It used to be that your body type was simply used as an indicator of how you look.

As things have changed over time, people have started to realise that there is a connection between natural body type, and how the foods we eat interact with each one of them.

We?ll be going over a range of information to give you an idea of how what you?re eating affects your body type, and what you can do if you need to make changes to help lose weight by eating for your body type.

What are the 3 body types?

There are three body types that are catered for with this weight loss strategy which are ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph.

Whether you?re an ectomorph or an endomorph, odds are at some point you?ve wondered how to get an hourglass figure. We?ll cover the body shapes in-depth next.

What your Body Type says About You

The shape of our bodies seems to have much more of an impact on us than we thought.

It used to be that endomorphic individuals were singled out and ridiculed for something that isn?t usually their fault, such as genetic disorders for example.

Over time, we?re learning more and more about how body type impacts things like norepinephrine sensitivity and ability to tolerate carbs.

Most people assume how they look fits them into one group entirely, but most people tend to find they?re a mixture of at least 2 of the 3.

Discuss your options with a doctor

When undertaking any kind of weight loss program, body type isn?t the only factor you need to consider.

If you have any medical conditions, they could negatively affect your ability to safely lose weight.

Talk to your doctor about starting any kind of diet or weight loss program.

If you don?t get the appropriate advice beforehand, you may find your health will be negatively impacted.

What is your body type?

We have preconceived notions about what someone?s body type says about them. Ectomorph people are very thin, without much fat or muscle mass.

We assume these people don?t eat much and we assume they don?t eat much junk food or fast food.

Inversely, we assume endomorphs eat lots of food, with lots of junk food and fast food being consumed.

Endomorphs tend to have more fat and curvature to their body shape than the other body types.

Another assumption we make with endomorphs is that they don?t get much exercise, if any.

This is because we assume there must be a reason for the extra fat content of their bodies in comparison to the perceived societal norm.

The last of the three main body types is the mesomorph. These people have a higher than average level of muscle tissue and tend to be more sculpted in their body shapes.

Because of their increased muscle mass, the assumption we make about mesomorphs is that they exercise a lot and only eat foods that are good for maintaining their athletic physique.

The truth about body shapes

The actual truth about our body shape and what we eat varies so much from person to person.

There?s no one right answer as to why someone who binge eats daily is an ectomorph, while someone who has fasted for 40 days and ran 3 miles a day is still completely endomorphic.

Regardless of which body type you have, if you want to maintain or get down to a healthy weight, then it could be an idea to tailor what you eat around your body type.

The theory behind this approach is mainly based around the macronutrient make-up of the diet, and which macronutrient is the best to cut down on. We?ll go into that below.

Ectomorphs

The ectomorph body make-up features little fat or muscle mass, lean shape, and smaller and thinner bones.

Ectomorphs are already lightweight without much in the way of muscle mass. They tend to have a naturally high metabolism, meaning they can tolerate a large amount of carbs for energy without issue.

The body turns carbs into glucose, meaning ectomorphs have the ability to eat the foods to generate a good amount of energy for workout sessions, which will be important for getting the muscle mass needed to get to your ideal weight.

Typically ectomorphs tend to be quite tall.

They?re known as lanky or wiry because they have a bean-pole type appearance.

Even when they?re short, they still tend to have the bean-pole build.

Most ectomorphs have been that way since childhood. During early adulthood, the metabolism for the majority of people starts to drop off, meaning it?s easier to gain weight and harder to keep it off.

Those ectomorphs entering early adulthood with a penchant for junk food and fast food tend to end up in the endomorph category in the not so distant future.

For the luckier endomorphs among us, the drop off in metabolism won?t happen until the early-to-mid 30s.

Ectomorphs and the drop off of metabolism

To avoid the drop off of metabolism, it?s important to try and gain some muscle mass, which can be difficult.

In order to gain the muscle needed while your metabolism is still high, you?ll need to add between 250-1000 calories a day.

When it comes to ectomorphs, the best diet for men and the best diet for women depends on what you eat.

Your food choices are important, so make sure the carbs you?re eating are nice and starchy. Suggestions include:

Oats
Quinoa
Potatoes
Brown Rice

Another food to add to your diet if you?re an ectomorph is cruciferous vegetables.

Things like Brussel sprouts and broccoli are great for your digestive system and highly nutritious.

If you?re looking to gain muscle mass, ensure you add chicken to your diet as well as eggs.

If you want to keep your lean physique, stick to high carbs and a lot of cardio.

Endomorph

Endomorphs tend to be curvier and have a higher fat content throughout the body.

It?s also common for endomorphs to have larger appetites, sometimes compounding the problem of weight gain.

Another problem that tends to plague endomorphs is the tendency to become fatigued more easily than the other two body types.

The biggest problem that endomorph people tend to have in the modern age is the stigma and persecution that comes with excessive body fat.

The prejudice tends to revolve around the shape of the body, with apple body shape, and pear body shape being prominent on the list of insults used.

The endomorph female tends to have the worst time of being comfortable in their own skin.

The ideal outcome for endomorphs is to achieve either an ectomorph or mesomorph body type.

This happens by losing the fat on the body that accounts for a lot of the weight. To do this, there?s a need to burn the fat.

RELATED: Benefits Of A Keto Diet

How can Ectomorphs lose weight?

Typically, diet alone isn?t enough to affect a good enough change. The diet is important, but exercise is just as valuable in the weight loss journey.

Consistent weight loss over a prolonged period of time can be a big problem for the average endomorph.

This is because the endomorph metabolic type is slow.

A low and slow metabolic rate means food is digested slower and energy is burned off at a slower rate, meaning fat is stored more regularly and used less frequently.

Weight training and a restrictive diet that uses vegetables and fruit as the primary source of carbs, or starchy carbs such as brown rice.

Interval set training with equal portions of cardio and weight training is ideal for getting that hourglass figure.

Make sure your cardio works most of your body where possible, and don?t skip leg day with weight training as your quadriceps are large muscles that can increase metabolic rate nicely.

Mesomorphs

The mesomorph body type is ideal.

Naturally muscular with a wider frame, the smaller waist and wide hips give a somewhat natural hourglass shape.

To make the hourglass shape more prominent, it?s necessary to do your best to get lean.

Getting and staying lean can be quiet difficult as the mesomorphic body type tends to have a strong weight fluctuation potential.

This means that mesomorphs can fluctuate between 60-70kgs in just a few days.

Mesomorphs need to stick to a rigid diet

Because of this it?s important for mesomorphs to stick to a rigid diet, and if you?re going to use whey protein, make sure you get a lean formulation.

The daily calorie requirements of the average mesomorph are higher than the other body types on average to maintain weight and muscle mass.

This is because muscle is heavier than fat and muscles consume energy even at rest.

Because of this, the more muscle mass you have means the more energy you expend even when sat down.

The opposite is true of someone with less muscle mass, with less muscle comes a lower metabolic rate.

The ideal diet for the mesomorph tends to have equally divided portions of the following: