I recently had a member of my family lose 15 pounds in the past 4 months by cutting back his carbonated beverage intake. Since congratulations were in order, I asked my father if he had started exercising more than his once a week basketball league. He responded that he had thought about it. Which is a big step for my dad. But since he and I had that conversation, I thought I would highlight something very important. Exercise is beneficial on many more levels than simply aiding weight loss. The most important benefits are that your cardiovascular system becomes far more healthy. Your total cholesterol is lowered, your high density (the good kind) cholesterol increases, your triglycerides decrease, and many other markers are changed in a positive way. Remember to encourage those loved ones in your lives to not be concerned only with weight loss, but to exercise so they will be around and healthy for a longer time.