You already know weight loss can help you live a longer, healthier life, but do you know how it benefits your body and mind?<\/p>\n
Weight loss\u00a0is about more than fitting into smaller jeans. By maintaining a healthy weight, you could improve your mobility and mood, and you\u2019ll also lower your risk for serious illnesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you control your weight better, you have a lower risk of cancer,\u201d says\u00a0Jeffrey McDaniel, M.D., a Piedmont obesity medicine physician. Weight loss can also reduce chronic pain and ward off\u00a0diabetes.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, shedding even a few pounds can improve your health. Though many people fixate on a \u201cgoal weight,\u201d Dr. McDaniel encourages patients to take small steps toward a healthier overall outlook.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t have a dieting mentality,\u201d he explains. \u201cHave a lifestyle-change mentality.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Dr. McDaniel sees new patients, he asks what motivates them to get in shape. People may want to manage back pain, fight prediabetes or look better for a big event.<\/p>\n
But, Dr. McDaniel says, the benefits don\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n
Other benefits of weight loss can include:<\/p>\n
Though a better mood and sleep aren\u2019t always simple to track, there\u2019s no doubt that weight loss can have a quantifiable impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are direct, measurable effects,\u201d Dr. McDaniel says.<\/p>\n
Even given the many benefits, most people struggle to lose pounds and keep them off. The difficulties they encounter have almost nothing to do with willpower or motivation, Dr. McDaniel says.<\/p>\n
\u201cObesity or being overweight is a chronic relapsing disease,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s not the patient\u2019s fault.\u201d<\/p>\n
Factors that may influence a person\u2019s weight include:<\/p>\n
If you do lose weight, you may be surprised by how easy it is to regain it all. Your body is hardwired to protect you, and it may perceive prolonged dieting as a kind of starvation.<\/p>\n
\u201cA common response to weight loss is\u00a0your body fights it,\u201d Dr. McDaniel says.<\/p>\n
Despite its challenges, weight loss still offers invaluable health and lifestyle benefits. Getting started can be intimidating, but Dr. McDaniel advises patients to take it slow, be honest with themselves and avoid fixating on a single number.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re a success or a failure,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Ask yourself what inspires you to lose weight, and create a realistic plan for dropping pounds slowly. (Sorry, but there\u2019s no healthy way to lose 20 pounds in a single month.)<\/p>\n
Small, measurable goals are key, Dr. McDaniel says. If you want to eventually lose 20 pounds, you might aim to drop just a pound or so each week. That way, you can enjoy frequent successes that keep you motivated, and better diet and\u00a0exercise\u00a0habits will take center stage in the meantime.<\/p>\n
Dr. McDaniel encourages his patients to try a version of the keto diet, which focuses on more healthy fats and fewer carbohydrates, but he recommends talking with a doctor or nutritionist about meal plans that may work for you.<\/p>\n
Dr. McDaniel also recognizes the psychological baggage these topics can carry. Many people have battled weight and societal stigmas for years, and they may struggle with body image and self-esteem.<\/p>\n
Here are his tips for people who have emotional issues around weight loss:<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, Dr. McDaniel says, weight loss should lead to fuller, healthier days\u2014not a constant battle with the scale.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuccess, in my mind, is losing weight that\u2019s predominantly fat mass, not losing your muscle, and having better quality of life,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You already know weight loss can help you live a longer, healthier life, but do you know how it benefits your body and mind? Weight loss\u00a0is about more than fitting into smaller jeans. By maintaining a healthy weight, you could improve your mobility and mood, and you\u2019ll also lower your risk for serious illnesses. \u201cIf …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75\/revisions\/76"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ketodietchoice.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}