Low Energy Levels

“Imagine carrying around a ten – pound sack of groceries all day,” says Dr. Susan Yanovski of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. “Extra weight on your body tires you the same way.” Four years ago Scott Talbot, a 36-year-old businessman, weighed 195 pounds, felt sluggish and wanted to slim down. His energy level went up after he started dieting and exercising. “I began to feel good about the way my clothes fit and the way I looked,” Talbot says. “Once I saw some improvement, it psyched me up. I wanted to keep going.” Ultimately Talbot lost 45 pounds, and he’s kept that off for three years. “We find that as people’s body images get better, they walk and act with more confidence,” says Kelly Brownell, professor of psychology at Yale University. “And if they have more weight to lose, they approach that next goal with confidence.”