Don’t let your dream weight drive you crazy—losing 10 percent of excess body weight will help you lead a happier, healthier life.

We all have an image in our heads of how we’d like ourselves to look, that idealized dream-self we strive to make a reality regardless of its improbability. For most people, weight is a key part of that dream-self—we imagine how things might be if we could only weigh as much as we did as teenagers or college students, torturing ourselves over how far we’ve strayed from the skinnier days of yesteryear.

Those who obsess too much over reaching some lofty cosmetic ideal miss two important points: losing weight is about more than just looking good, and you don’t have to be a stick figure to live a healthy, happy life. The most important benefit to using a procedure like lipotropics to help you lose weight is how drastically it will improve your health—losing just 10 percent of excess body weight will lower your risk of heart disease as well as your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.

If you obsess over your perfect weight, you won’t be happy until you reach it. Instead, make a goal of just losing that first 10 percent and set yourself up for success and better health while avoiding the frustration caused by shooting for the moon.

Set Point

Every person’s weight is regulated by a group of chemicals, hormones and signals that assist the body in staying within 10 to 20 percent of its natural weight range, known as a “set point.” This can be thought of as your body’s weight equilibrium, and though your genes play a role in determining your set point, it can also change based on habits. The system that regulates your body can be easily overwhelmed by overeating or bad diet and exercise practices, forcing it to adjust to weight gain and raise its set point.

Conversely, positive diet and exercise habits will help to decrease your set point. Though bringing your set point down is tougher than raising it, losing that first 10 percent and keeping it off for at least six months will help your body naturally readjust to a healthier weight.

Manage Your Expectations

Losing 10 percent may not bring you down to your dream weight, but the benefits will be obvious in the way you feel. Getting over that first weight loss hurdle will help you sleep better, increase your energy levels and reduce joint pain, letting you live a happier, healthier life. Instead of setting unattainable weight goals, keep your eyes off the scale and focus more on behavioral goals like eating right, getting regular exercise and thinking positively. Once those behaviors become a part of your normal life, weight loss will come naturally, and health and happiness will too.