Frequently Asked Questions (Weight Loss)

WEIGHT LOSS

Dear Mike,

i am a young girl and i am a bit chubby. I'm not obese, but my friends are perfect weight and they are smaller than me. I'm not saying that i would like to lose weight for my appearance, i would like to be healthy and live long. i exercise every day and i don't eat to much junk food, but i need something more than that. i saw your web site and i am quite impressed with all the great results, but i did not see any results under "weight loss." if i do these breathing exercises, will it help my weight problem? i thank you very much for your time and effort to making people feel better about their selves.

From Mike:
All the so called weight loss breathing exercises I have reviewed can add energy but also lock up the breathing so that later you will have breathing blocks.

If you start taking VERY LONG walks carrying extra weight you will lose weight. Ever meet an overweight backpacker? I never have. Walking is probably the safest most generic exercise there is. It is always available, costs nothing, and takes only reasonable amounts of time. If you add extra weight you increase the conditioning factor. The fair-weather walker loses half of the privileges of the sport. Snow and rain, sunshine, fog, heat and cold -- no other exercise can match it for variety.

My favorite exercise walking oriented machine is listed in the #191 Secrets of Optimal Natural Breathing manual along with several gym equipment training techniques. Think not of the time walking as being spent. Think of it as being invested. You must invest time in your health. It will repay dividends far beyond anything you could ever obtain with money.

If walking is not practical or interesting please try the exercise at #130 Better Breathing Exercise #2. It would be a really good idea for you to have the Recommended Program.

WEIGHT LOSS VIDEOS & BREATHING BLOCKS

Dear Mike

In your answer to the young girl who asked if your breathing exercises would help her lose weight, you stated that it would produce "breathing blocks." What do you mean? As you know, there are a number of popular TV infomercials touting the use of deep, high-rate breathing to loose weight. If I knew what you meant regarding "breathing blocks" I would be in a better position to know if these breathing exercises are "dangerous."

Jack

From Mike:
Many of these extra breathing styles can give the body more energy. MOST of the tapes I have seen invite constriction from forced breathing. Some can help to burn off fat. Everyone is built differently and I suspect that a great many are going to receive initial benefits. The problem lies in that they are going to do the same thing over a long period of time. Variety is key to most things and the breath is no different.

ALL forced breathing is eventually negative. Initially if it works great. Use my breathing tests #1, 2, 3, 4 as primary markers. If the test numbers keep improving then they may be OK. When the test markers level off it is time to be cautious. Any other negative symptoms need be addressed as well as breath influences ALL of life and living.

Recommended Program

WEIGHT LOSS #3

I found your web site today when I did a search on "breathing;" I watched an infomercial last week about losing weight and firming up via deep breathing! This is a new concept to me and am interested in reading more. You stated you'd like to hear from readers as to what interests they'd like to read about. Please add some articles about weight loss via breathing!

From Mike:
I bought that tape to check it out. The exercises I observed will cause accessory breathing muscles to hyper constrict and probably though they will provide extra energy now they will eventually cause restricted breathing. Yes breathing more, if it is a relaxed sort of belly breath can help weight loss. Even the videoed exercises can do some of that. But the cost in terms of breathing muscle tensions are great.

Make your breathing bigger and easier and become more aware of it and you will naturally, and in a more healthy way, change your metabolism and be inspired to increased activity which along with fewer fats and refined sugars, is the best weight loss program there is. When you metabolism changes you burn your fuel more efficiently, eat less and move more. Change over to more raw foods too. They help the oxygen function better.

Mike

Recommended Program

WEIGHT LOSS BY BODY FLEX

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the info on your web site. The feedback on you personal coaching sessions is impressive. I live in Massachusetts. I bought the Body Flex video on breathing exercises. How does your program differ from it? Thanks. Vicki

From Mike:
I do not advocate the breath and body constrictions. They energize initially but eventually lock up natural breathing. Optimal Breathing is far superior. I recommend integrating my Weight Loss Program.

BODY FLEX

Hi, Mike!

I just saw an infomercial (yeah, I know....!<G>) For "Body Flex". Of course, those things never tell you much but blabber. But, if you are patient, and listen very carefully, one can glean a few salient points. It sounded like she is re-packaging a some old methods into her "new" system. The thing she capitalizes on most is that the breathing pattern; she advocates as that is what really burns the fat.

It seems like she is using a combo of good ol' isometrics, coupled with stretching (a must with isometrics), the breathing, and drinking a certain quantity of water. The breathing pattern was mentioned to use "breath skips" and very deep breaths, and sounded like pursed-lip breaths, too. Altogether, it sounded like Yoga!

Do you know anything about this?

From Mike:
Oh, yes. I have the tapes. I suspect everything will sound like yoga as they did not miss much when the Patanjali family picked it apart back in the 7th and 8th centuries. Except singing. They chanted. It is good but different. Their sitting cross legged postures are not so good for much of our culture either. It is actually un-grounding.

Go ahead and try Body Flex as it may do some good. Only be careful of the breath-constricting and holding that will cause long term problems later. The oxygen is essentially what burns the fat. That and the fact that it gives one more energy and that also gets one moving more. It is the movement coupled with the change in metabolism that works best. Though the movement is not necessary for all.

But it can also make people more hungry and they eat more. Jon Hendricks of the Lambert, Hendricks and Ross vocal trio used to go to Vanessi's restaurant in San Francisco for a 3AM dinner right after his show. He had been singing for two hours and was ravenous. He was slender and in great shape. I sing a lot and get hungry too. I think the singing is a better way to work the breathing because it works the nervous system in a certain way that maintains the nervous system balance. The voice becomes a primary marker for breathing improvement and the breathing improvement stays even after the singing stops.

So the breath changes metabolism. I believe it should come easily and without the huff and puff stuff.

But if it (Body Flex) lets you lose weight and your breathing count goes up and consistently exceeds 150 in three months or so, breath rate stays below 8 and pause rate at 3 seconds, your voice gets stronger and your upper chest expansion increases, then I can have no problem with it. Unless any of the other parts of the self tests get worse.

Feeling constriction, raising shoulders when you breathe, feeling tightness across the chest are all bad indicators and if you feel these something is wrong. They should lessen with ANY breathing program. Pay special attention to hers and your voice. Listen REAL CAREFULLY. Have her sing.

You should also try my Weight Loss Program.