Have you ever heard the term “eating for your body type”?
Well, in my eyes, body type is a little more specific. I’m not talking about the “blood type diet” or some other type of diet. I’m talking about you and your genetics and what percentage of proteins, carbohydrates and fats you should be consuming.

As humans are genetics can play a major role in fat loss. Our body type or somatotype is a way for us to generally categorize our body’s structure as well as muscle and fat storage and distribution.

Your body will typically fall into one of three body types:

Ectomorphic: Naturally thin and skinny limbs.

An ectomorph’s main characterized as having a fast metabolism, higher carbohydrate intake tolerance. Their body structure is that of long and thin muscles and limbs. They have lower body fat storage.

Suggested Average Starting Percentages.

Protein – 25%

Carbohydrates – 55%

Fat – 20%

Mesomorphic: Naturally muscular and athletic.

A mesomorph’s main characteristics are that of being testosterone and growth hormone dominant with a moderate tolerence for carbohydrates. Their body structure is one of larger bones, a solid torso, wide shoulders, slim waist line and the ability to control body fat levels.

Suggested Average Starting Percentages.

Protein – 30%

Carbohydrates – 40%

Fat – 30 %

Endomorphic: Naturally broad and thick.

An endomorph’s main characteristics are being insulin dominant, having a slow metabolic rate and low carbohydrate tolerance.  Their body structure is one a wider waist large bone structure, heavily muscled yet carrying extra body fat around the midsection.

Suggested Average Starting Percentages.

Protein – 35%

Carbohydrates – 25%

Fat – 40%

Don’t get too hung up on trying to figure out your classification. It really doesn’t matter all that much. Many times a client’s lifestyle can alter what may have been their natural body type to almost a hybrid type.

Take for example what I consider myself. Growing up I was more of an ectomorph but have transformed into more of a ecto-mesomorph (athletic yet still on the thin side).  Or a endo-mesomorph (someone who is heavily muscled and carrys extra body fat around the midsection).  This can happen for other reasons as well. I became a hybrid of a ectomorph and mesomorph through my eating and exercise habits yet someone can also be a natural ectomorph who due to years of inactivity and poor food choices might have developed poor insulin sensitivity and carbohydrate tolerance resulting in a mixture of an ecto-mesomorph.

For many people get so hung up on numbers, adjust your numbers as you see fit.

Looking to lose more body fat? I would recommend starting closer to endomorphic recommendations.

More concerned with muscle gain? Start with the ectomorphic recommendations.

These numbers can vary for a wide variety of personal goals.

Pick a starting point and use it. You can always adjust moving forward.

Take for example someone who is losing body fat rapidly, they probably need more carbohydrates in your diet.

So let’s put it together.

Let’s take our 150 pound women who is moderately active who wants to lose fat.
By taking a look at her I’ve determined she’s an endomorph.

Based on my early recommendations her calorie needs will fat between 1800 kcal per day and 2100 kcal per day (bodyweight times 12 to 14)

I’ve identified her macronutrient ranges to be the following 35% protein, 25% carbohydrates, and 40% fat.

So now I need to predetermine the amount of calorie and macronutrient recommendations. To make things easier we are going to keep her at 1950 kcal per day, so she is within her range yet initially starting out doesn’t have to worry about 3 different ranges of calories and thus macronutrients.

1950 kcal per day would be broken up as such for the amount of calories from each macronutrient.

Protein = 682.5 kcal (1950 x .35)

Carbohydrates = 487.5 (1950 x .25)

Fat = 780 kcal (1950 x .40)

She would then target the following amount of grams for each macronutrient.

Protein = (682.5/4) = 171 grams (rounded up from 170.6)

Carbohydrate = (487.5/4) = 122 grams (rounded up from 121.8)

Fat = (780/9) = 86 grams (rounded up from 86.6)

There you have it, eating for your body type.

I hope this sheds some light on what body type you are and how much protein, carbohydrates and fats you should be consuming for fat loss.

Work Hard, Train Hard, Get Better,
TE

This entry was posted on March 10, 2011 at 10:06 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted in Bootcamp, Fitness, Nutrition, Workouts by tyler | 1 Comment