Fat Loss Lie #7: Some people will never be able to lose weight and they should just give up and accept their genetics for what they are.
It’s true; your heredity will, to a large degree, dictate your athletic ability and the ease with which you will be able to lose fat or gain muscle. However, it’s a lie to say that some people can’t lose weight because they’ve inherited a “slow metabolism” and that they should just “accept themselves” the way they are.
Let’s be honest; not everyone is going to become an Olympic Gold medallist or a Mr. Universe or a Ms Fitness America. However, you should never just “accept your genetics” and give up. Everybody can lose fat. It just takes a little longer for some than for others.
Some people have inherited a body type that tends to favor fat storage. These people are called “endomorphs.” Endomorphs may have a slower metabolism, they are often carbohydrate sensitive, they gain fat quickly if they eat poorly, they gain fat quickly if they don’t exercise, and they may retain stubborn fat, even on a healthy, low fat diet.
Weight loss is easier for some than for others and that doesn’t seem fair. But that’s the way life is. Life isn’t fair. This simply means that you’re going to have to adjust your diet and training to fit your body type and metabolism. You may have to work harder than other people. You may have to be more persistent than other people. You might need a stricter diet than other people. You might need to train harder than other people. You might have less margin for error (fewer cheat days).
The only question is: Are you willing to do what it takes for you?
I write and speak about the role of genetics in fitness a lot and the reason is because I’m sick and tired of hearing people using their “bad genetics” as an excuse for why they can’t get in shape. HEY – if you argue for your limitations, then your limitations are exactly what you’re going to get!
It’s amazing what a human being can achieve when they have a crystal clear goal and they are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. Genetic limitations evaporate like steam into thin air.
Need proof?
Marla Runyan is a world champion middle distance runner. Earlier this year at the Olympic trials in Sacramento, Runyan captured third in the 1500 meters, finishing in 4:06.44; a time good enough to gain her a berth on the 2000 US Olympic team.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Merah-Benida of Algeria won the 1500 meters in 4 minutes, 05.10 seconds. Violeta Szekely of Romania won the silver and Gabriela Szabo of Romania won the bronze. Runyan was eighth, crossing the finish line in 4:08.30.
Disappointing? Not when you consider that Runyan has been legally blind since her 9th birthday. Marla suffers from a genetically inherited disease of the retina, called Stargardt’s. She is considered legally blind because her condition cannot be corrected. Her vision is limited to the peripheral – she can only see shapes – she can’t even make out the face of her coach ten feet in front of her. Despite this so called handicap, Marla Runyan is the eighth best runner in the world in the 1500 meters.
The first U.S. paralympian to reach the Olympics, Runyan says she doesn’t even look at her lack of sight as an obstacle; “I think my vision is just a circumstance that happened and I don’t look at it as a barrier. I never said I want to be the first legally blind runner to make the Olympics. I just wanted to be an Olympian.”
“I have been legally blind for 20 years. I am very used to my eyes and how the world appears to me. In fact, I am so used to it that I often forget I see things differently from everyone else. The track looks the same to me as it did 15 years ago. Therefore, I do not consider my vision impairment a “handicap” when it comes to running. It is not a factor or an excuse for a bad race.”
And then there’s Carl Joseph. Carl Joseph was captain of his football team. He could dunk a basketball. He high jumped 5 feet 10 inches. He threw shot and discus. He was also born with only one leg.
The only difference between Carl and other people with disabilties who are not successful is an attitude: Carl Joseph didn’t make excuses:
“A lot of people go through life wishing they could change this or that. God gave me one leg, and I’m just as happy and thankful to be healthy and to have done as much as I have. Ever since I was a kid I could do anything I wanted to. One leg or two, it didn’t make any difference to me. It’s all in the mind. My mind always told me I could do things, so I just went out and did them.”
Still think you’re genetically “limited?” Next time your tempted to whine or complain about your “slow metabolism” or “big bones,” take some advice from these champions:
No excuses = No limits
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