Doug Walker is a cycling fan. One of his dreams is to go to Europe to watch the Tour de France. He was the 2010 Health Quest winner, losing more than 72 pounds. (Ken Caruthers/rn-t)
One of the things I’ve really been picking up in recent years is an understanding of genetics. They are those things inside of you that you can’t do anything about; try as I may.
I’m 6’5” tall, something that comes from my mother’s side of the family. She’s the only one of six siblings that was under six-foot tall.
Mid mid-section, which at one point amassed 4’8” – do the math yourself – comes from my father’s side of the gene pool. I never met one of my great aunts, but I understand she was a virtual bowling ball on legs. Ouch! People did not comprehend my girth because of my height.
Experience has taught me, though I frequently forget, that in order to be able to buy men’s clothes someplace other than The Fat Store, I have to be conscious of what I eat and how much I exercise on a daily basis.
Should I forget to step on the scale for a week or two, the cow will not only leave the barn, but also it might leave the country. That’s genetics.
My system, if you will, wants to be fat. Dang it!
I ended the original Health Quest in November of 2010 with a loss of 72.8 pounds. When we started Health Quest Two, I had found about six of those pounds, but they were different. I had converted fat into muscle. That’s my story; I’m sticking to it!
But back to genetics, it seems like my genes want to weigh somewhere between 235 and 240, if not more. Keeping it in the 220’s is a daily fight. If I go to Olive Garden and eat three of those bread sticks, That’s three miles in the park just to stay even.
Have I mentioned that I do like to eat? Never met a slice of pizza that I didn’t like.
Because of my “experience” – go ahead, translate that into age, my “system” isn’t going to let me do certain things that would help me fight the battle of the bulge.
The knees and ankles, in particular, won’t allow me to do much running. Not to mention the large stone that has been in my right kidney for close to two years (The doc said it might just stay there as long as I don’t try to bounce it out. That might be too much information). All of that to serve as explanation for why I turned to walking as my exercise of choice.
Don’t need any special clothing or equipment to walk; other than a good pair of shoes. I’ve got two pair, one for flat surface walking, and the other for off-road treks.
The other good thing about basic walking is that you can do it anywhere. The YMCA is hard to beat when the heat is oppressive. Mt. Berry Square Mall is another great place to walk and, heck, people watching is one of my favorite activities.
Being at least mildly athletic is also in my genes. Again, from my mother’s side of the family. My mom, Evelyn who is 83 years young was a great basketball player in high school. My Uncle Bob, who is now 92, played baseball in the Baltimore Orioles chain though he never made it to the big league.
In order for me to allow those longevity genes to work, I’ve got to win this battle with the belly genes, which means I’ve got to stay away from jelly beans.
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