3 Immediate Health Benefits of Losing Your First 10 Pounds

The new year is just around the corner, making this the perfect time to give yourself the gift of a healthy weight. But, losing extra pounds can be very difficult, especially if you go it alone. In fact, although about half of American adults report trying to lose weight each year, nearly 74% of American adults are obese or overweight. 

At Prima Medicine in Fairfax and South Riding, Virginia, our experienced providers understand the struggle many of our patients face when trying to lose weight and keep it off for good. And our team is here to support you every step of the way.  

At Prima Medicine, we use an integrated approach, combining our nutritional and medical expertise to create personalized weight-loss plans for our patients. We’ll help you make small, achievable modifications to your diet and lifestyle, so you can get noticeable and lasting results.  

With our help, you’ll start to see the numbers on the scale go down, and as those numbers drop, your health benefits will rise. Here’s a look at three immediate health benefits you’ll enjoy when you lose your first 10 pounds.    

1. Lower your blood pressure

When you’re overweight or obese, the extra pounds you carry directly increases your blood pressure. This isn’t great news for your health, since chronic high blood pressure, or hypertension, causes or contributes to more than half a million deaths each year. 

The good news is that losing weight, even small amounts, can have a direct impact on lowering your blood pressure. In fact, researchers estimate that for every pound you lose, you can decrease your blood pressure by a point. 

This means that after you lose your first 10 pounds, your blood pressure could drop by 10 points, which is a significant decrease. for overweight or obese patients whose weight means an elevated risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. 

This means that after you lose your first 10 pounds, your blood pressure could drop by 10 points. This is a significant decrease, especially for overweight or obese patients, because carrying too many pounds can increase the risk of developing heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. 

2. Experience less joint pain

When you’re overweight or obese, the excess pounds add additional strain on your body. This is especially true for your weight-bearing joints, such as your knees and hips. For example, when it comes to your knees, every extra pound you carry translates into four additional pounds of pressure on your knees. 

This means that when you lose your first 10 pounds, you alleviate 40 pounds of pressure from your knees. A similar effect results for all your weight-bearing joints, meaning you can have less overall joint pain. 

3. Reduce your risk of developing serious health complications

Being overweight or obese greatly increases your risk of developing serious health complications. The correlation is so great that the higher your body mass index (BMI), the higher your risk of death.   

Fortunately, with help from our team at Prima Medicine, you can lose your first 10 pounds and make great strides in lowering your risk of suffering serious and even life-threatening health conditions, such as:

• Stroke
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Cataracts
• Coronary artery disease
• Pancreatitis
• Metabolic syndrome
• Diabetes
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Gallbladder disease
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Many kinds of cancer (breast, uterus, cervix, prostate, kidney, colon, esophagus, pancreas, and liver)
• Osteoarthritis and gout
• Venous stasis
• Urinary incontinence
• Mental health disorders

And while it may not seem like much, losing even 10 pounds can improve your physical, mental, and emotional health and positively impact your quality of life. 

To learn more about the benefits of losing weight or to get started with a customized weight-loss plan, book an appointment online or over the phone with Prima Medicine today.