That moment when you take a seat on your mat, inhale deeply, and center into awareness… if you’ve been curious about whether your yoga practice can help you lose weight and transform your body, some experts say it truly can. There’s just one important key to understanding how it works—but if you do, science suggests this can be a powerful means of trimming down for good.

Keep reading to learn how yoga can support your weight loss goals, and sign up for the Eat This, Not That! newsletter for wellness news delivered daily.

We’ll start by saying that more intensive modalities of yoga, like power yoga and Bikram, might heighten your weight-loss potential from yoga just through the calorie burning that comes from aggressive movement, muscle engagement, and temporarily depleting the body of water (and afterward, you’ve got to remember to drink up!).

Instead, we’re talking about milder versions of yoga, like vinyasa or Hatha, that engage the whole body, but also aim to amplify the connection between body, mind, and spirit. Research has suggested these arguably gentler yoga practices can be effective means of supporting weight loss…

RELATED: Eating Habits for Weight Loss That Experts Say Actually Work

Several studies have found associations between yoga and weight loss. Recently, Harvard Medical School‘s blog cited a study that found people who practiced yoga for 30 minutes once a week over four years gained less weight in middle adulthood than some of their peers.

The blog adds that those who were overweight and practiced yoga actually saw their weight decrease.

Dina Ivas, a formerly Brooklyn-based certified yoga teacher who’s been instructing internationally during the pandemic, says she “absolutely” agrees that practicing yoga can make an impact on weight loss. “Ever since I began a regular yoga practice,” Ivas tells Eat This, Not That!, “I became way more aware of habits like eating too fast, and started to truly enjoy slowing down and savoring a meal.”

Los Angeles-based, board-certified holistic nutritionist Katie Bressack lends further insight to us on how this works. “A yoga practice helps you create a mind-body connection [because] the breath allows you to slow down and connect with the movement.” Bressack says this “transfers to other areas of your life to more mindful eating, reduction in stress, and improved sleep—which all help support weight loss.”

RELATED: This Is the Best Workout for Better Sleep, New Study Finds

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If you’re one of the 40% of people who’ve been substituting sweeteners for sugar—specifically, drinking diet soda instead of regular—new brain science reveals this could be producing the exact opposite effect from what you want. A riveting recent study has identified a link between diet soda and calorie intake… and the scientific explanation is likely to make you think.

Keep reading to learn about this study that focused on diet soda and weight gain, recently published in the journal of Nutrition, Obesity, and Exercise. (Sometimes it helps to remember you don’t have to sacrifice wholesome, healthy foods in the quest to get trimmer—check out the 45+ Best Cozy Casserole Recipes for Weight Loss.)

Led by a group of researchers studying neuroscience, obesity, and medicine at the University of Southern California, this study engaged 74 healthy participants between the ages of 18 and 35 years old. Participants’ body mass index (BMI) was used to determine whether they were of normal weight, overweight, or obese.

The researchers report their objective was to “examine neural reactivity to different types of high-calorie food cues (i.e., sweet and savory), metabolic responses, and eating behavior” after some of the participants consumed sucralose (an artificial sweetener), while others consumed a sugary drink and another group drank only water.

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Between March 2020 and March 2021, the participants reported three times for the research team to collect their data. The participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and had their blood taken at baseline after a 12-hour fast, as well as 10, 35, and 120 minutes after they received one of three beverages: A drink containing sugar (approximately six tablespoons diluted in 10 ounces of water that provided 300 calories), artificial sweetener (of an amount whose sweetness was equal to the sugar, also dropped into 10 ounces of water), or plain water.

Then, the researcher report they measured participants’ levels of glucose, insulin, ghrelin (known as the hormone that stimulates hunger), and leptin (a hormone that regulates food intake and energy expenditure).

At that point, the researchers presented the participants with a buffet meal that they were invited to enjoy freely.

RELATED: Everyday Habits That Cause Obesity, Says Science

Perhaps unsurprisingly, sugar drinks were associated with greater production of glucose (blood sugar), insulin, and hormone levels that indicated a more satiated appetite.

Interestingly, the results show that calorie consumption increased significantly among female participants, and those who were obese, when they’d been part of the diet drink-consuming group.

RELATED: The Final Verdict on Adding Lemon Juice to Your Coffee for Weight Loss, Says Dietitian

The researchers state that females had “greater caloric intake after the sucralose vs sucrose condition”—meaning overall, the women who drank artificial sweetener ate more than those who’d consumed the sugary drink.

Some observers are concluding that may indicate artificial sweeteners stimulate the brain to crave more food than sugar drinks do. Indeed, this study’s findings could suggest that if diet soda is a regular player in your diet, it’s possible that’s leading you to consume more calories than you would if you stuck with water… and perhaps more calories than you believe you’re taking in.

But, one important note the researchers make is that “neither male participants nor female participants fully compensated for the sucrose drink condition caloric preload.” This statement makes an important point: It seems the group who drank the sugar beverages still consumed the greatest calories overall.

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When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, diet, exercise, and weight loss can keep anyone in shape. While many might assume you need to keep a close eye on your calorie intake and watch what you eat, a new study has shed light on what actually helps you live a wholesome lifestyle.

According to a study published in iScience, some lifestyle plans designed to combat obesity don’t work and in the long run, can even lead to some individuals gaining more weight. The study showed that obese individuals end up seeing far better results when they start exercising, as opposed to obese participants that tried to lose weight by simply dieting. While the study didn’t precisely measure dieting, it did reveal that those who used a diet to lose weight eventually ended up gaining the pounds back after they hit their goal, while those who exercised had better long-term results.

“Exercise is important when it comes to obesity and disease due to its impact on insulin sensitivity,” says Jay Cowin, NNCP, RNT, RNC, CHN, CSNA at ASYSTEM. “Insulin sensitivity is your body’s ability to pull glucose out of the bloodstream so that it can be used for energy or fuel. Obesity has been found to activate the innate immune system which stimulates inflammation and insulin resistance.”

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“This can lead to symptoms of prediabetes and ultimately type 2 diabetes,” continues Cowin. “However, studies show that exercise improves insulin sensitivity when performed daily. This is because, during aerobic exercise, muscles increase their uptake of glucose by as much as fifty times. This effect can persist for up to 24 hours or more after your workout. This shows that exercise is imperative for regulating insulin sensitivity, which can affect your overall health.”

Exercise doesn’t just affect how your body processes insulin.

“Exercise prevents or reverses the effects of certain diseases,” says Dr. Daniel Boyer of the Farr Institute. “Moderate exercise increases heartbeat that makes the body muscles use more glucose. With time, it reduces blood sugar levels, [which] lowers heart attack [risk] and related disorders. By controlling body weight, reducing sex hormones, and strengthening the immune system, it can minimize chances of certain cancers like colon and breast cancer.”

According to the study, people who exercised regularly had a 22% lower all-cause mortality risk and 24% lower cardiovascular disease risk.

“It [also] promotes a sense of confidence and well-being by lowering anxiety and depression,” says Dr. Boyer. “However, the link between exercise and emotional health is not clear. Because it makes the body burn more calories, it helps check obesity that might cause health problems in the body. To achieve this, do some aerobic exercise for at least 20 minutes per day to realize the effect of exercise on your weight.”

If you have a weight loss goal in mind or just want to live a healthier lifestyle, opt to make exercise a priority to keep you in top shape and moving toward a better lifestyle. If you need ideas of what to do to get your body moving but don’t know where to start, make sure to check out This 5-Move At-Home Workout Will Help You Build Strength and Get Lean and get ready to live your best life.

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