11 Benefits to Losing as Little as 10 Pounds

Have you given up the battle of the bulge? Do you feel it’s not even worth trying any more? Good news!

Losing a measly 10 pounds can have profound effects on your health, sex life and even your pocket book.

Here’s a look at how you can gain a lot by losing as little as 10 pounds:

1. Improved intimacy with your spouse. Losing just 10 pounds can improve the desire in and intimacy of your marriage, which is directly impacted by high blood pressure and diabetes. For men, it can help with erectile dysfunction, a problem that affects four out of five men who are overweight.

2. Lower cholesterol. LDL, the bad cholesterol, is affected by carrying too much weight. Losing just 10 lbs. can lower it by more than 10 percent.

3. Lower blood pressure. When you drop just 10 pounds, you can reduce your blood pressure, which in turn protects your heart and kidneys and lessens your chance of a stroke or heart attack.

4. Reduced chance of a heart attack. You automatically reduce your chances up to an astounding 50 percent of suffering a heart attack when you lose even 10 pounds.

5. Reduced chance of developing dementia. Losing 10 pounds cuts back on belly fat, one of the sources of chemicals implicated in dementia. It also reduces the chance of a stroke, another cause of dementia, by reducing cholesterol and blood pressure, each of which are also tied to Alzheimer’s disease.

6. Lower chance of sleep apnea. Obesity is one of the prime causes of sleep apnea, which in turn is tied to a host of other health problems. Losing 10 pounds can help you get a good night’s sleep and avoid this problem.

7. Less joint pain. A single pound of extra weight adds three times that much pressure on your joints. Ouch! Losing a mere 10 pounds can ease the pressure and reduce your odds of developing osteoarthritis by as much as 50 percent.

8. Lower chance of cancer. With each extra pound, your risk of cancer increases. Likewise, when you lose the weight, your chance of developing an array of cancers goes down.

9. Lower chance of diabetes. You body becomes less sensitive to insulin the more weight you carry, leading directly to diabetes. Losing just 10 pounds can lower your chances up to 60 percent.

10. Reduced medication dosage. Losing 10 lbs. is often enough to improve your health to the point that your doctor can reduce your prescription, saving you money.

11. Cushion your wallet. If you slash just 100 calories each day—think 18 Cheez-Its—from your diet, you save an average of $175.20 a year.

BONUS: You’ll Feel better!

Weight loss, even 10 pounds, lets your liver recover from the effects of the fat that can clog it. The result is better health and more energy.

Don Colbert, M.D. has been board certified in Family Practice for over 25 years and practices Anti aging and Integrative medicine. He is a New York Times Bestselling author of books such as The Bible Cure Series, What Would Jesus Eat, Deadly Emotions, What You Don’t Know May be Killing You, and many more with over 10 million books sold. He is the Medical Director of the Divine Health Wellness Center in Orlando, Florida where he has treated over 50,000 patients. He is also a internationally known expert and prolific speaker on Integrative Medicine.

For the original article, visit drcolbert.com.