Weight loss and body type: What’s the link?

Every human being is born with a unique body type or composition. We tell you how the constitution of your body influences your capacity to lose and gain weight.

Juhi kumari | Published: May 21, 2019 7:17 pm

It is important to understand your body type, not only for shedding or putting on extra kilos, but also for achieving a healthy fat muscle composition. ©Shutterstock

Are you putting in all the required efforts and still not able to achieve your weight loss goals? Are you following a healthy eating plan and still not able to put on a few kilos? Well, you need to look at your body type before joining a weight management programme. Yes, it is important to understand your body type, not only for shedding or putting on extra kilos, but also for achieving a healthy fat muscle composition. According to the theory of American psychologist William Sheldon, which became popular in the 1940s, human beings are born with a genetically pre-set body type. Going by Sheldon’s theory, there are three body types endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph. Here is a low-down on each body type in relation to weight management.

ECTOMORPH

“People with ectomorphic body type have lean, thin, and long body structure with less fat. Also, they have less muscles in belly compared to other body types. For them gaining weight is not less than a struggle,” says Ms. Neelanjana Singh, Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, Delhi. That’s why ectomorphs are also known as hard gainers. They can overeat without the fear of putting on extra kilos, thanks to their fast metabolism. Also, their genetic makeup makes it hard for them to gain muscle mass. People with this body type may be prone to injury due to small and weak bones.

Weight management: “This body type can be deceptive. Though they have a small frame without any visible fat, ectomorphs may not be that healthy. They may be malnourished. If you have ectomorph body type and you are looking for nutritional tip to gain weight, firstly you need to increase your calorie intake. You need to eat more than others do,” says Ms. Singh. You need to eat at every 2 to 4 hours. A significant part of your weight gain mission should include a well-chalked plan to increase muscle mass. For this, you need to focus on weight training workouts. Make sure that you have carbohydrate and good quality protein that can be found in dairy products like milk, nuts, foods like fruits, butter, jam, etc. around 30 to 60 minutes before exercise. After 60 minutes of workout, you should hydrate your body with a nutritious beverage. The post-workout meal should be consumed 30 to 60 minutes after an exercise session. Also, get enough sleep as it is the time when your body goes into recovery mode and helps build muscles.

MESOMORPH

“If you have a mesomorphic body type, you will be naturally fit and muscular. Your body structure will be regular and balanced and will include wide shoulders, a narrow waist, long torso, short limbs, relatively thin joints, and round muscle bellies,” says Ms. Singh. People with mesomorphic body type are able to build muscle quickly, thanks to their fast-twitch fibres. These are skeletal muscle fibres that help in powerful movements. That’s why mesomorphs generally excel at sports that require power and agility “Generally, this body type works fine but can go out of shape more easily compared to the other two body types,” says Ms. Singh. Mesomorphs are highly likely to develop insulin sensitivity, a condition that can lead to weight gain.

Weight management: “If a mesomorph is looking to lose weight, he or she needs to eat good-quality fats (present in foods like avocadoes, nuts, whole eggs, etc.), moderate carbohydrates (found in bread, beans, starchy vegetables, etc.) and protein (found in foods like eggs, nuts, beans etc.). Your timing of meals should not be variable. More than anything else, eat in a calm and relaxed manner,” says Ms Singh. Go for high-intensity interval training, moderate endurance training, and plyometrics. On days when you take rest, avoid pre-training snack and go for green tea or coffee in the afternoon. Pre-dinner and evening snacks can be taken on usual times.

ENDOMORPH

“If you are an endomorph your body structure includes a thick ribcage, wide hips and waist, and shorter limbs. Also, you will have more muscle in the abdominal area and you will be sluggish in whatever activities you do,” says Ms. Singh. You will end up gaining weight quite easily. However, losing those extra kilos will be difficult, thanks to your slow metabolism. This means that your body burns less calories that you eat, and food remains in your digestive system for longer than others. In this condition, eating frequently will only aid to your problem of consistent weight gain.

Weight management: Having a sluggish metabolism requires an extra effort for things (maintaining a balanced metabolism) your body should be doing for you automatically. Being an endomorph, you should make exercise a part of your daily routine. Go for high-intensity activities such as aerobic dancing, cycling, running, swimming, etc. “As far as nutrition is concerned, you should look for metabolism boosting foods including coffee, green tea, pulses, legumes, spices like cinnamon, fish, eggs, nuts, etc. Additionally, limit your intake of carbohydrate containing foods like starchy vegetables, bread, rice, etc. and eat good-quality fats and protein,” says Ms. Singh. Also, try to control your blood sugar levels. You can do that by avoiding or limiting sugary drinks or foods like donuts, soft drinks etc., getting enough sleep, and increasing fibre-rich foods in your diet. Moreover, try to control your stress levels. During stress, you end up eating a lot which will add to your weight gain.

Published: May 21, 2019 7:17 pm

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