Carrying excess weight can cause insecurities about appearance as well as sluggishness and joint pain that affect quality of life. That’s why building self-esteem and boosting energy are two reasons people shed pounds. To live a longer, healthier life, below are illnesses and conditions you can dodge with a body transformation, plus tips to accomplish your weight-loss goals.

Health Concerns Avoided Through Weight Loss

Obesity is linked to several serious diseases, including type 2 diabetes. When you’re obese, more fatty acids develop, and proinflammatory cytokines in tissue and blood are elevated. This compromises how the body processes insulin to control blood sugar levels, leading to diabetes.

Being overweight also increases the risk of developing heart disease. Excess weight causes bad cholesterol levels to increase and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol to drop. As HDL cholesterol is responsible for removing the bad cholesterol, the artery walls can become caked. Fatty deposits also put pressure on airways, reduce lung volume, and compromise neuromuscular control, leading to breathing problems and sleep apnea.

How to Shed Pounds the Right Way

Although you want to see results quickly, keeping off pounds should be the ultimate goal of the body transformation. That’s why you should avoid fasting and fad diets; the quick results are often due to loss of fiber, muscle, and water—not fat.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle means you take in more calories than you burn, so incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. At work, this can include taking stairs instead of elevators and walking around the block during breaks. Eating breakfast with whole grains and protein will aid your body transformation by keeping you full longer and eliminating the urge to snack on junk food. To cut back on calories and fat, eat leafy greens, fruits, chicken, and lean red meat. Stay away from fried, processed fare.

For professional guidance and motivation to accomplish your body transformation, enroll in a Freedom Fitness program. In partnership with nine gyms in the St. Louis, MO, metropolitan area, Freedom Fitness provides fitness boot camps, strength training, weightlifting, and additional solutions to aid clients’ success. See program details online, and call (636) 926-3364 to reach the Lake Saint Louis location.