While many people think they have to lose weight, they may already be at their healthy weight. You need only to make changes in your lifestyle to lose weight if there are certain health issues caused by your weight. You can still eat healthily and exercise regularly to maintain your fitness level but you will not need any drastic changes to your lifestyle otherwise.
So how do you know when it’s time to lose weight? Certain people can weigh more naturally and vice versa but this doesn’t mean you are not healthy. And weight loss alone is not the sole solution to becoming a healthier individual. There are many factors to consider when it comes to making a decision about your health. You need to consider if you are eating a balanced diet and how you feel on a daily basis. You also need to get an annual check-up from your healthcare provider and they will be able to give you an in-depth understanding of your health. But if you have a higher weight, this will automatically make your heart work harder and this will put stress on your arteries. You will have a higher level of inflammation in your body. You can consult a registered dietician to get an understanding of what you should include in your meals.
In your routine physical, if your doctor says you have high blood pressure, this can be due to a high BMI. So you need to increase the physical activity you do in order to relieve the pressure on your cardiovascular system. High cholesterol is another indicator. You need to make sure that you take in nutrients that help improve good cholesterol and avoid processed food that will raise your bad cholesterol. If you find that you are pre-diabetic, this can be due to a high BMI. You can also ask if you have this condition as this will be a good way of reducing your risk of developing diabetes. Losing weight will reverse these conditions and it will be beneficial for those with type 2 diabetes as well. You also need to consider your family history. If there is a history of breast cancer or colorectal cancer, maintaining a healthy diet and sufficient physical activity can lower your risk. When you have excess fat, this leads to a higher production of oestrogen and this has been linked to breast cancer.
A good factor that will tell if you need to lose weight is if you find it difficult to move from one place to another. If you feel pain when you are going about your daily routine whether it is climbing stairs, walking to the grocery or getting into the car, this means your joints are facing more wear and tear due to excess weight. And the pressure on your joints can be alleviated by losing weight. Sleep can also get affected if you have excess weight. This is because there will be more fat stored around the neck which contributes to narrowing of the airway. This impacts your breathing. Your breathing will become shallow and you may start to snore as well. And the quality of your sleep will decline when you wake up tired even after going to bed early.
