Body Type & Weight Loss

Weight loss is difficult for everyone because, unfortunately, it's different for everyone. There is no definite or guaranteed protocol, unlike the way you change the oil in your car. Weight loss is strongly correlated to body type. Once you determine your body type, it is always easier to find a diet plan that will work for you.

Theories/Speculation

• Dr. William H. Sheldon, an American psychologist, pioneered the idea that human beings fall into three distinct body types: endomorphic, ectomorphic and mesomorphic. While Sheldon connected personality traits to match each body type, nutritionists like Dr. John Berardi ascribe diets to each body type for maximum weight loss and general health.

Type One

• Sheldon characterized endomorphic people as apple or pear-shaped with a concentration of fat on the stomach. Fitness expert John Hanson notes that these people have a snail-like metabolism and are often carbohydrate sensitive. They can eat a low calorie portion of pasta, bread, potatoes, or rice and still store it as fat.

  Endomorphs must diet aggressively avoiding all starchy carbohydrates like the plague. They must retrain themselves to eat only lean proteins and vegetables, with fruits occasionally.

Type Two

• Sheldon classified ectomorphs as long-limbed people with extremely fast metabolism. They are usually the envy of their friends. These are people who can inhale a box of donuts and chase it with a pile of nachos that resembles a small house and never gain an iota of weight. Hansen stresses that ectomorphic people must be vigilant about eating enough and always consuming carbohydrates and protein together.

  They have to make serious effort to gain a shape that others have naturally, by building muscle, adhering to a weight training regime and focusing on a diet of whole grains and lean proteins.

Type Three

• Sheldon categorized mesomorphic bodies as squarish and highly muscular; they are the people who have definitive muscularity and toned limbs without frequent visits to the gym. Their high muscle mass allows them to burn a great deal of the calories they consume rather effortlessly. They do have to be careful, however, as a body with that much muscle mass requires maintenance with equal amounts of protein and carbohydrates and a slightly higher percentage of fat. John Berardi recommends two-thirds of the diet to be protein and carbohydrates, with the remaining 40 percent received from fat.

Considerations

• Diets often fail because they're restrictive; people abandon diets because they are simply tired of being without their favorite foods.

  It is crucial, despite your body type, to allow yourself indulgences occasionally. Jill Fleming, dietitian and author of the book "Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates," reminds us that healthy people allow themselves treats but do it consciously and always choose exactly what they want. For example, if you're craving pizza, have a small slice, instead of binging on an entire pie later.