The Science of Eating Based on Your Body Type
Do you know which body type category you fall under? Is your body type and how you're eating holding you back from reaching your goals? If so, you've come to the right place. In this article I will break down each of the three body types and give you an idea of what your plate should look like for each meal. Body type is classified by skeletal structure, hormonal environment and metabolism (metabolic rate and how nutrients are processed). NOTE: Although you may identify with one of the body types listed below, it's possible to still have qualities of another. It's rare for someone 2to be a "Pure Breed"
As a personal trainer and fitness enthusiast, I've come across many individuals who are looking to tone up, get back in the shape they were during sports, shed body fat and build lean muscle. I mean after all, who doesn't want to look good naked?! (Raises hand while smiling: I Do!! Do!!) Well, if we have any intentions on getting back in to shape or getting to an ideal weight/size that we've always wanted to, we first need to discover what our body type is and what are the characteristics.
The three body types that we will discuss today are Ectomorph (skinny girl/guy who always ate whatever they wanted while never getting fat, flat stomach/abs)
Mesomorph (the lean, muscular, never really had to workout people who often times played all the sports in high school because they were just SOOO athletic!! - (PLEASE!! Give Me A Break!)
Endomorphs (the heavy set guy/girl who always asked for your snacks at lunchtime and never really got picked for any activities that involved physical activity).
Well now that we've had a little fun, lets get to the real definitions and characteristics of each body type.
Ectomorph
The first body type we will discuss is the ectomorph (ex. Cameron Diaz and Chris Rock) individual who usually tends to be endurance athletes, gymnasts/dancers. These types of people are what we would consider "Hard Gainers" or those who have trouble packing on muscle/size no matter how much they eat. This in part is due to their fast metabolism and any excess energy thats consumed being expended through activities (ex. fidgeting/pacing) and heat. Other characteristics of an ectomorph are:
Thin (may have longer limbs)
Small chest and buttocks
Finds it hard to gain weight
Lean musculature
Low body fat
Easily satisfied; rarely hungry
"High revving" or fast metabolism
Get full easily
Those who fall into this category generally have to consume a ton of calories on a daily basis in order to see any real results. For the ectomorph looking to gain mass and pack on lean muscle, you should follow a diet similar to the one below. Note: The recommendations listed are just that - RECOMMENDATIONS (Adjustments will need to be made based on goals (put on muscle, lean out, maintain) lifestyle (ex. sedentary office job or active construction worker job), activity level (ex. structured exercise, playing sports, gardening), age (younger adults tend to go out more often and are involved in more demanding activities), social life (ex. going out on the weekends, traveling for work/vacation, playing sports with friends). The more engaging you are with either planned/structured exercise such as going to the gym or more recreational activities such as gardening/playing a game of basketball, all of these activities require energy (calories). The more calories we use for these activities, the less we have for building that lean muscle thats already so hard for us to gain. So your probably wondering, (I'm tired of being skinny!! I want mass and I want it NOW!)
Due to their high level of activity, ectomorphs tend to due better with a diet that consist of more carbs, moderate protein and less fat (Carbs: 55%, Protein: 25%, Fat: 20%) Don't get crazy over the math, just think "higher healthy carbs, lower fat".
What each meal looks like for men:
2 palms of protein dense food
2 fists of vegetables
3 cupped handfuls of carb dense food
1 thumb of fat dense food
What each meal looks like for women:
1 palm of protein dense food
1 fists of vegetables
2 cupped handfuls of carb dense food
0.5 thumb of fat dense food
Please remember that these are not set in stone and adjustments should be made according to your lifestyle, fitness goals and activity level. This is good for a ballpark daily intake per meal. The ectomorph wants to maintain a more scheduled diet where they're consuming 4-6 meals per day, every 2-3 hours. Each meal should consist of starchy, whole grain, unprocessed carbs such as brown rice, quinoa, potatoes and lean protein. For breakfast, you want to consume more complex carbs (ex. oats/whole grain bread) and protein (chicken, sirloin/tenderloin steak occasionally, ground turkey.)
Mesomorph
The second body type is the mesomorph (ex. Reggie Bush and Serena Williams), think of a football running back, wrestlers/MMA fighters and other sports that require speed, power and athleticism. These individuals usually have solid and strong physiques that have a fairly easy time putting on muscle and also don't have much issue with decreasing body fat considering they follow a decent diet program. The characteristics of a mesomorph include:
Medium size bone structure
Athletic/symmetrical body
Considerable amount of lean mass (if active)
Excess calories go towards building muscle, strong connective tissue, dense bones
Testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) dominant (can easily gain muscle)
Low body fat (if active)
Eat in moderation
Small waist/wide shoulders
Mesomorphs have such a good genetic makeup that they usually benefit from a mixed diet with balanced carbs, protein and fats. (Carbs: 40%, Protein: 30%, Fat: 30%) Again, don't get crazy over the math, just think "balance between all three macronutrients).
What each meal looks like for men
2 palms of protein dense food
2 fists of vegetables
2 cupped handfuls of carb dense food
2 thumbs of fat dense food
What each meal looks like for women
1 palm of protein dense food
1 fists of vegetables
1 cupped handful of carb dense food
1 thumb of fat dense food
Once again, don't get carried away with these measurements. Implement it, monitor it and make adjustments accordingly. The mesomorph has a little less wiggle room than the ectomorph but definitely a little more than the endomorph when it comes to food consumption. These individuals want to consume 4-6 meals per day. What's consumed during these meals depends on a variety of factors especially if they're weight training. Assuming the individual does strength train, they want to consume the majority of their carbs for breakfast and around their workout to ensure that they are being used to fuel the workout and then refuel the body after. For the other meals, especially breakfast, you will consume a high fiber carb such as beans, oats, or whole wheat pasta for example).
Endomorph
The endomorph (ex. Queen Latifah and Jack Black) individual who we would classify as those with a large bone structure, and high total body mass and fat mass. When you think of endomorph, think of football linemen or heavyweight powerlifters. This body type is the total opposite of the ectomorph, which means endomorphs are unable to eat whatever they want and put on mass easily along with the other characteristics:
Metabolism is set to "idle"
Built for comfort not speed
Less active
Can't seem to lose weight
Consume large meals
Insatiable appetite
Excess calories get stored as fat due to lack of movement to burn them off
Don't tolerate carbs that well especially if they're sedentary
Possess a large amount of fat mass
Fatigue easily
An endomorph will typically due best on a high fat, and protein diet with carbohydrate intake being lower. Nutrient distribution would be (Carbs: 25%, Protein: 35%, Fat: 40%). Think "Higher fat and protein with less carbs".
What each meal looks like for men
2 palms of protein dense food
2 fists of vegetables
1 cupped handful of carb dense food
3 thumbs of fat dense food
What each meal looks like for women
1 palm of protein dense food
1 fists of vegetables
0.5 cupped handful of carb dense food
2 thumbs of fat dense food
Now, the endomorph individual who just finds it hard to lose any weight or pack on any muscle. Due to their genetic makeup and body type, the endomorph needs to be really careful when selecting what foods to eat. As with any training program, exercise will be a large factor in losing excess pounds but it starts with nutrition. The endomorph looking to lose weight will consume 4-6 meals per day to constantly spark that metabolism. The second major difference between the endomorph and the other two body types lies in when they consume their carbs (Nutrient distribution is the first difference). Due to the fact that they don't tolerate carbs well, these individuals will consume the majority if not all starchy carbs around their workouts unless it's for breakfast where they'll look to consume a high fiber carbohydrate that will satisfy their hunger for longer, resulting in less food consumed which translates to less calories being consumed. Meals outside of their workout will be made up of mostly protein, healthy fats, veggies, and fruits.
To conclude this article on the three body types and what to eat for each, REMEMBER that these are a few successful templates for you to create a starting point, not "rules". Along with body type, consider your age, activity level, goals, and needs. I hope this article was helpful and gave you a few ideas on how you should be meal prepping based on your body type. This is by no means the ONLY way to eat but yet ONE of the successful ways for you to make sure your consuming the right amount of nutrients to reach your goals.
Oh Hey!! There's Me!! LOL Mesomorph with some Endomorphic qualities.
Follow Me On Instagram: @krisbrathwaite_
Email Me At: DreamDrivenFit@gmail.com
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