How much weight do you really need to lose?

May be you've been working on a return to the weight that you were in high school or your wedding day. But do you really need to go so low? Or can you weigh more than your ideal weight and still be healthy?

If you are overweight, losing just 10% of your body weight is linked to many health benefits, including blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar and reduce your risk of heart disease. This type of weight loss is easier to achieve and maintain long-term.

Your weight "Set Point"

Just as your body temperature is programmed to stay around 98.6 degrees, the weight of your body is naturally regulated to stay within a range of 10% to 20%, says Thomas Wadden, PhD, director of the Center for Weight and eating disorders at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. The weight range is known as the "point".

A complex set of hormones, chemicals and hunger signals help your body to maintain your weight in this range, says dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD.

This is not just about your genes. Your eating habits and exercise can also help determine your position.

"Marais internal control system and thus push the point increases - which is much easier to do than down," says Wadden body adjusts to the higher weight. "Calls" the point of ready to defend the new weight .

It is still possible to set your lower range. "With the changes in exercise habits and a healthy diet, you can reduce your position," said Labbe.

The solution to weight loss of 10%

Lose 10% of your body weight and keep it for six months to a year, allows your body to reset your point pointing George Blackburn, MD, in his book, punch your Set Point: How to lose the last weight you want and Keep It Off.

When you lose a lot of weight at the same time, you define an internal and hormones peak struggle to make you hungrier as your body tries to defend its comfortable range, said Wadden.

This is why experts recommend losing 10% by changing your eating and exercise habits, and then maintain your new weight for a few months before trying to lose more. Your body will get the signal to lower its "set point" and you'll get used to new food choices, smaller portions, and regular exercise.

Labbe said she has seen people lose 10% of their weight "begin to realize how the loss of the health consequences of weight in a very positive way ... They feel better, sleep better, have more energy and less joint pain, and some people are able to reduce the medication. "

How much should I weigh?

Most people overestimate how much weight they can lose, which leads to frustration, Labbe said. To find your happy or healthy weight, Blatner suggests looking back at your history of weight in adulthood and the identification of a weight that you were able to maintain easily.