8 Reasons To Lose Weight
The smallest changes you can make to your lifestyle will make a big difference in your overall health and weight loss.
1. Lowered Blood Pressure
High blood pressure puts additional stress on your heart and it has to work that much harder. About 1/3 Americans have high blood pressure and don’t even know it. Losing weight can help lower your blood pressure. It has been said that for about every 20 pounds you lose, you can drop your systolic pressure from about 5 to 20 points. Weight loss can even lower your diastolic blood pressure as well. There are several benefits to lowering your blood pressure. You can lower your risk of having kidney failure, heart disease, and a stroke. These conditions are very serious and in some cases can lead to death if left untreated.
2. More Energy
When you lose weight your body is no longer lugging around excess weight. You will feel lighter once the extra weight is gone. Your body will use less energy to keep going. You will be able to get more oxygen throughout your body. There will be no more huffing and puffing when climbing the stairs.
3. Less Joint Pain
When you lose weight your knees, lower back, and hips will thank you. There would be less weight applied to your knees so they won’t have to work as hard. Your joints have to work regardless of your weight but why make them work more than they have to? Yes, your bones will become stronger but this is damaging to your joints. Your poor joints carrying around extra weight will eventually become stiff, swollen, can lose mobility, and can even become achy. You can develop osteoarthritis by the constant wear and tear of the protective cartilage that surrounds your joints. Losing 1 pound can remove 4-6 pounds of pressure from your hips. So you don’t have to lose a drastic amount of weight to have relief, a few pounds lost would do your body good. Your lower back will suffer if you don’t lose weight because the fat on your abdominal pulls your body forwards and that adds strain to your back muscles that are trying to hold your posture. Losing weight will make it less painful to run and exercise when you are keeping off the weight. Some people’s joints get so bad that their only choice to relieve the pain is surgery. While you have a choice, lose weight.
4. Sweat Less
Sweat is how your body responds to being overheated. Your body will release sweat to regulate your internal body temperature. Having more body fat traps heat and raises your internal temperature. So your body has to work harder and produces more sweat to regulate your temperature. Less fat, less sweat. Easy.
5. Spend Less On Health Care
Keep more money in your pocket by keeping less fat on your body. When you lose weight you will improve your health. Improving your health means you will have fewer sick visits to the doctor’s office and hospital. Researchers have found that people that are overweight pay about 42% more on healthcare than those that are not overweight. You will also spend less on medications because after you lose weight you may be able to stop taking some medications you have been prescribed. The healthier you are the less medication you may need to take. Of course, your doctor would be the one to tell you what medications to ease up on and the ones to stop taking altogether. Like I mentioned before some people have to have surgery when they had the option to lose weight. Surgery isn’t cheap but losing weight can be.
6. Sleep Better
Being overweight makes you more tired because your body has to work harder to support your additional pounds and that stresses out your body. Unfortunately, when its time to sleep you will notice that it’s harder to go to sleep. Excess weight around your neck will make it harder to sleep and you will snore when you finally do fall asleep. The soft tissue will block your airways which will make it difficult to breathe. When you lose weight it will help you sleep better. When you are overweight your airways become blocked during sleep and that temporary blockage makes you wake up. This continually happening can cause you to be drowsy the next day. When you are overweight and don’t sleep the recommended hours, your body will produce its own insulin to function. Because your fat cells lose the capability of them doing it on their own. This will lead to your fat building up. Also when you are not getting enough sleep your body will create more stress hormone cortisol that will cause you to eat more to feel satisfied. Why go through all that, when you can just lose a few pounds? When you lose weight you can improve your symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleep also helps your body burn fat.
7. Clear complexion
A clean diet can make for a clear face. Your face will have that “glow” and will be more elastic. This will make you look younger. Looking younger and weighing less are 2 great benefits to me. Since losing weight means a better diet and some exercise your skin will benefit from the nutrients you are eating. When you change the foods you eat to healthier choices your skin will improve. You can even have those dark circles removed with a proper diet from your weight loss. When you lose weight you will see a reduction in the signs of aging on your face as well.
8. Improved Memory
Obesity has been connected to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. When you become more active and lose weight, your brain becomes more active and retains information.
