4 mental and emotional benefits of weight loss

4 mental and emotional benefits of weight loss

Protein provides energy and supports your condition of mind. It’s an important nutrient needed for building, maintaining, and repairing tissues, cells, and organs throughout the body. While it’s in many of the foods that we take every day, for something so common it’s often a special part of our diet.

We usually undertake exercise driven by motivations relating to our physical health – whether or not it is to lose a certain amount of weight, or to make a part of the body more muscular. However, there are mental and emotional benefits of weight loss which you can take into account as well, if you want to feel even more motivated to hit the gym or join a fitness class. This article talks about 4 of them.

Increased self-esteem

It is no secret that we feel more confident when we perceive ourselves as attractive. When we lose weight, we usually lose body fat in the process. This reduction in body fat will result in a more sculpted appearance, as our muscle groups become more visible. A more sculpted appearance is in turn more attractive to people in general, given that it is an indicator of good health and fitness.

Reduced stress

Weight gain can lead to chronic inflammation in the body, which can lead to high stress levels. When fat accumulates in the body, it can lead to an increase in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This increase in inflammation then affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is responsible for regulating our body’s response to stress. One reason why exercise is such a good stress-buster, is because it decreases the production of the above-mentioned pro-inflammatory cytokines. 

Increased energy

Taking off excess weight can help increase our energy levels, and therefore make us feel more positive overall. When the body carries less weight, the body works less hard to perform everyday functions such as walking or standing. This then translates into higher levels of energy which is associated by our minds and bodies with positivity. 

Reduction in anxiety and depression

Exercise helps to reduce our levels of anxiety and depression through endorphins. When we exercise, our bodies release endorphins as a natural response to an increase in physical activity. Endorphins act as natural pain killers by inducing feelings of pleasure and euphoria, which help reduce levels of anxiety and depression.

Tip:

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