I Tried A Diet And Fitness Plan Based On My DNA And Couldn’t Believe The Results – BuzzFeed News

1. My suspicion was correct. Genetically, I do have a slower metabolism. Dr. Dan described this in scientific terms as an "efficient metabolism," meaning that I store energy more than someone with a fast or "inefficient metabolism."

2. I also have a gene variation for the FTO gene that is linked to a hormone called ghrelin, which controls hunger. My gene variation implies that I am someone who becomes hungry very easily, therefore creating a higher risk of overeating. Dan said that eating small frequent meals throughout the day to control hunger would be important.

3. I also have a gene variation in the APOA2 gene, indicating that I am sensitive to saturated fats, meaning that it sticks to me more easily! I asked Dr. Dan what foods have saturated fats and he said things like animal products, butter, dairy products, palm oil and coconut oil. Coconut oil?! I ate so much coconut oil because of how often it's promoted as a healthy oil. No wonder I was having trouble.

4. I am someone who would benefit from working out later in the day because my CLOCK gene variations imply that I am a night owl. This made perfect sense because I am definitely not a morning person.

5. I am someone who responds well to "high volume training," meaning high sets and reps of weight training. I always thought that lots of cardio would be the key to losing weight. It turns out that it was going to take a lot of strength training. Dan said that the more muscle I built, the more fat I would burn.

6. I am someone who does not switch from burning carbohydrates to burning fat easily. This would mean that I would need to be eating the right balance of macronutrients: Carbs, protein and fat.

7. Dan also said that I have a gene variation that indicates I metabolize caffeine slowly. This means that I would benefit by having a cup of green tea about 30 minutes prior to a workout for optimal energy.

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I Tried A Diet And Fitness Plan Based On My DNA And Couldn't Believe The Results - BuzzFeed News