Have you ever wondered exactly why it is that no matter how hard you work out at the gym or how careful you are with what you put in your mouth, you just can’t seem to get your weight to budge…
THE STORY
…Well, you’re not alone. Back in the day, prior to my bodybuilding years, the only thing consistent about my weight was it’s inconsistency. I wasn’t raised in an environment that was conducive to anything healthy including eating habits. When I was in high school there was even a period of time that I was hospitalized for an eating disorder. I knew nothing about what healthy nutrition or fitness entailed.
When I was pregnant with my son I gained 60, yes 60, pounds. Keep in mind that I’m not quite 5’2″. You get the picture…and if not check out the shot below on the left. That was one year after my son was born. When my grandmother had to remove about eight inches from the bottom of the hideous lovely burgundy bridesmaid dress and insert pieces in both side seams so that it fit around my girth, I knew that I’d had enough.
I became obsessed with educating myself about nutrition and fitness. This eventually led to my many years of bodybuilding. When I decided to compete, I hired a trainer/nutritionist and I learned volumes during the year that I worked with him. I learned how to manipulate my diet and I also learned that, at least in my case, huge amounts of cardio are actually counterproductive in terms of my body composition. My body craves weight training and is highly responsive to it. I also came to realize that my body responds and functions much better with a higher fat lower carb diet.
Nowadays I’m not the plump girl on the left, nor am I the shredded girl on the right. I’m currently a very happy medium. And after having lived in this body and gone through the physical ups and downs that I have, there are particular things that I know for certain:
- For me it’s not some fad, nor some weird way of eating. My body simply functions better on higher fat and lower carbs. In particular, sugar is a huge problem for me and causes all sorts of issues when I overdo it.
- While cardio is good for overall health, my body does not respond well to it if I am attempting to use it as a form of weight loss.
- If I simply look at a dumbbell I gain muscle mass. Although I’m tiny, overall, my frame is muscular.
- I’m not much of a fruit eater…never have been, never will be.
- Current research has shown that breakfast isn’t necessarily the “most important meal of the day” like we’ve always been told. I used to always force myself to eat something in the morning, but I’ve found that I feel so much better with intermittent fasting. All that means is, I try not to eat after 7:30 in the evening and then I don’t eat again until lunch the next day. I’m not starving nor do I obsess over when I get to eat. For years that is basically how I naturally functioned, and this Summer when I participated in a diet/nutrition beta test I learned that it’s actually a pretty healthy way to live.
Participating in the beta test I mentioned rekindled my love for learning about all things nutrition, in particular it’s effects on my body. So when HomeDNA contacted me in regard to trying out their Healthy Weight DNA test I was definitely curious.
THE PRODUCT
The HomeDNA Healthy Weight test kit works basically like any type of home DNA testing. The kit comes with cheek swabs and a postage paid return envelope. You simply swab the inside of your cheek, package the swabs in the provided envelopes and mail it to the lab. Within a couple of weeks your personally tailored report, based entirely upon you genetic makeup, is emailed to you.
The report is extensive to say the least! My report was 72 pages long and continued a wealth of useful and interesting information. I’ve included a few of the highlights below so that you can get an idea of what is included. Much of what I’ve always known to be true simply from living in my body was confirmed by the report. For example, genetically speaking, cardio is not my thang; whereas strength training is.
The company does stress throughout the report that the results indicate your potential based on your genetic factors for each of the items. Meaning, for example, if you look at my Vitamin B12 tendency, it’s low. That does not mean that I am low in B12, it means that my genetics indicate that I have a higher potential to have low B12. Not coincidentally, I am actually typically low in B12 as that is one of the tests my doctor regularly runs on me.
Will the HomeDNA Healthy Weight test lead to major weight loss and health gains for you? No. Not in and of itself. There is no magic bullet my friends. What it will do is arm you with knowledge. Detailed specific knowledge about your own body and how it operates. It’s what you choose to do with that knowledge that can potentially lead you down a healthier path than you are currently on. Just like with anything, knowledge is power. On that note, next week I’ll be sharing a brief update post with you. I spoke with my doctor and she was very interested in all of this. I gave her a copy of my report which she is going to share with her staff nutritionist. We are going to touch base next Wednesday, so I will be sure to let you know what their professional opinions are.
Here’s the best part…I love it when I have something to share with you guys! HomeDNA is offering my readers a $50 off promo code…yes, $50! You will get the test kit and your complete report for only $69 (regularly $119). Simply enter the code HW50 at checkout.
