. I would like to know more about what kinds of foods you are eating... I suggest a vegan diet, low in sugar and no caffeine.  A vegan diet will break down easier in your digestive tract, vs. a diet that is high in meat, dairy and eggs.

I also suggest 5-10 minutes of daily meditation to work on shifting the thought patterns in your mind, to help you deal with stress, anxiety and the emotional need to overeat.  Meditation and yoga will also help you with your relationship with food.

Kathleen Kastner has been teaching ashtanga, vinyasa and power yoga for ten years and is also the owner of Maya Yoga studio, in Kansas City, MO

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