Here Are Reasons To Motivate You to Lose 5% of Your Body Weight!

If you thought you needed to fit back into your high school jeans for you to enjoy real health benefits from your weight loss, then you are so wrong. In fact, losing just 5% of your body weight can actually help you begin reaping the benefits of weight loss! This translates into just 10 pounds for a person weighing in at 200 pounds. It’s achievable, and if you need a little push to get started, just check out any of these great benefits and you’ll be motivated to go out and throw on your gym clothes right now!

Healthier Joints

Losing just 10 pounds of excess fat relieves your knees of 40 pounds of pressure! All the joints in your lower body will actually be relieved of pressure. Excess fat is also responsible for increased inflammation of bodily tissue, which causes chemical sin the body to cause harm to the tissues. Losing just 5% of your weight can alleviate this. Maintaining a healthy weight and making sure that the weight you lose doesn’t pile back on will help to ensure you do not develop arthritis later on in your old age.

Lowered Risk of Cancer

A study conducted on older women concluded that when older women lose a minimum of 5% of their body weight in fat, the chances of them developing cancer of the breast lowered by 12%! While at present there is no proof of a 5% weight loss resulting in benefits for other types of cancers, some of the changes that do result from losing weight may help lower the risks of other types of cancer as well.

Diabetes II Prevention

In the event that you are at high risk of developing type II diabetes, weight loss can be one way to delay the onset of the disease or even prevent it completely. The other way is through moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week. If you happen too already have developed diabetes, losing 5% of your body weight in fat can go a long way in helping you take a lower dose of medication and to help maintain your blood sugar levels, and even reduce the chances of diabetes leading to other diseases.

Increasing Good Cholesterol

By taking medications and following a healthier diet, it is possible to lower the bad cholesterol, also called ‘LDL’ in the body. However, raising levels of good cholesterol or ‘HDL’ is a little more challenging. The HDL is the type of cholesterol that clears LDL from the bloodstream. This means the more HDL you have, the better. Losing excess body fat and exercising helps you achieve the ideal HDL range, which is more than 60mg/dl, lowering the chances of developing heart disease.

Decrease Triglycerides

These are particles in the body that are designed to transport fat, either to be stored or used as energy. High triglyceride levels are classed as above 200mg/dl, which spells trouble in the sense that you are at higher risk of having a heart attack or even a stroke. Slimming down a little you can achieve lower ad healthier triglyceride levels, which are about 150mg/dl.

Lower High Blood Pressure

Carrying around extra body weight causes the blood to exert a greater force on the walls of your arteries. This makes your heart have to work harder as well. Your pressure can be lowered by around 5 points if you can manage to drop 5% of your body weight. High blood pressure can also be lowered by decreasing your salt intake and by eating a diet plentiful in fruits and vegetables, as well as low-fat dairy.

Put An End to Sleep Apnea

Overweight people tend to gain added tissue at the back of the throat. During sleep, the body relaxes and this extra tissue easily drops down to block the air passage. This can make you stop breathing repeatedly throughout the night, disturbing your sleep. Sleep disturbances that are continuous can cause major health issues, especially to the heart. Losing excess fat through diet and exercise can help reduce sleep apnea and even eliminate it.

So there you have it – many reasons to lose just 5% of your body weight in fat. You have plenty to motivate you in terms of health, and need we mention how amazing you ill look and feel if you shed the extra fat? Of course, all body shapes and sizes are to be accepted, but keeping fat at a minimum is best for your health.