Embracing Your Body Type

I was scrolling through Pinterest recently (side note: sometimes I use pinterest as a tool to keep my mind focused on healthy things - no, I wasn't scrolling the food section - we would be in trouble then - I go through the health & fitness page and motivational quotes to saturate my thoughts) and I came across an article about different body types.

Three Body Types - Ectomorph,
Mesomorph, and Endomorph

I knew about body types in women - pear, apple, rectangle, octagon (kidding), and what have you but hadn't heard of the terms "ectomorph," "mesomorph," and "endomorph" before. The more I read the more obvious it became that I am the latter of the three. To be precise, most people are variations of a couple of these, and according to the test I took I am in between a mesomorph and endomorph leaning more towards endomorph. Let me explain what these terms mean a little more...

Cameron Diaz - Ectomorph

I think we all know someone who can eat whatever they want and not gain an ounce of weight, or someone who has even been told by a doctor they need to gain weight. Although this may seem idyllic to someone like me who registers on the opposite end of the scale (literally and figuratively,) I'm not ignorant to the fact that  not all people like this feel it's a blessing. Either way, when you think of a person like this the chances are that you're thinking of a person with an ectomorphic body type. Think Kate Moss, Cameron Diaz, or Audrey Hepburn. Brad Pitt and Bradley Cooper are male examples. They are usually longer and leaner. Ectomorphs cover the majority of fashion magazines and they are more likely to be in cardiovascular sports.

Jennifer Garner - Mesomorph

The second body type is called mesomorph. These are what I think of as "natural athletes." They are strong and muscular. They usually don't have a problem losing weight or gaining muscle - their metabolisms are efficient. Their shoulders tend to be wider than their hips. You can see a lot of these body types in professional sports like tennis and body building. Infamous Hollywood muscle heads like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone fall into this category. Some famous female mesomorphs are Halle Berry, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Garner.

Sofia Vergara - Endomorph

I often have described myself as someone able to gain weight just from looking at food. This is why I fall mostly into the third body type called endomorph. Endomorphs gain fat very easily and losing weight is very difficult. They have smaller more rounded shoulders, high waist and tend to carry the majority of their weight in their abdomen, hips, and buttocks (hello me!) Endomorphs have slow metabolisms which can be unforgiving when eating unhealthily. They do, however, gain muscle easily. A lot of endomorphs tend to be obese (think Roseanne, Oprah, and Jack Black) but something I found neat about the endomorph body, is that when it is in shape, it is hardly rivaled in feminine physiques. Some examples of healthy endomorphs are Marilyn Monroe, Sofia Vergara, and Beyonce. Ow ow! (A healthy male example would be Russell Crowe.)

Marilyn Monroe - Endomorph

Learning this made me stop mid step and think about what my goal was. I've never wanted to be rail thin, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to be tall and thin like an ectomorph. Since I do love sports, I've even thought about being as toned and strong as a mesomorph. But the fact of the matter is this: I am an endomorph. If I were to ever become an ectomorph (which I will never be) I would be making myself extremely ill. My shoulders will never be as broad and strong as a mesomorph (which will probably mean that my tennis and volleyball serves won't be as great as the pros - darn!) But in a funny way it has also relieved so much pressure from me! First of all - there is a reason I am the way I am. I am an endomorph. Second - there is a reason I am not like models - I am an endomorph (which makes me sad for the world in a whole other way.) Third- conquering this means it IS something that not everyone is meant to do. Ectomorphs and Mesomorphs don't have the same battle as I (we) do because it is EASY for them and it makes me feel somewhat confident about achieving something they never had to work for. Like being successful in a career coming from poverty versus being born into wealth. Lastly - Working towards looking like an hour glass bombshell? That's a goal right there I can get behind!

I did some research on what the best eating and exercises are. I've read some conflicting theories about exercise for endomorphs - some say because gaining muscle is easy, that you should focus on that and others say that because there is so much extra weight you should focus on cardio. If anyone has some solid ideas I would love to hear them. Until then, I think I will continue the combination of both - kettle bell is a good source of  mixing the two. Because endomorphs are prone to high insulin levels and gaining weight easily - bad carbs are to be avoided *almost* entirely - I'm not a no-carb fanatic, but let's face it - they aren't doing me any favors. Meals should be mostly composed of protein with healthy carbs found in vegetables and whole grains, and a little bit of healthy fat (nuts, eggs, olive oil.) It's a good thing for an endomorph to stock up on their lean meats and veggies with a side of fruit.



Time to embrace my strengths and learn from my weaknesses.

Male Body Type Examples

xoxo
Beyonce  Megan

Some websites used for research:
http://www.superskinnyme.com/body-types.html
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/determining-your-body-type.html

Female Body Type Examples