There’s this sort of mechanistic, black and white equation about body weight that goes something like this:
weight = what you put in – what you put out.
So don’t you know that really it’s very simple – it’s all about how many calories you put in and how many calories you burn off, right?
I’ve long been suspicious of that equation. Because, anecdotally, it was never that evident, but also, in a deep, intuitive, yogic, very spiritual kind of way, I understand deeply, that…
I am not a car…
or any machine for that matter. And my body size depends on many factors other than the amount of fuel I inject and the amount I burn off (although those things are a factor of course!)
(dieting car…poor thing)
So I’m not sure I have an equation that would trump the above one. But I have a feeling it would not be a linear one. Into the mix with diet we have to add emotions, hormones, toxicity, lifestyle and life demands, life experience and years, enjoyment, spiritual satisfaction, etc.
I wasn’t surprised to find these aritcles. The first is about how sleep deprivation is very much linked to weight gain (I think many sleep-deprived new mothers would agree.) The second, is about the link between stress and weight gain. (Ask, well, just about anyone about this. The idea of researching it is almost redundant!)
Fortunately yoga is great for both! Sleep deprivations – get yourself upside down. Legs up the wall is an excellent pose, but there are many others as well. And stress, well, just about all of it is useful – but especially restorative poses and yoga nidra – we’ll be exploring all this in the upcoming 6 week series at One Center. Research in India demonstrated that restorative poses, more than intense yoga, helped people lose weight. That’s exciting!
Losing Your Cultural Baggage
Try this: don’t comment on anyone’s weight loss. Let them know you love them regardless of the size of their body. Let them know they look healthy when you see it in their face, not their waist. It’s liberating for everyone.
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