Body Types

If you're eating wrong for your body type, you may never reach your maximum potential. To maximize the results, regardless of whether your goal is fat loss or muscle gain, you must adjust your eating habits according to your body type.

There are three basic human body types: endomorph, ectomorph and mesomorph. These body types aren’t set in stone. In fact, most people have a combination of two body types. These combinations are either ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph. However here we are going to look more closely the main 3 types of body.

Endomorph

Endomorph body types have a naturally high degree of body fat, especially around the midsection. They have round, corpulent bodies with the propensity to gain and retain fat.

Characteristics

• Soft, slack, round body shaped 
• Medium/ large joints/ bones
• Small shoulders and short limbs
• High levels of body fat 
• Can gain muscle easily, but tends to be underdeveloped
• Lose weight slowly
• Slow metabolic rate
• Attacks of tiredness/ fatigue
• Fall asleep easily
• Body system have ability to transform all the food in body fat

Metabolism

Metabolism is the slowest of the 3 body types. Endomorph should focus on enhancing their metabolism. Be very careful around carbohydrates.

Aims

• More aerobic exercises and circuit training
• Lower calorie intake (without starving)
• Need to build muscles, because bigger muscles increase the metabolism and burn out fat
• Working out pay attention to your bottom and thigh
• Eat frequently small portions instead of the regular heavy three or four meals to keep the metabolism burning as hot as possible
• Proteins should be kept high to encourage muscle retention and the feeling of fullness to prevent overeating
• Walking, biking, etc., and try to increase the amount of time you spend each week

Orient list of the allow foods

• Proteins: chicken without skin, eggs white, turkey, fish..
• Carbs: sweet potatoes, brown rice,oat meal bread and pasta made entirely from whole wheat flour
• Mozzarella cheese, carob, and soy nuts are good substitutes
• Fruits: blackberry, whortleberry, grapefruit, raspberry, strawberry..
• Vegetables: grains germ, lucerne, asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, new soil, cucumber, mushrooms, aborigine, garlic, green beans, pumpkin, vegetable marrow,  lettuce, parsley, spinach..
• Fiber’s: the best source of fiber being raw vegetables, fruits, green leafy vegetables, cereals, oats..
• Eat more of raw food

Avoid

• Carbs such as white flour, high carb fruits, sugar, and refined carbs
• High calorie foods include candy, cashew nuts, bacon, cheddar cheese, chocolate and most oils.
   

Ectomorph

Ectomorph body type is slim, long leg/arms, low body fat and small muscles. For them, gaining a mass is really tough. More body weight or weight training, avoid aerobic or cardio.

Characteristics

• Thin, delicate build, lightly muscled, tall
• Flat chest
• Visible and delicate ribs
• Upper arms and thighs are weak
• Toes, fingers and neck are long
• Muscle growth takes longer
• Super fast metabolism
• Difficult to gain weight
• Don’t have greater strength or endurance

Metabolism

Ectos needs a huge amount of calories in order to gain weight. They have fast metabolism which burns up quickly calories. Workouts should be short and intense focusing on big muscle groups. Diet should be high in calories (good quality food not junk) and you should eat often and more then you're used to.

Aims

Ectomorphs should increase the number of calories in their diet. They should eat frequently for every two to three hours. Including percentage of proteins and carbohydrates in diet. More body weight or weight exercises.

List of the allowed foods

• Animal proteins provide the best protein source, especially if you eat organic and free-range meats-chicken, eggs, dairy products, pulses, soya, grains, tofu, seeds, dry nuts, etc.
• Carbohydrates should be taken in abundance, and the best are whole grains, pastas, rice, potatoes, yam, lentils, fruits, whole grains, vegetables....
• Drink lots and lots of water to keep you well hydrated.
• The vitamins A and D in the butter and cream that you put on your vegetables are fat soluble-they are only found in fatty foods-and they efficiently escort minerals into your cells

Avoid

• Refined carbohydrates: This includes white sugar, white flour, and most baked goods. Often called "empty calories," these foods lead to the fastest increases in blood sugar and offer nothing good in return
• Trans fats: Food labeling now identifies these little devils, which interfere with your blood sugar metabolism, raise your bad cholesterol, lower your good cholesterol, and clog your arteries. In other words, they significantly raise your risk of heart disease. Stay away from fried food, cookies, all the junk food..

 Mesomorph

Mesomorphs have a naturally fit body. They gain muscle and lose fat rather easily, and in fact most can maintain shape with little exercise or attention to nutrition. Such body types should eat quite a variety of food.

Characteristics

• Athletic, muscular body
• Overly mature appearance
• Rectangular shaped (hourglass shaped for women)
• Thick skin
• Upright posture

Metabolism

Mesomorph metabolism is faster than the metabolism of the endomorph body type but slower than the metabolism of an ectomorph. It is easy for people with a mesomorph body type to lose excess weight.

Aims

Mesomorphs looking to lose weight should strive to eat smaller meals more frequently. To gain lean muscle mass they should  follow a low-fat diet, to increase the amount of protein they take in and mix in plenty of cardio with lifting. Take into consideration the calorie intake especially while you are working out. 

Orient List of allowed foods

• Protein should figure prominently . It can include chicken, turkey, eggs, salmon, tofu, soya, etc.  
• Moderate amount of carbs (low glycemic ones- yam, whole grain breads, pastas, brown rice, bagels). Keep your overall carbohydrate intake low if you do not exercise regularly
• Oils such as olive oil and flax seed oil are both good

Avoid

• Weight fluctuation in order to gain/retain mass
• Commercially produced ultra heat-treated oils such as sunflower, safflower, corn and canola in favor of cold-pressed oils such as hemp, flaxseed and pumpkin
• Refined carbohydrates and sugars. These are high glycemic carbs, which are digested rapidly and sent to your fat stores