Are you tired of trying to lose weight with crash diets, premade food delivered to your doorstep, gym workouts and perhaps even fat blaster tablets?  Are you wondering How can I lose weight sustainably? Well, do not despair, you are not alone. Studies have shown that only 4% of people who went on a diet sustained their weight loss after 2 years!! Surprising? Well not really. Dieting alone does not address all the fundamental issues that contribute to weight gain.

I started looking into losing weight when I was around 14, finally Yoga and Ayurveda ( the ancient life science of India) gave me the means to lose weight and sustain it.  

So, let’s see Why you need to lose weight? Being overweight leads to various chronic issues from hypertension, diabetes, Thyroid, Arthritis, Depression, the list goes on and on. Obesity is now identified as one of the biggest epidemics along with alcoholism, depression and social anxiety.

What  causes weight gain. Simply put, if we consume more calories than we can use up, it results in weight gain. While the arithmetic is easy to understand, the underlying mechanisms that lead to intake of excess calories need a lot more consideration. Crash diets and spending hours in the gym trying to balance the arithmetical calorific equation and do not address the underlying causes, hence why they do not always work.

Let us now see How can weight loss can be made permanent, irrespective of your age, gender, race or current weight. Sustained weight loss requires a 4-pronged approach. I have given the acronym SMAF for Stress, Mind, Activity, Food. These four factors that need to be addressed as follows.

Step 1 – Manage your Stress

 Physical, or emotional stress can lead to production excess Cortisol hormone which in turn can lead to stress eating. Stress can be hidden deep inside, and you may not even know you are carrying stress. Breathing techniques, Meditation and Exercise with experienced teachers will help you identify and address stress. Try our Stress to Serenity – Reinvent your Life through through Yoga Practices course online at your own time and convenience. ( insert hyper link here https://courses.sanatanayoga.com.au/stress-to-serenity ) 

Step 2 – Train your Mind

Like most addictions, eating excessively also can be classed under addictions. This caused by a craving of the mind triggered by either hormonal or psychological causes. Concentration and Contemplation techniques can help you address this matter.

Step 3 – Get Active

Being active is important to maintain joint mobility, muscle function, bone density, cardio health, and hormonal health to name a few. On Youtube  there are many videos that promise you weight loss and 6 pack abs in few weeks. Well, they don’t always work,   nor are the exercises that are demonstrated by very fit young people suitable for someone who is overweight and perhaps unfit. Learn the importance of correct breathing before you embark on vigorous activities, understand the benefits of sustained stretches, and twists that yoga postures offer for strength, flexibility and fat burning. Along with this use Yoga postures to create low impact high cardio sequences over short durations (20 to 30 seconds)

Check out the videos on Sanatana Yoga Academy Youtube channel for free ( insert hyperlink here) at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5NfkcLsFh9xVjY63M-LQwg

Step 4 – Understand your Food

Understand all the types of foods available to us, and their nutritional aspects. Avoid foods that have excessive calories with very little nutrition (Yes, the Standard American or Continental breakfast is out of the door, so is Mac Burgers, KFC and Hungry Jacks !!!). Also understand how food also has an impact on your mental health and your internal energy imbalances( called Doshas in Ayurveda) 

So, if you are some one battling weight and related health issues, you can now approach your weight loss, health gain journey with the confidence that you will sustain it for a long time to come by the four step SMAF process.

If you wish to learn how to permanently lose weight, using Yoga Practices, Ayurveda and Modern exercise physiology I invite you to my upcoming workshop:

Register here: https://sanatanayoga.com.au/dt_courses/heading-workshops-on-yoga/

Call us on +61438496040( can use Whatsapp if you are outside of Australia)  or reach out to us by email on sanatanayogaacademy@gmail.com. We will guide you to do Live Yoga Sessions with Sanatana Yoga Academy or Online Yoga sessions through our free Youtube channel ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5NfkcLsFh9xVjY63M-LQwg ) or check out our Online Yoga Courses