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What body type am I???

Well, we are all indeed different…All shapes and sizes, all manner of beautifully put together bodies that are definitely unique in their own right.

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No one body is the same, just as no one soul is ever the same as another. We are born into these beautiful vessels and I do believe we are here to be the best on the inside, as well as on the outside!

Below is a quiz that I want you to go ahead and complete to give you an idea of which body type you fall under.

http://www.foreveryoungforeverfit.com/2013/07/25/quiz/

I don’t know about you, but have you ever wondered just why is it that your best friend can eat a donut, French fries, large popcorn and a double chocolate Frappuccino and NEVER get fat! I mean, don’t you just hate people like that! And for me, I just need to glance at that warm inviting muffin and WHAM! Straight to the thighs!

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So do you ever wonder why your bestie goes to the gym for a week, does exactly what you do, and she ends up losing 2 kilo’s and you’ve shifted 100 grams! I say WHAT! Bitch!

Why is that some people struggle to put on weight regardless of what they eat, and then others absolutely struggle to lose it, even though they eat “healthy” and exercise every day. How disheartening is it to be forever chasing the body of your dreams, and always fall short of it.

Well………..there is definitely a reason for that! Thank God!! And I’m going to explain it for you.

Basically, there are 3 body ‘types’ according to a theory called Somotypes, which was originally introduced way back in the 1940’s.

The 3 body types are as follows…

Ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph

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These are terms to describe the three broad categories of body shape in people. This classification of body type is also known as ‘somatotype’.

�We are born with a somatotype, and this seems to be genetically pre-determined.Is it important to understand our body type? We should have an idea of our body type so that it the help us with the following situations.

Since all three body shapes process excess energy from food differently, knowing how our bodies work will help us better refine our diet and exercise strategies.

1. Endomorphs

Their goal is to improve the fat burning machinery in their bodies. Endomorphs store fat easily. This causes them to look fat, which actually, is not a health problem. The real issue with endomorphs, from my experience with working with individuals, is that they tend to run low on energy too quickly. Getting exercise and diet right is crucial.

• Soft Body• Underdeveloped Muscles• Round Physique• Weight Loss is Difficult• Gains Muscle Easily Like the Mesomorph.

The body of the extreme endomorph is round and soft. The physique presents the illusion that much of the mass has been concentrated in the abdominal area. This may or may not be true. The arms and legs of the extreme endomorph are short in length and taper. This may give the appearance of stalkiness. The hands and feet of the endomorph are comparatively small, and the upper arms and thighs are often more developed than the lower parts of the arms or legs. The body has a high waist.

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Other Traits of the Endomorph The skin is soft and smooth, and the hair is fine. The head of the endomorph is spherical. The head is large and the face broad.

2. Ectomorphs Ectomorphs main challenge is to build muscle with the right kind of exercise and achieve a diet that will allow their body to continually refuel a their fast metabolism. Ectomorphs are less likely to store up energy as excess fat under the skin (in the adipose tissues), and they also find it difficult to build muscles that would keep their body strong..

• Definitive "Hard Gainer"• Delicate Built Body• Flat Chest• Fragile• Lean• Lightly Muscled• Small Shouldered• Takes Longer to Gain Muscle• Thin

The extreme ectomorph physique is a fragile and delicate one. The bones are light, joints are small and muscles are slight. The limbs are relatively long in proportion and the shoulders droop. The ectomorph is a linear physique. Straight up and straight down, and may appear longer than he or she really is, due to the length of limbs coupled with lack of muscle mass developed on those limbs. The ectomorph is not naturally powerful and will have to work hard for every ounce of muscle and every bit of strength he or she can gain.

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Other Ectomorph TraitsThe extreme ectomorph may have long fingers, toes and neck are long. A pencil neck you could say. The features of the face are sharp, and the shape of the face is triangular. The lower jaw is somewhat receding. The skin tends to burn easily. Extreme ectomorphs may suffer from extremes of temperature. Due to the great body area in relation to muscle mass, the ectomorph may suffer from great heat, and due to low body fat, the ectomorph may suffer from great cold. The hair is fine and grows quickly and is sometimes difficult to keep in place.

3. Mesomorphs Mesomorphs have good potential to build muscle, but have a tendency to put on fat on some parts of the body, if they do not exercise or eat properly.

• Athletic• Hard Body• Hourglass Shaped (Female)• Rectangular Shaped (Male)• Mature Muscle Mass• Muscular Body• Excellent Posture• Gains Muscle Easily• Gains Fat More Easily Than Ectomorphs• Thick Skin

The Mesomorph Body

The mesomorph has well-defined muscles and large bones. The torso tapers to a relatively narrow and low waist. The bones and muscles of the head are prominent. Features of the face are clearly defined, such as cheek bones and a square, heavy jaw. The face is long and broad, and is cubicle in shape. Arms and legs

�are developed and even the digits of the hand are muscled.

Other Traits of the MesomorphThe skin of the mesomorph is thick and the mesomorph tans well. The hair is heavy in texture.

We are usually a mixture of 2, sometimes even the 3 body types.

Very often, people cannot be easily classed as one of the three main body types. Although there are some people who are purely ectomorphs, endomorphs, or mesomorphs with little or no characteristics of the other body types, very frequently, people fall into mixed categories, such as ecto mesomorphs, or endo mesomorphs, where largely, they are like the mesomorph, but with traits of the ectomorph (such as small joints or a trim waist), or traits of the endomorph (such as a tendency to gain fat easily).  Somatotyping helps us set understand how our bodies react to food and exercise.  Each body type has an optimum “look”. It is better to have goals of reaching your optimum than false goals of trying to look like someone with a different body type.

For example, an Endomorph woman will never be able to look stick thing and stay healthy. An Ectomorph male cannot build as much muscle as a Mesomorph male without drugs or over exercising.

People who force their body to look like a different somatotype than they are born with endanger their health. They will end up looking ‘strange’ and unattractive.

Let’s look into these body types in a little more details

The Ectomorph A thin, delicate build usually characterizes the ectomorph. This individual has trouble gaining weight and muscle growth takes

�much longer to achieve and is harder to maintain. The ectomorph is very lean with little body fat and usually very little muscle mass. These individuals tend to be like the endurance athletes such as long distance marathon runners or the tall, very lean super-models.If you fall into this category, take a look at the members in your family. It might just be that you inherited a predisposition to thinness. What the ectomorph needs to do is add more calories to his or her diet. The way to do this is not by eating larger meals but by eating more calories over several smaller meals. By adding additional meals into your day, you will be able to fuel your body for putting on lean muscle tissue. They need to eat a lot of protein, good carbs and good fats. They have a fast metabolism and need to fuel their bodies so that they can build that good muscle. Otherwise, they can use their own muscle for energy, and that is not good in the long run!Their diet needs to have good clean proteins such as fish, chicken, turkey, seafood, eggs, beef.Carbs such as rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, plenty of vegetables.Fats such as coconut oil, nuts, nut butters, olive oil, avocadoes, seeds.

▪ Ectomorphs need higher amounts of carbs

▪ Moderate protein and lower fat intake

▪ 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat

▪ Higher carb tolerance

▪ Eat carbs in every meal.

As for exercise, it is very important to be lifting medium to heavy weights at least 3 times a week. Focusing on large compound movements. You are a natural endurance athlete and love to do cardio, so you may have to sacrifice some of your cardio time and do more weight training IF you want to change your body! Keep your cardio sessions short and intense ( HIIT) as opposed to hours and hours of running etc!

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Ectomorph Low muscle and low body fatOften skinnyFast metabolismYoung appearanceSlow to build muscleAlways on the goGood at endurance sports

Famous Ectomorphs Gwnyneth PaltrowKate MossCameron DiazMiranda KerrTaylor Swift

The Mesomorph

A hard, muscular body with a more mature appearance usually characterizes the mesomorph. This individual has little trouble gaining or losing weight and possesses the ability to rapidly pack on muscle mass..

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One of the pitfalls with this body type is that the individual can become complacent by missing to many workouts or thinking that they can get away from eating a healthy diet and have an extra desert without doing any harm.The affects of poor diet and poorly structured training will eventually become evident especially in later years when your metabolism begins to slow down.Prioritize workouts to achieve the goals you aim to accomplish. As a mesomorph, you have a lot of freedom but don't take it too much for granted.Mesomorphs tend to be athletic with medium bone structure.  They put on muscle easily when active.  For the most part they have a lower body fat percentage. Mesomorphs are balanced oxidisers. They can’t have high levels of carbs but need a good amount to feed their muscular frames. They do best on balanced macros.  

Close to equal amounts of protein, carbs and fat will give them what they need in order to get results. This balance helps control insulin release and maintain stable blood sugar levels.

Exercise should include 3-4 weight sessions a week, and include supersets to add intensity in them. 3-4 cardio sessions, trying to throw in some higher intensity sessions such as HIIT.

Mesomorphs:

• Need moderate amounts of carbs

• Moderate protein and fat intake

• 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat

• Average carb tolerance

• Eat most of your carbs after your workout or activity. Lower amounts in your other meals.

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Mesomorph

Symmetrical buildWide shouldersRectangular shapeLower body fatGood amount of muscle[Seems to burn fat easilyAthleticLooks fit

Famous Mesomorphs

Halle BerryMadonaJessica BielJessica Alba

The Endomorph

The endomorph is usually characterized by a soft, round body and is usually a person of large stature. This individual has trouble losing weight but usually gains muscle rather easily. These individuals tend to be heavy with a high percentage of both body fat and muscle. The first thing to do is begin with eating smaller meals several times a day. By spacing out meals and snacks to every two (2) to three (3) hours, four (4) to six (6) times a day; you begin to speed up your metabolism. Avoid starchy carbohydrates at night or before you go to bed. Endomorphs are fast oxidisers and need to adjust their macros accordingly to lower body fat and keep it off, as these oxidisers store fat easily.  This is due to nutrients in their food being broken down very fast so this means the carb content is broken down to glucose and released into the blood almost at once. This sudden

�blast in blood sugar so quickly causes vast amounts of insulin to be released to pick up the extra glucose, which the body then stores as fat.  The more carb’s a fast oxidiser eats the more energy will be available right away. Problem is there is way too much, so it is stored as fat. For a person who oxidises carbs fast, meals that are higher in carbs will therefore cause fatigue, carb cravings and fat storage. Endomorphs therefore have a lot of carbs stored and will not need to consume as many calories from carbs.▪ Endomorphs should eat more fat to satisfy the fat cells, or

hunger and cravings can occur and should eat higher levels of protein and fats in their meals to slow down oxidation and insulin release. Timing of carbs is also important.  Eating them after workouts, sports or other strenuous activity is the best way to consume carbs as an Endomorph.

▪ The other thing to remember here is to drink lots and lots of water.

▪ The diet should consist of foods high in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. Eating lean proteins, avoiding dairy products as much as possible are the important factors. Allow yourself to eat foods you like but be sensible about your choices.

▪ Exercise is the other important component of the endomorph's success. They need to do a minimum of 30 minutes per day five 5-6 days a week. Try some HIIT sessions also.

Incorporate a weight training routine into your schedule 3-4 times per week. Keep these weight sessions continuous with no rest. Use dropsets, supersets and circuit training.

Endomorphs:▪ Need lower amounts of carbs

▪ Higher amounts of protein and fat

▪ 20-25% carbs, 30-35% fat and 40-50% protein

▪ Lower tolerance to carbs

▪ Eat carbs after exercise and activities

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Endomorphs High fat to muscle ratioRound body typeHolds fat around hips and thighStruggles to lose weightSlow metabolismGains muscle easilyRegains lost weight unless done properly

Famous Endomorphs

Kim KardashianBeyonceJ-LoMelissa McCarthy

However, I think it’s so very important whatever your body shape is, to remember to love the body you have been blessed with. When I was younger (not that long ago) I wanted so badly to have daylight savings between my legs. I desperately wanted longer skinny legs.

Well, honestly, that was never gonna happen! My genetics (long legged skinny legs just don’t run in my family) and my height ( 5 foot zero) and my meso endo body will dictate how much daylight comes between my legs.

I finally realized that I need to love my body, and embrace my curves, and I now work with what I have. And I have learned what works for me and my meso/endo body. I am in better shape at 50 odd than I was when I was 30!

So by eating a nutrition plan that works for your body type, and doing the proper exercise for your body type, you can enhance,

�and create the sexiest, healthiest, fittest hot body that you were born with. AND, be happy content, and god damn proud of it!

So take a long look in the mirror, see the sparkle in your eyes, the curves where they need to be, and be prepared to work to enhance the deliciousness of the beautiful body you have. Whether you are an endo, meso ecto or combination….you can be the best that you can be with some determination, commitment and passion.

“Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful.”

Sofia Loren

Be Strong,Look GoodFeel Great Be Amazing!

Chrissie McDonald…CMx