I’m sure you have googled this and then you’ve also clicked on the link (they got you good LOL) to find out if you were indeed eating the “right” food for your body type.
A concept was developed in the 1940’s whereby human physiques were categorised into three fundamental elements. These categories are also known as somatotypes.
Ectomorph - These are our tall and slim friends. The ones that can eat everything and not gain an ounce of fat (alternatively they also struggle to put on some muscle)
Mesomorph - These are the physiques we all aspire to have. This is the friend that has the “athletic build”. A good balance of muscle without too much fat.
Endomorph - These are our more friends that tend to be more overweight. They gain muscle really easily but then they also tend to put on fat real easy.
Now that you have put yourself in a category, I’m sure you can’t wait to hear what you need to eat in order to achieve that beach body.
Warning: spoiler alert coming up!
The way we look is mostly attributed to what we eat and also our personality traits. Your tall and very slim friend might only eat one meal a day (which is conveniently when you are around stuffing your face with a burger and fries - making you believe that he can eat whatever he wants all the time).
Other factors that might influence this, can be anxiety for example. Anxious people tend to eat less. They sometimes even forget to eat, which I can’t understand, because the first and last thing on my mind when I wake up and before I fall asleep is food.
Height can also play a role. The longer the levers (arms and legs), the more space there is available for muscle distribution. The same amount of muscle mass can look different when spread out over different area sizes.
Our habits also play an important role when it comes to somatotypes. For instant eating slower and chewing for longer can have a significant impact on the amount of food you consume.
In general, the majority of people tend to gain fat pretty easily. It’s a survival mechanism for the body if you look at it from an evolutionary point of view. Although we would all like to be lean all year round and show off our six packs, this will only cause you more headaches and unhappiness. And life is too short to be walking around thinking about why you don’t have a six pack to show off.
The key is to find balance - the ROI (return on investment) to having such a low body fat % is not worth your health and unhappiness. This is especially true for women.
So to simplify this and where you place yourself on the spectrum - it’s clear that depending on the amount of body fat a person has, that they are consuming too many calories. It comes down to energy balance and creating good habits to sustain it.
Endomorphs - Want to lose weight? Make sure you burn more calories than what you consume.
Ectomorph - Want to gain muscle? Make you sure you consume more calories than you expend. If you need to set a reminder to eat, then do it! Grab your phone and set your alarm.
Mesomorphs - You're probably on the right track, so keep going at it!
Dieting is not rocket science and ANYONE is capable of being in the best shape of their lives.
So take action. Sign up for your FREE nutrition consultation and morph into your best self.
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