It might seem like a small amount of weight but losing only 10 pounds can produce some positive effects on your general health. For a person who weighs 200 pounds, losing just 10 pounds, or 5% of overall weight, can make a huge impact.
The health impacts include better sleep and heart health and better fitting clothes. Losing weight can also help your overall mood and inspire you to become more active in your lifestyle.
Here are just some of the benefits of losing 10 pounds:
- Less Belly Fat. Even a small amount of weight loss can reduce central adiposity, which is the medical term for belly fat. Reducing belly fat decreases the risk of developing serious health problems linked to obesity.
- Exercise Gets Easier. Weighing just 10 pounds less can help put more spring back into your step. Reduction in weight decreases the load on your joints, making physical activity less strenuous. It can also increase your endurance and ability to breathe during exercise.
- Reduced Risk of Disease. Even a small amount of weight loss can improve health conditions like metabolic syndrome, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
- Sharper Brain Function. According to a study of women under the age of 50, those who lost around 5 percent of their body weight experienced what the study authors called a “remarkable” change in their executive functioning skills.
- Higher Quality Sleep. Weight loss can indeed improve sleep quality. Excess weight, particularly in the neck, can contribute to sleep apnea, a disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep.
Are 10 Pounds Good Enough for You?
Many people set their weight-loss goals higher. More often than not, this acts as a deterrent to begin the process of losing weight. Most people who set their sights on weight loss goals quit soon after embarking on their journey because they are discouraged by how long it takes to lose weight.
Ten pounds may not be all the weight you want to lose, but you shouldn’t think it’s no big deal. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that losing 5 percent to 10 percent of your body weight can dramatically improve your health and well-being. Beginning with a modest goal of 10 pounds, and then achieving that goal, will provide additional motivation to lose even more weight. As the old saying goes, “you have to lose 10 pounds before you can lose 20”.
How Long Does It Take to Lose 10 Pounds?
This answer will vary for everyone. Based on a combination of diet and exercise, it typically takes about four or five weeks. That’s assuming a rate of losing about one or two pounds a week. As noted earlier, though, weight loss rates differ, and people may lose weight more quickly or more slowly. Regardless of the rate at which you lose weight, you can expect to see health benefits in less than two months.
Any Weight Loss is a Victory.
Even if you have 50 or 100 pounds that you’d like to lose, there are significant health benefits to dropping just the first 10.
Before beginning any weight loss program, it is recommended you visit with your primary healthcare provider to make sure you do not have any health conditions that would prevent you from achieving your goals. If you do not have a primary healthcare provider, you can contact the CCMH Medical Clinic for a consultation at 712-265-2700.
