As I typed “172” into the title of this post, it dawned on me that 172 weeks was over three years ago! It doesn’t seem like long before I seriously consider losing the weight I gained in 2018. A little over a week ago marked the second anniversary of becoming a vegetarian. One week from tomorrow it will be three years since I have been sober. It amazes me that it has been so long!
After Eli woke up from oral surgery in December, I was desperate for answers. I didn’t want him to be afraid of anesthesia for the rest of his life (now, he says he’ll never go to a dentist again, let alone a surgeon). I’ve always suspected that I metabolize drugs faster than normal, but I didn’t know there was a DNA test for this. I figured if I was a fast or ultra-rapid metabolizer, there was a good chance my kids would be too. (I don’t know if this will affect narcotic medications, but it’s a start.)
I’ve been wanting to test for breast cancer genes, specifically Alzheimer’s genes, for a long time, but was always too scared. Anyway, the point is, I ordered the 23 & Me genetic test – it checks your genes for a ton of different conditions, diseases, carrier status, etc., including ancestry and physical characteristics.
I haven’t decided how much I want to share yet, but one thing I found interesting is my genetic weight:
My genes are said to make me weigh about 3% more than average. According to 23 & Me, the average weight for a 5-foot-4 woman of European descent is 151 pounds (a 3 percent increase would be about 155.5 pounds).
My weight is 142.4, only down 0.6 pounds from last week. My clothes are looser and I don’t feel puffy, so I think I’ll see a bigger loss. But I won’t give up on what I’m doing. I know as well as anyone that you can do all the right things one week and lose five pounds, and then do the same things another week and not lose anything.
However, I do feel a million times better since eating healthier. I’m even sleeping better and running feels easier! Maybe it’s just in my head, but I think I see the difference in the mirror too. Many of my clothes are still on the tight side, but that’s because they’re perfect for a 130-135 pound body weight – and for a while, I was really worried that I might have to buy something bigger. Considering how I’m feeling right now, I really don’t want to screw it up for a few Oreos or something; I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing and hope for the best.
Last week, I said I was going to increase my daily running from one block (0.4 miles) to two blocks (0.5 miles). Physically, it’s not a big deal; But mentally, I love the “just go around the block once” rule. I wanted to give it a week and then decide I could go back to a block if I wanted to.
I’ve been running two blocks a day this week and now I don’t think Joey would understand very well if we cut back, haha. He was used to our morning routine. I can already imagine the disappointment in his eyes if we cut extra blocks 😉 So, we’ll continue running half a mile every day.
I can’t wait until it gets warmer outside. Now, I wear so many layers of clothing that it takes longer to get ready for a run than it does to actually complete it!