Weight Affects Much More than The Number on the Scale
No one sets out to become overweight or obese, however, for many people, it happens. Did you know your weight affects both your mental and physical health? The good news is, with some healthy lifestyle changes, you can fight back. Here are some unexpected ways gaining weight can affect your life, as well as what you can do to motivate yourself to change them:
Your mental health
When you don’t like what you see in the mirror, it’s hard to feel good. Self-confidence suffers, and you’re more likely to become anxious and depressed1. Carrying around extra weight is also physically taxing, which can depress your mood even more.
The motivation: Losing just a few pounds can boost your mood. In a study2 done at the University of Pennsylvania, people who lost 5 percent of their body weight—about 8 pounds for someone who started at 160—slept better and saw improvements in their mood that lasted for six months after the weight loss. This added boost in self-esteem and mood can motivate you to exercise more, promoting further pounds lost.
It’s no secret that being overweight or obese saps your energy. And because you lack the vigor to get through a workout, a vicious cycle ensues. You don’t want to work out because you’re overweight and tired, and because you don’t exercise, you may gain3 even more weight.
The motivation: Remember, by nature, exercise is energizing. In the short term, after a workout, a natural energy boost will immediately follow. You may have to push through a few tough workouts to lose the pounds and gain the motivation necessary to stick with a weight loss activity plan, but long term, it will pay off.
When you don’t feel good about the way you look and feel, your relationships suffer. Being overweight affects your interactions with your partner, spouse, family members, and work colleagues. For one, obesity can make you feel tired and depressed, which can in turn impact the way you treat the people in your life. Plus, research4 has shown that weight gain is contagious; by being overweight, you may put your spouse and children at increased risk for obesity as well.
The motivation: The next time you want to skip a workout or are tempted to reach for that donut, consciously think of how your weight affects the people in your life. And remember: strong, healthy relationships with your friends, family members and colleagues can bolster your support system, which is important to a successful weight loss routine.
Obesity negatively impacts nearly every system in your body. It puts you at increased risk for a long list of conditions, including high blood pressure; high cholesterol; type 2 diabetes; coronary heart disease; stroke; sleep problems; gallbladder disease; and osteoarthritis. It also increases your overall chances of death.
The motivation: By losing just a few pounds, you can start to reverse some of the negative effects obesity has on your health. When you improve your health, you will feel better, which will give you added energy to work out more and shed even more pounds.
Obesity adds years, both in your appearance and its effects on your body. A British study5 found that obesity speeds up the aging process even faster than smoking and can physically age you by up to nine extra years. Fat makes us age faster by accelerating the uncoiling of DNA structures inside our cells, the scientists uncovered. And the more weight a person is carrying around, the older he or she is on a molecular level.
The motivation: If the health risks associated with obesity aren’t enough to inspire you to get healthy, perhaps vanity will. By losing pounds, not only will you be thinner, you will look—and feel—younger, too.
Remember: ultimately, you are in control of your weight and your health. Voluntary exercise and healthy eating is about setting up a plan and making a choice to stick with it—for good.
The good news is, Curves is there to help make sure you’re covering all your bases towards better health with our program designed specifically for women. Our 30-minute total body strength training workout will help increase your strength and kick-start your metabolism for weight loss. Our members can also achieve a balanced diet through Curves Nutrition Program, which offers meal plans to complement and enhance your workouts.
With your Curves Coach by your side, you’ll never feel alone on your journey to better health. Your coach is there to provide you with the support, motivation and advice you need to keep on track and reach your goals!
Better health is achievable so meet with your Coach to get started and experience for yourself how better weight management can help you, not only look good, but feel AMAZING!