Losing weight can be a long and frustrating process, one that is only made more difficult by high expectations of losing a lot of weight in a short amount of time. The good news is, losing just a few pounds can improve your health and decrease your risk of developing chronic health conditions.
Here are seven health benefits of losing 20 pounds.
Better Sleep
According to a recent study, losing just 15 pounds can result in better sleep. This may be because excessive weight around the neck causes snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, which results in poor sleep quality. When you don’t get enough quality sleep, you experience frustration, irritability, and a decreased ability to regulate your eating.
By losing a small amount of weight, you can reverse these conditions and continue to lose even more weight.
Improved Memory
A study conducted with older, overweight women found that after dieting, the memory area of their brain showed increased activity, resulting in better memory for the participants.
By losing a small amount of your body weight, you can improve the memory center of your brain, which will improve your recall, concentration, and focus.
Reduced Risks Of Cancer
Obesity causes inflammation in the body, which leads to countless health conditions and diseases, one of which is cancer. A Cancer Research study found that losing just 5% of your body weight can reduce obesity-related inflammation and decrease your risk of developing cancer.
Lower Blood Pressure
Losing weight can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of developing hypertension. In fact, weight loss is one of the recommended ways to manage high blood pressure and its related health conditions.
Reduced Risk of Diabetes
Insulin is a hormone that helps your body maintain sugar levels so they are never too high or too low. When you are insulin resistant, your body stops managing your blood sugar levels, leading to the development of type 2 diabetes.
Being overweight plays a large role in developing insulin resistance because it causes your cells to become less sensitive to insulin. The good news is, weight loss of a few pounds can reduce your risk of developing diabetes by up to 60%.
Reduced Risk Of Osteoarthritis (OA)
Did you know that losing 1 pound of weight will decrease the pressure on your knees by 4 pounds? Reducing the pressure on your knees will also reduce your risks of developing OA, a debilitating type of arthritis.
OA comes with many painful symptoms, including:
- Joint pain
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Bone spurs
- Tenderness
- Inflammation
You can reduce a whopping 80 pounds of pressure on your knees, improve the health of your joints, and greatly reduce the risk of developing OA by losing 20 pounds.
Improved Mood
Not surprisingly, even a small amount of weight loss will improve your mood. Weight loss boosts self-esteem, raises your confidence, gives you a sense of accomplishment and improves many health conditions that cause you to feel poorly.
Are you experiencing a weight loss plateau? Learn more about hormones and weight loss resistance.
Benefits Of Losing 20 Pounds: The Bottom Line
There are many health benefits of losing 20 pounds. You will sleep better, improve your health, feel better about yourself and your life as well as decrease your risks of developing serious health issues.
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