| Happy Sunday, everyone. I recently saw a finding that the average American who gained weight during the pandemic gained almost 30 pounds. 30 pounds. Millennials gained the most—an average of 41. Now, this wasn't a poll of every single American. That isn't how polls work. This also wasn't supposed to represent all Americans. But it's supposedly drawn from a sample of Americans who reported gaining weight during the pandemic. And it's the average gain among that group. That means some people gained much less than 30 pounds while others gained far more. An earlier study tracked middle aged adults during the pandemic and found they gained about 1.5 pounds a month. Again, an average, which means some weren't gaining any and some were gaining far more than 1.5 pounds a month. "42% of Americans Say They Gained Weight..." There is an endless stream of articles and papers all pointing in the same direction: people gained a lot of weight. But not all people. Many people broke the mold. Many of you reading this broke the mold. Actually, you know what? You've cultivated your own mold. If you did gain weight, you're not alone. You were up against extra stress, even long stretches of living in survival mode. It takes a toll. But you can decide today to cultivate your own mold, little by little. That's what this Primal stuff has been about all these years: going your own way. One that fits you and your genes. One that prepares you for all the things life can throw at you and your immune system. It's no guarantee, but it's sort of like body armor that gives you a better chance at surviving. Put it this way: getting fitter, faster, leaner, and more metabolically-healthy will never make you more likely to succumb to an infectious disease. It can only help. Anecdotally, it's also helped make you more resilient to the mental and emotional effects of the pandemic. The people I encounter and know in this community have weathered the storm, mind and spirit intact. I'm not here to give you any advice this week. I mostly just want to congratulate you all for breaking the mold, for not giving up, for, if anything, getting stronger throughout all this craziness. Leave your thoughts in the comments section of this week's New and Noteworthy. Take care, everyone. | 
