New year, new you. When the calendar comes back round to 01/01 it seems like the perfect time for a fresh start.
You’ll have probably had more time off than usual during the festive period. That’s ample time to think about your life and where you are in relation to where you want to be. You may also have overindulged slightly (but who hasn’t?).
With a little bit more time to look in the mirror and a few too many chocolates, you might decide after all the merriment is over, it’s high time to shed a few pounds.
If you’re overweight losing 3 stone could be life changing. It might seem like a lot at first. 3 stone, or 42 lbs. But over the course of a year, it’s not that much. In fact, it’s only 3.5 lbs a month – less than 1 lb a week. The trick is consistency.
Unfortunately consistency can be difficult and New Year’s resolutions are notoriously easy to abandon. Even if you’ve tried 3 or more diets in the past 3 years, hope is not lost. Weight loss is possible and we’ve put together some weighty reasons for you to carry on into February and beyond.
1 – Keep heart disease at bay
Maintaining a healthy weight helps your health enormously. By being in a healthy weight range you reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. All of which can contribute towards heart disease.
Even if you already have one of the aforementioned conditions, keeping yourself at a healthy weight will help stave off the effects. Your heart works tirelessly around the clock to keep you going. So why not do your bit to make things a little easier for it?
2 – Increase your confidence
Chances are if you think you’re carrying too much weight, you’ll worry others will judge you. It’s no surprise that being overweight can make you self-conscious.
Do you avoid certain things because you’re worried how you’ll look? If you feel like hiding away because of your weight, think of how much freer you’d feel without that burden.
Why miss out on things you want to do? It might be hard work at first, but after a while you’ll have a spring in your step.
3 – Go easier on your joints
The heavier you are, the more stress you put on your joints. Due to changes in connective tissue and cartilage, your joints weaken as you age anyway. If you’re overweight, you’ll only add to their degradation.
By keeping yourself in a healthy weight range, you’ll keep your joints in better condition for longer. Research suggests that losing weight could actually help stop the development of arthritis.
So why not lose a little now, to make sure you can move more easily in later life?
4 – You’ll live longer
You might have guessed this, but losing weight can increase your lifespan. Being more resistant to heart disease, arthritis and other risks that come with age you’ll add years.
According to a study funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research, obesity can reduce life expectancy by 8 years. In addition to that it may reduce the number of years of ‘healthy life’ by up to 19 years.
So if you’re obese, you could stand to live almost a quarter of your life in poor quality. If you put in some hard work now, you’ll reap the rewards later on.
5 – Improve your immune system
Your immune system is made up of many parts that work constantly to protect you from illness. Because so many different things are involved in keeping your immune system running properly it can be a bit of a delicate balance.
Obesity can easily tip this balance. Scientists have found that excess fat in the body leads to the production of pro-inflammatory immune cells. This type of immune cell actually acts to make diseases worse.
By losing weight, you’ll limit production of these cells and restore order to your immune system. So you’ll feel better in general and recover from illness more quickly.
6 – Wear whatever you want!
If you’re going to live longer and feel better, you’ll have more opportunity to strut your stuff. And if you lose weight, not only will you feel confident enough to wear what you want, but you’ll fit in whatever you want, too.
Interested? If you’ve got 3 stone or more to lose, have attempted 3 or more weight loss programmes and have been trying to lose weight for over 3 years Alevere Therapy at Silverlink Clinics can help you get there. Before 2018! Some of our patients have lost 9 stone in 6 months!
We have clinics in Carlisle, Newcastle, Berwick and Stockton. If you’re nearby get in touch and we’ll send you a free brochure so you can find out exactly how you’ll lose weight in 2017.
