Many of us are motivated to lose weight for aesthetic reasons.
We get tired of feeling unattractive and judged by everyone we meet.
While feeling confident about your appearance is important for your self-esteem, there are many other reasons to lose weight.
Being aware of them will serve to motivate you even more.
One of the greatest benefits of slimming down to a normal weight is that you will greatly reduce your risk for health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
You will even cut your risk for cancer.
Women who remain a healthy weight are far less likely to develop breast and ovarian cancer.
Men who lose weight and keep it off reduce their risk for cancer of the colon, rectum, and prostate.
Your energy levels will skyrocket, too.
Eating healthier foods will not just help you lose weight: They will sharpen your mind and give your body more of the nutrients it needs for energy.
Losing weight also means you will not be carrying around all that extra weight your body was not designed for.
Imagine carrying a bag full of potatoes on your back every day! Well, that same analogy applies to excess body fat.
Your body has to expend more energy to carry it around.
When you shed those extra pounds, you will have more energy to spare for walking, running, and zipping up a flight of stairs.
You will also get a better nights sleep.
People who are obese often suffer from sleep apnea, a condition that makes them snore or even causes them to stop breathing for short periods.
The result is that when they wake up, they often feel drowsy and less productive.
Sleep apnea can even set you up for heart failure.
Losing weight improves your confidence.
Many people who are overweight tend to be self-conscious in a group and are slow to speak up or take the lead.
In the back of their mind, they assume everyone is silently judging them.
When you feel confident about your appearance, you may find you are more outgoing and willing to take the initiative.
But reaching your ideal weight will also lead to another form of confidence: The knowledge that you can set goals and accomplish them.
You will be inspired to take this experience and apply it to other aspects of your life, achieving goals and dreams that before seemed out of reach.
Losing tens of pounds is no easy task; it takes time and commitment.
If you can lose that weight and keep it off, you will be armed with something many people do not have: The knowledge that you can do great things if you set your mind to it.
So there are many good reasons to start losing weight: You will feel better about yourself, feel more confident, reduce your risk for cancer, and boost your odds of living a long and healthy life.
The road to weight loss may not be the easiest one to follow, but the rewards make it all worthwhile.