Are you looking to lose a goal weight? Something that may take a longer time than you like, like 50 pounds?
Well, even if you’re not reaching that goal as fast as you’d like, even losing just five percent of your body weight can get you significant progress towards improved personal health.
Just losing a few pounds can improve so many aspects of your health, so there’s no reason to feel down if you’re at a sticking point. Here are just a few benefits:
- You’ll lower your cancer risk. Obesity causes inflammation, which increases your risk of cancer. Losing weight can decrease your inflammation levels. One study found that post-menopausal women who lost between 5 and 10 percent of their body weight and got plenty of vitamin D experienced decreased inflammation.
- You’re less likely to snore. Obesity makes you much more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea, which is pausing in breathing while you sleep. Some sleep apnea patients are even able to stop using their CPAP machines after losing weight.
- You’ll sleep better in general. Those who lost five percent of their body weight or more reported sleeping better and getting an average of 22 more minutes of sleep per night. Not only is this a benefit in itself, but your energy levels will skyrocket.
- You’ll improve your heart health. This one may be obvious, due to all of the studies about it. Even losing a little weight can improve your heart health, from boosting your good cholesterol to lowering your blood pressure.
- You’ll lower your risk of diabetes. Losing just five percent of your body weight makes you much more likely to drop your blood sugar levels, by half a percentage point. This is about as much effect as some anti-diabetes pills! This may not sound like a lot, but it’s enough to move some people out of the pre-diabetes zone.
