You might find this hard to believe, but many people I work with want to lose weight. This is kind of a hot button for me, so let’s break this down a bit. It would be best if you never wanted to lose weight. Weight is never an issue. The scale is not your enemy.

Fat is your enemy, fat is what we want less of, and fat is what we want to burn off the body. I bring this up because if you lose a pound of fat and gain a pound of muscle, you have lost no weight but have become much healthier and most likely smaller. The reason for this is that muscle is significantly denser than fat.

Thus you can weigh the same but lose inches off your body. Remember, water also has weight; if you are holding water, you can lose fat but be heavier.

Most of the time, water retention is easy to avoid and get rid of, so it shouldn’t scare you. However, if we look too much at our weight and not enough about why we weigh what we weigh, we can develop body dysmorphia issues.

These issues lead to eating disorders and many biochemical and psychological problems. I often ask women if you could have their idea of a perfect body, perfect face, hips, arms, butt, everything, and you would be perfectly healthy, but you would weigh 200 lbs. Would you take the deal?

When they say, “oh my no, I would hate myself if I weighed that much,” I know we have problems. Once you have decided to lose fat and not care about weight, you can set the proper goals. When that happens, everything starts to fall into place.

Check out Chalmers Pillarsofwellness.com for Wellness updates! And ask me any questions you have at questions@chalmerswellness.com. I answer all of them and look forward to hearing from you.

Dr. Matt Chalmers

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. Before taking any action based on this information you should first consult with your physician or health care provider. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions regarding a medical condition, your health, or wellness.