I had a client tell me recently that both her parents died from diabetes-related illnesses so she felt there was no use in her even trying to get healthy. She felt like she had been dealt a bad hand -- it was all in her genes.
Did you know that our genes don’t necessarily dictate what health issues we’ll have in our lifetime? “Genes load the gun. Lifestyle pulls the trigger” is a popular adage that describes how lifestyle and genetics are interconnected. What a profound statement, just THINK about its implications!
Just because you have a family history of a disease, doesn’t mean you’ll have that disease.
And on the flip side, if both your parents are fortunate enough to be alive and active at 100, your genes don’t eliminate the need for hard work.
We often set limits and get so caught up in them that we fail to see the other side of the story. And I truly believe hard work will definitely dictate where you end up in many areas of life.
It’s so possible that the friend who looks like pure muscle has better genes, but if you haven’t put in the same reps, it’s impossible to tell who has the better genes.
So until you work as hard as the people you admire and want to be like, maybe … just maybe … giving the credit to great genetics isn’t the best way to look at the situation. Instead, maybe the lifestyle trigger of “hard work” is worth considering.
If you’re just now starting to work with habit change and if “working hard” sounds … well … hard … to you, then try working on something easy. We often work hard on the things that come easy to us. That’s more natural. So pick a habit change that comes easy for you. For example, it may be easier for you to drink 8 extra ounces of water a day than to eliminate sugar. Focus on the water and let the sugar go for now. Work hard on it … every day. You’ll be amazed at how much change you’ll see over time.
Then the next habit you choose to change may come even easier. Working on habit change is like working a muscle. The more you use it, the easier it gets.
What lifestyle trigger or habit change do you want to start working on today so that your genetics don’t hold all the cards in your game of life?
Here’s to your health!
Debbie Hawkins
P.S. Click here to download my free Essential Weight Loss Jumpstart Guide.