Knowing your body type can help you shed unwanted pounds

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Like it or not, we are all predisposed to a particular body type that is determined by our genetic makeup and the hormones that we produce during puberty.

And it’s likely that we fall into one of these body shapes: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.

What’s your body type?

Ectomorphs usually have small frames and little body fat, while mesomorphs have medium frames, develop muscle easily and lose weight easily.  Endomorphs are known to have large frames and a curvy body shape.

Knowing your body shape is half the battle won as it can help you maximise weight loss, especially when it comes to knowing which foods you should be eating or avoiding

Ectomorph

Ectomorphs tend to be naturally lean and lucky for them, have a fast metabolism and find it difficult to gain weight.

Ideal foods for Ectomorphs

Ectomorphs should focus on foods high in carbs and proteins and ensure that your calorie intake is substantial enough to ensure your body is being fuelled with the energy that it needs.

Do eat foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as wholegrain pasta and brown rice. This will not only help to increase your calorie intake, it also helps to ensure that you’re consuming this as part of a healthy balanced diet.

The other key part of an ectomorph’s diet is protein. Think lean meats and eggs as it will help to build muscle mass, which can be lacking in this body type.

Ideal exercise for ectomorphs

Focus on muscle building workouts such as weight training and squats; these will help to build muscle mass.

Mesomorph

This body type gets to enjoy the best of both worlds as they are somewhere in the middle of ectomorphs and endomorphs. This translates to a naturally athletic frame, with fairly large bone structure and large muscles, and are able to gain muscle and fat much easier than other body types. In other words, you’ll find it easy to either lose or gain weight depending on your fitness goals.

Ideal foods for mesomorphs 

It is recommended for mesomorphs to stick to a diet that is high in complex carbs such as wholegrains and beans as well as lean protein. The idea is to follow a healthy balanced diet that is slightly higher in carbohydrates.

Mesomorphs respond well when it is fueled with healthy foods and the mesomorph’s high tolerance for carbohydrates and turning them into fuel means you can eat carbs much more regularly and still reap the benefits.

Ideal exercise for mesomorphs

Weight training and cardio workouts are great for this body type. Not only do they keep mesomorphs healthy, visible results are also noticeable quite quickly.

Endomorph

An endomorph is someone who is typically described as quite ‘stocky’ and naturally have higher percentages of body fat. They can look quite rounded in their appearance, gain fat quite easily and have a slow metabolism, making it harder for them to lose weight.

Ideal foods for an endomorph

Whenever possible, endomorphs should avoid refined carbs like white bread (these could lead to unwanted weight gain) and focus on lean protein, fruit and vegetables instead.

Ideal exercise for endomorphs

Focus on exercises which incorporate more cardio which will help to speed up your metabolism. Balance cardio with weight training too to turn fat into muscle.

PRO TIP:

No matter what your body type, any extra help to lose weight can always come in handy, be it a daily supplement to improve bowel movement or to fire up fat burning for more effective weight loss (assuming you pair it with a sensible diet and a consistent exercise regime).