Belly fat loss with yoga?

[LiquoriceWheel]

I've been practicing yoga for three months (starting from one class a week to three a week) and my clothes are looser but I still have an apron of belly fat.

I just wanted to know if anyone has achieved substantial fat loss especially abdominal fat with yoga alone? I always break out in a sweat during class (even the 'easy' classes) so I'm definitely being challenged in every class.

I'm giving myself at least six months to lose 4 inches of fat from my waist (34 inches to 30) is this possible with yoga? My diet is average but 100% better than it was before yoga.

Yoga is toning and strength building but very very rarely gets my heart rate into fat burning territory.

You need to add in / swap for a more intense exercise every week.

You can't spot reduce fat so no. You can tone up the area, create stronger muscles and improve the appearance - but you can't target actual fat in one area, it isn't physically possible. Sticking with making better diet choices is the only way and persevering with the Yoga which is bound to be having massive health benefits.

This article covers the basics of why:

www.healthstatus.com/health_blog/body-fat-percentage-calculation/why-spot-reducing-fat-is-impossible/

concentrate on your bandhas in practice for core strength and tightening up mid section - throw some pilates in
yoga will be doing wonders for your cortisol levels (cortisol is linked with belly fat)
yoga also good for building muscle all over which will ultimately help with fat burning all over.

Yoga was cornerstone of my weightloss a couple of years ago but was practising ashtanga twice per week plus gentler classes everyday AND plodding (to call it running would be an exaggeration). But I made fundamental diet changes too.

Wow, that was quick! Thanks for the replies.

Looks like I'll have to start doing cardio stuff then. Hopefully it won't be too bad now that I have a bit more muscle.

Try swimming op.

I do DDP Yoga which is kind of a mixture of yoga and Pilates and involves getting your heart into the fat burning zone so you build muscle and burn fat. With better eating and using the app four times a week I’ve lost just shy of six stone in eighteen months or so. I also have ab definition (I can’t call them abs yet, I’ve nicknamed them ‘flabs’) for the first time in my entire life.

Recommended if you fancy a try - it’s around £6 a month for the app and they tend to do a free trial. There are classes too but not many in the U.K. yet.

I was about to recommend DDP Yoga too. It makes a point of getting your heart to the right level for fat burning... I was at a cardiologist appointment and he thought it was brilliant.
It's all done online so you can do it at home

Have another look at your diet and take from average to great. Add more cooked and raw veggies aiming at trying new vegetables every week to increase variety to 20 different veggies every week. The food you put in your mouth will make the difference

Choosing the right diet makes the most difference - especially for women. Diet and cardio together have the fastest effect.

I have lost belly-fat with yoga... because the yoga helps me cope better with the diet I need to eat (a mental thing) and makes my body feel stronger and more willing to move about (so helps me with cardio).