Different Bodies Require Different Diets: How to Know What is Best for Your Body

The human body comes in many different shapes and sizes!

Some people tend to be on the heavier side, and they spend their whole lives wrestling with higher body fat and excess weight. Yet there are also a lot of people who struggle to gain weight and put on muscle and fat mass because their bodies are on the very lean side.

This disparity in body types also means that there is really no “one size fits all” approach to eating healthy. For some people, a high-fat diet will encourage better weight management, while for others, it’s carbohydrates or protein that improves their health. Understanding that different bodies require different diets [1] is the key to knowing how best to eat for YOUR body type!

Understanding Your Body Type

There are three basic body types [2]:

1. Endomorph, someone who tends to pack on excess body fat, particularly around their midsection, hips, and thighs. Endomorphs are more prone to insulin resistance.
2. Mesomorph, someone who easily builds muscle and tends to have a harder, more rectangular outline. Mesomorphs typically have a medium build and are more “muscle-dominant”. They’re also more likely to develop the hourglass figure.
3. Ectomorph, someone who struggles to build both muscle and fat, and tends to be leaner. Ectomorphs tend to have a smaller bone structure and will typically have a hard time gaining weight.

Knowing these three basic body types, you can actually figure out what the best foods to eat are. You simply need to eat according to your frame—what’s known as the “Body Type Diet”, or eating foods that will work with your body type to promote better health.

How does it work?

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Endomorphs tend to be more insulin-resistant, which means their bodies are more sensitive to carbohydrates. They should work with a much lower carbohydrate ratio—roughly 20% of their daily calories from slow carbs—with the remaining calories can be consumed between protein (important for fat metabolism) and dietary fats. The recommendation is to eat sufficient, but not excessive, protein distributed across 3 main meals and the rest of the diet can be filled with high quality fat, from plan-based sources like avocado, nuts and seeds, etc.

Mesomorphs build muscle easily, so they don’t need quite as much protein to pack on the muscle mass. They’re also not too worried about excess fat or excess carbohydrates, so they can divide their daily calorie intake evenly between carbohydrates, fats, and protein.

Ectomorphs will need more carbohydrates in their diet, as it’s carbohydrates that are easiest for the body to turn into stored fat. Typically, their diet should include up to 45% carbohydrates, along with 35% protein intake to pack on the muscle and 20% fat to provide the important fatty acids their body needs.

Eating like this can help to cater to your body’s specific needs, based on your individual body type. Of course, even these eating suggestions will need to be adapted to your unique body. Try the recommendations above to begin with, but pay close attention to how your body responds and adapt the eating plans accordingly.

As you work toward reaching your ideal “healthy” weight for your body, remember:

• Give it time. Healthy weight loss doesn’t happen overnight. Slow and steady is the best way to go when it comes to losing weight.
• Give your body the fuel it needs to function. Stop worrying about eating for pleasure or enjoyment, but instead focus on fueling your body with the macro and micronutrients it needs to function properly. You can still enjoy your food, but at the end of the day, your meal plans should be more focused on providing the right balance of nutrients more than eating delicious meals.
• Treat your body with respect. By this, of course, we mean give it high-value foods rich in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy nutrients. Avoid junk food, artificial ingredients, and unhealthy additives as much as possible. Respect your body by only feeding it healthy foods.
• Pair diet with exercise. A healthy diet is just one part of a healthy lifestyle. You need to include exercise not only to encourage fat-burning or muscle-building, but also to promote better mobility, endurance, and strength. Your fitness efforts should be independent of your weight loss/gain efforts—they’re all about training your body to be the strongest, healthiest version it can be.
• Get your doctor involved. Don’t go at dieting alone, but get help from a professional. Your doctor can help to steer you away from fad diets and dangerous supplements, and keep you on track by teaching you what is “healthy eating” for your specific body type. They may even be able to recommend you to a nutritionist who will come up with a unique meal plan for you based on your body type, daily activity levels, and goals.

Eating a balanced, healthy diet is crucial for weight loss—not drastic weight loss, but healthy weight loss that will be sustainable for the rest of your life. Eat wrong, and you’ll struggle with health issues, weight yo-yoing, cravings, hunger pangs, and more. Eat right, and your body composition and overall health will reflect those “right” choices. You’ll look and feel better than ever!

Resources:

[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-the-best-diet-no-such-thing-2019-6

[2] https://blog.nasm.org/fitness/body-types-how-to-train-diet-for-your-body-type

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