The genetic testing results are in! More low-carb and high intensity exercise for me!

As promised, the results of my Inherent Genetic Testing for Weight Management arrived only 2 weeks after I shipped out my DNA sample. Super fast! I kind of expected the results that I received since I have made progress doing just what they recommended for the past 18 months. But it's nice to have science backing that up instead of wondering if I should try other nutrition/exercise approaches to see better results.

Results:

The results of your test place you in the category of Responsive to Carbohydrate Restriction ("Carb Reducer") and More Responsive to High Intensity Exercise ("High MET").

Interpretation:

Responsive to Carbohydrate Restriction ("Carb Reducer"). Individuals with this genetic pattern are more sensitive to weight gain from excessive carbohydrate intake. They may have greater success losing weight by reducing carbohydrates within a reduced calorie diet. Individuals with this genetic pattern are prone to obesity and have difficulty with blood sugar regulation if their daily carbohydrate intake is too high. Carbohydrate reduction has been shown to optimize blood sugar regulation and reduce risk of further weight gain. If they have high saturated and low monounsaturated fats in their diet, risk for weight gain and elevated blood sugar increases. While limiting total calories, these individuals may benefit from restricting total carbohydrate intake and shifting the fat composition of their diet to monounsaturated fats.

More Responsive to High Intensity Exercise ("High MET"). Individuals with this genetic pattern are less able to break down body fat for energy in response to exercise than those with the alternative genetic pattern. They tend to lose less weight and body fat than expected with moderate exercise. These individuals require more exercise to activate the breakdown of body fat for energy and weight loss. They must also maintain a consistent exercise program to keep the weight off.

They also sent sent an extended report of recommendations with more detail about my diet and exercise recommendations.

So, looks like I need to stick to low carb and watch my fat intake. Although they're recommending that 30%-45% of calories should come from carbs, so that isn't terribly low carb, really, considering that I've been striving for more like 15-20%. They recommended 15% or more from protein and 40% or less from fat. I haven't really been paying attention to fat while eating most any cut of meat and cooking everything in coconut oil. The last time I tracked my food, my fat intake tended to be about 45-50%, so I do need to cut back on my fat a little, and focus on leaner meats. They also suggested more monounsaturated fats, so maybe I should go back to cooking with olive oil when it doesn't require high heat, since coconut oil is mostly saturated fat (although it's supposedly a very healthy form of saturated fat). I'm a little concerned about the protein though. I've been following Eat to Perform's recommendations to have about 1g of protein/pound of lean mass, so I've been striving for at least 160g/day, which is more like 30% of what I typically eat. So I hope that isn't too much (it did say 15% or more) since I have read that excess protein is likely stored as fat. So, I'll need to start using My Fitness Pal to track my macros for a while again and see where I'm falling and where I need to rein things in. 

The REALLY good news is that it recommended high MET exercise for me, so CrossFit was made for me!!! Phew! I didn't know what I would do if it didn't recommend CrossFit for me. Maybe I should add in a couple 30 min runs/week to ensure I'm reaching my goal of 13+ METS though. Although CrossFit metcons are intense, they're usually pretty short, so not sure how much they really add up.

Meanwhile, 2 women at CrossFit told me that I looked like I lost weight this week, so that was nice to hear! I do think that the muffin top that snuck back on during the holidays has mostly gone away again. But that damn scale hasn't budged a bit. THAT DAMN SCALE!!!