Are you wondering what the health risks you might be facing being overweight? Are you looking for ways to prevent them from developing? Maybe it’s as simple as how your jeans no longer fit, or maybe you’re worried it might just be something more than those pairs of pants you can no longer zip up. Often, because of body fat, some of us tend to weigh more than 20% of what is ideal for our height and age. That extra fat can lead to a myriad of health issues that are preventable when we’re persistent and determined enough to save ourselves.
Find Out If You Weigh Too Much
We all need body fat, but we only require some of it to protect our organs. A little extra fat does not mean you’re unhealthy or overweight. The most helpful way to find out if you weigh more than you should, is to consult a physician or doctor. Your doctor will probably calculate your body mass index (BMI) to figure that out.
Head’s up: if your BMI is over 24.9, your doctor might tell you that you’re overweight, especially if you are suffering from the symptoms below:
You’re Having Trouble Breathing
When was the last time you took the stairs and stopped halfway up to catch your breath? Sometimes, because of excess weight, your lungs are unable to expand fully when you breathe. This affects your breathing muscles, which may explain why you might feel like you’re not getting enough air in. Sometimes your belly fat can cause inflammation that affects your lungs.
You’re Suffering from High Cholesterol Levels
This one is almost always caused by the unhealthy food you’re eating. Be careful of what you are feeding your body to avoid high cholesterol. The kind of food that should be avoided include fatty beef and saturated oils.
You’ve Experienced the Horror of Gallstones
Gallstones are horrific and painful to those who’ve experienced them. When food isn’t digested properly, it hardens into pebbles. These pebbles form in your gallbladder, causing symptoms like nausea, pain in the upper right abdomen, clay stools, and dark urine. Medicines can be taken to dissolve gallstones, but in serious cases, surgery might be needed to have them removed.
Your Snoring is Louder than Ever
A chubby neck might narrow your airway, making it harder to breathe at night. It might even stop you from breathing for several seconds. These pauses in breathing are called sleep apnea. Your disrupted breaths are probably why you’re waking up tired and longing for a good night’s sleep.
You Have Type II Diabetes
Excessive belly fat is linked to insulin resistance. High blood sugar and diabetes might lead to other severe issues related to your heart, nerves, and eyes. There is no cure for diabetes once you have it, but weight loss can help you manage it.
Luckily for you, it is never too late to stop your body from developing these symptoms. A few guidelines might help you manage your weight loss journey.
Get Yourself Moving
It feels difficult and uncomfortable to exercise at first, but once you get yourself moving, you will not want to stop. Remember to start off slow. Sometimes a 20-minute walk is better than nothing at all. Set goals for yourself and incrementally challenge your body to take it to the next level.
Change Your Eating Habits
If you are binge-eating the stress away, or you’re not active enough, acknowledge it, and seek help. You can always head to shapegold.com for inspiration and tips for losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Some people tend to put all their effort into exercising and forget that most of their weight loss journey has to do with their eating habits. Remember to have realistic expectations and find out what’s best for your body first.
Take Your BMI into Account, Not Just Your Weight
It will feel disappointing when you go through all the effort of losing weight, only to find out you’re losing just a few pounds. For that reason, it is recommended that you take your BMI and body measurements into account, and worry less about what the scale says; your fat distribution and muscle mass is also crucial to consider. Remember that the more your muscle mass increases, the easier it gets to lose weight since muscle mass boosts your metabolism.
Being overweight puts your life in danger, and slowly destroys your health. You might want to start by being mindful of your habits and making some changes to your lifestyle. Remember, we only live once, which is why it is important to take good care of our bodies and health.
