Diet Myth Debunked

THE MYTH: Significant weight loss is needed to see any health benefits.

Meeting your weight-loss goal can be daunting, especially when you have a double-digit amount to lose. But shedding even just a few pounds can have a huge impact on your health. For every 2 pounds of excess weight you lose, your cholesterol drops an average of 3 points. And in a study from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, men and women were able to bring their blood pressure down after losing as few as nine pounds. "Our bodies can tell when we lose weight, even when it's a minimal amount, and they adjust very quickly," Snyderman says. "So even if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, taking it a few pounds at a time will boost your overall health—and make your ultimate goal more manageable."