What if we told you that losing just three percent of your body weight could lower your risk of heart disease? Or that you could improve your sleep by shedding a mere four pounds? These are pretty big payoffs for relatively small losses—and both are 100 percent real.

We know that the road to a healthy weight, though worth it, can be long and challenging. That’s why we encourage you to feel inspired by the fact that you can reduce your chance of developing diseases associated with obesity and improve your overall health with each step you take (even the small ones).

Moderate weight loss, even if you have a significant amount to lose, can lower high cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obstructive sleep apnea. And not to be overlooked, relishing your small successes will give you the motivation to stick with it and make healthy habits part of your overall lifestyle.

For example, for every pound you drop, you’ll experience a four-fold reduction of stress on your knees with every step, which means your workouts will become less painful—so you can lose even more.

It may also be helpful to know that lowering the number on the scale is only one part of your wellness journey. As you lose weight, it’s also important to stay strong and improve your aerobic fitness. “At Canyon Ranch, we prescribe nutrition and exercise plans to fit into people’s lives with attention to maintaining lean tissue (muscle) and increasing aerobic fitness,” says Param Dedhia, M.D., a physician at Canyon Ranch in Tucson. “We want to provide a plan for longevity and optimal wellness.”

“When we just look at a number, we’re missing an opportunity to see the whole picture and the benefits of even small changes,” Dr. Dedhia adds. “It’s the process of losing weight, increasing your metabolism, improving your nutrition, addressing stress and getting good sleep that adds to your health.”

Let’s dig a little deeper into the dramatic health gains you may experience from losing a little weight:

DIABETES. A major federally funded study showed that, if you are overweight, you can significantly slash your risk of type 2 diabetes by shedding five to seven percent of your total body weight. If you weigh 165 pounds, that’s just shy of nine pounds. Those who are obese can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 70 percent with a five-percent weight loss.

HEART HEALTH. You only need to lose three percent of your total body weight (six pounds, if you’re 200 pounds) to see meaningful reductions in triglycerides, blood glucose and other risk factors for heart disease. Studies also show that losing just five to 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure and your low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol).

CANCER. If every American shed about two pounds, we could prevent nearly 100,000 new cases of cancer by 2030. The reason: Fat tissue can produce hormones, such as insulin and estrogen, which may cause cancer cells to grow. Plus, overweight individuals often have increased insulin levels, which may contribute to the disease.