Top 12 reasons to lose weight and stay in shape

You may have already heard that you must lose weight because obesity can get you sick in the long run… Or maybe, that skinny is the “new sexy” and that you should aim to be lean to look beautiful. Apart from that, there is another recent trend that promotes being “healthy at any size” in order to lower the body image shaming issues. But, all this may sound too cliché. Especially, since the “ modern dieting” industry is taking advantage of all these principles. I’m not saying that these premises are all together wrong, but extremes of body weight are unreal and not healthy. Today, I’ll explain the real top reasons to lose weight, from a scientific perspective, and why you should pay close attention to how it affects your lifestyle. Some of these reasons to lose weight might surprise you.

First, focus on overall health

I will be real here. Weight loss goes way beyond looking good. Of course it’s awesome, as usually, we have a more positive image about ourselves and self esteem. I’ll refer to that later. But, apart from that, think about all the wellness benefits you’ll get, especially in the long term. Think about your quality of life. Visualize the things you would love to do without having those extra physical limitations. Weight loss is much more than an image transformation. It actually involves a thorough wellbeing transformation. If done correctly, there is so much you can gain and little to lose.

I’ll put myself as an example. Being in healthy body weight range has helped me to participate in many physical activities. I’ve been able to move around easily and feel confident in my own skin. As well, I can enjoy eating varieties of foods without feeling guilt or shame. The sense of taste from food is amazing, because I’ve learned to value and delight in foods, the healthy way. I learned that balanced and healthy eating have even changed my mental health. I could mention a lot more benefits. And this is just my typical example, but I’ve also seen these results in people I’ve coached and in general weight loss cases. Because of this, you should focus on other reasons to lose weight that include wellbeing and quality of life.

Important reasons to lose weight and stay in shape

Your heart works better

Well, we could say this one is pretty much a no brainer. There are too many studies and evidence that people with obesity have a higher risk of developing heart disease. Once your body builds more fat, your heart will be forced to work harder. This will increase your blood pressure, and then you’ll end up taking medications on a daily basis to keep it in check. Besides that, there is a huge risk in developing atherosclerosis. This disease and heart failure or stroke are silent killers. They could take you for surprise. Therefore, you don’t want to go through all that pain of having less life expectancy. For that, this is one of the top reasons to lose weight.

You avoid risk of type 2 diabetes

We also know that having too much weight and body fat is a big no-no when it comes to blood sugar. We see cases of overweight people and diabetic all over. In fact, we may even have a close family member with this disease. Raise the risk two more lines if you are overweight and have a family history of diabetes. The high levels of blood sugar lead to diabetes. This is another major disease that requires not only extra medical expenses, but also low quality of life. Diabetes can lead to many other diseases, even including the risk of losing your sight or having amputations. Say bye to diabetes! You would want to stay so far from it!

Reasons to lose weight: Relief from arthritis

This is a big one folks! Your knees, elbows and joints will thank you. Talking about quality of life! Who doesn’t want to be able to walk around without any knee problems or foot pain? Well, the thing is that for so long, it has been a common issue in older adults, that we’ve become used to seeing this norma. But it’s not. Your body should not normally hurt! Therefore, staying in shape will not only help avoid osteoarthritis, but you will also be able to move better and even run at ease. This is what I’m talking about when referring to staying in shape and being youthful!

Improve your memory

Also, one of the surprising reasons to lose weight is the ability to have a better memory. Studies show that the more weight and body fat you have, the more problems you’ll have with your memory. They actually found that people who had lost significant amount of overweight and body fat, were able to focus better. There you have another reason to stay fit! You may want to consider this as one of the main reasons to lose weight and keep the motivation going!

Better immune system

Who doesn’t want to stay away from colds, allergies, and asthma symptoms? Well, this is one of the reasons to lose weight. Maybe you hadn’t noticed it. But, whenever you are in shape, your body typically works better, your metabolism is in check, and so is your immune system. This is more of a hormonal issue. Scientists proved that if we have the proper amount of body fat, then our hormones related to our immune system will work better. Increased body fat and weight can spike the risks of gum infections, nose and sinus infections, herpes mouth infections and stomach problems.

Surprising reasons to lose weight:Glowing skin

Wao! The media certainly doesn’t emphasize on this one! Actually, one of the surprising reasons to lose weight is to keep your skin healthy and glowing. Scientists say that being overweight can affect your skin in a variety of ways. Remember that your skin is a major organ. Any health problems like diabetes or vitamin deficiencies will be seen in your skin. Overweight, which is associated with eating too much processed sugary and fat foods, will lead to problems with skin elasticity and color. So, if you want to keep your skin looking youthful, here is another big reason to consider getting in shape.

Reasons to lose weight: Better sleep

Sleeping better is also one of the major reasons to lose weight. Have you noticed how you snore if you are overweight? This is a bigger problem than you think. Usually, this develops into sleep apnea, which is when your airway collapses while you are sleeping. It’s as if the road was blocked. Literally, sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing in your sleep. More fat means less space for the air to flow in your body. If you don’t control sleep apnea, this would slow down your metabolism. So, apart from the discomfort while sleeping, now you’ll have a hard time to lose fat and weight. Having a poor metabolism means also more sugar cravings. This combo is worth fighting against with effective weight loss.

Your food will taste better

Maybe you weren’t aware of this one reason, but your taste buds change also when you lose weight. What do I mean by this? Well, typically when you have more body fat, you tend to crave more sugars and processed foods. As you learn how to eat healthier and add more whole foods into your eating regimen, you start to savor more of these unique tastes. An example of this is the group of veggies and leafy greens. Besides doctors stating it, I’ve seen cases of people who lost weight that now enjoy more of the whole natural foods, instead of the overprocessed ones. This is definitely something you want to keep an eye on when you consider the major reasons to lose weight.

Boost your self- esteem

You’ll feel so confident when you rock your new body and wellness! As I said before, too much emphasis has been made on this reason, but we can’t overlook it! Most of the people who are overweight struggle with low self-esteem, body image issues and isolation. And let me say that this goes way beyond aesthetics. It also has to do with mental health. Falling into constant depression is one of the main consequences of being overweight. So, as I said above, you want to look and feel to your best!

Another reason to lose weight: You feel more energized

Having more confidence and self-esteem is also related to having more energy and being more productive. When you are energized, you can embrace so many opportunities in life. You´ll be able to perform better when exercising, while you are at work and when you are enjoying outdoor activities with your family, for example. Being more energized is also related to better sex drive and performance! There you go, think about all you’ll gain.

Your digestion improves

Another of the major reasons to lose weight is to have a better digestion. Being overweight and have excess body fat is highly related to digestive problems. Common conditions like gastritis, colitis, constipation and bloating improve significantly when you lose weight. Gut health is also very important, but most times we tend to overlook it. Consider this as a major plus when staying in shape.

You’ll have less life risks at surgery and childbirth

Going through surgery and childbirth are huge health risks. The bar goes higher when you are overweight. People with a lot of body fat have higher risks of complications after surgery, they require more care and procedures and can have a longer recovery. Pregnancy is one common example. Usually, obese women have to go through C-sections that will take more time and complications. That’s why doctors always recommend pregnant women to keep their weight gain in check. Plus, delivering a healthy baby is a great outcome of taking care of the body weight. Because of this and other reasons to lose weight, you’ll have a happier result.

A final word….

Staying in shape goes beyond vanity, looking good or having a good body perception. It involves creating a healthier overall lifestyle and quality of life. Focus on achieving the essential benefits, which will make you feel better. It is very easy to get distracted with the aesthetic part of weight loss. That in essence is awesome, but you’ll also want to keep in your mind the countless benefits you’ll achieve in the long run, if you stick to healthy habits and good body weight range. Let me know if you are struggling to lose weight. I can help you learn how to master your metabolism and get rid of the struggle for good! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Share this article with your friends.