10 Reasons to Lose Just 10 Pounds

Dropping 10 pounds may not seem like much, especially if you have a lot more weight to lose. But studies that have looked at people who’ve lost as little as 5 to 10 percent of their bodyweight—10 to 20 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds—show that the results of even a small drop in weight can be huge. And it goes way beyond moving down a dress or pants size. You’re going to feel better and maybe even live longer. Doesn’t that make you want to learn how to lose 10 pounds?

Read on to find out what losing just 10 pounds can do. Then be sure to check out Nutrisystem’s easy (and delicious!) weight loss plans to get started!

1. Take 40 pounds of pressure off your knees when you walk. This can reduce your risk of osteoarthritis and relieve pain if you already have it, according to experts at John Hopkins University.

2. Lower your risk of breast cancer by 50 percent or more, says the American Institute for Cancer Research. Fat cells contain chemicals that may up your risk of several cancers.

3. Nudge your blood pressure toward normal. In one study of 2,000 people, those who lost slightly less than 10 pounds saw their systolic pressure (the top number, which measures the pressure when your heart contracts) drop by 4.5 points and their diastolic (the bottom number, the pressure exerted between heartbeats) by 3 points. A healthy BP is less than 120/80. For more help with lowering your BP, check out these 5 Ways To Reduce The Risk Of High Blood Pressure.

4. Reduce your chances of having a heart attack by 50 percent. How? Losing a few pounds can, along with lowering your blood pressure, help reduce your cholesterol by as much as 10 percent as well as short-circuit a process called inflammation that’s triggered by chemical messengers produced by your fat cells. Inflammation can set the stage for the accumulation of hard, fatty deposits in your arteries and spin off blood clots, strong risk factors for heart attack and stroke. You can also check out these Top 7 Foods For A Healthier Heart.

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5. Dramatically cut the collection of fat in and around your liver. Known as fatty liver disease, this condition can damage your body’s ability to metabolize sugar which can lead to diabetes, as well as put you at risk for high blood pressure.

6. Raise your heart-protective cholesterol—called HDL. For every six pounds you lose, your HDL increased by one point, says the Mayo Clinic. This can significantly lower your risk of heart disease. Click here for more info on cholesterol.

7. Improve your diabetes test scores. The lab screen for diabetes is the Hemoglobin A1C test. Normal levels are 6.5 and lower. Losing 10 pounds can drop your numbers by half a point on average, which is close to the effect from some diabetes medicines. In fact, say Johns Hopkins researchers, losing just 5-10 percent of your body weight can slash your risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent.

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8. Help you get a good night’s sleep, particularly if you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which causes you to snore and gasp for air while you’re asleep. With OSA, your body may wake you dozens of times a night to force you to breathe so you’re fatigued the next day—usually every day—and at higher risk of gaining weight and developing high blood pressure. If your neck size is 16 (women) or 17 (men) or over, you have a higher risk of sleep apnea, according to the Mayo Clinic. There are actually a number of ways Sleep Deprivation Can Affect Your Health.

9. Up your chances of living three to 10 years longer. A British study of nearly a million people found that being moderately obese (having a Body Mass Index of 30 to 35) died three years earlier than they would have if they had a BMI under 30 and the severely obese (with a BMI between 40 and 50) lost 10 years of life. But this is only one of the Keys To Longevity.

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10. Have better sex. In one study, people who lost an average of only 13 percent of their weight said they felt more attractive and weren’t as reticent about letting their partners see them undressed as they were before they’d dropped the pounds. Check out these 5 More Ways Losing Weight Helps Your Love Life.