So I have been doing some research in to my body type and the weight-loss exercises I should be doing as well as the nutrients I should be getting and I have discovered I am an Endomorph.
An endomorph is someone who is just like me, I just think of pizza and gain 2 pounds. Endomorphs are people who store fat easily and find it hard to lose weight, usually have a spare tire around the mid section as well as excess weight in our hips and legs. We also tend to be the type that also gain muscle mass (a good thing to have) easily as well, unfortunately we are just masters of storing fat cells.
So the question I asked Uncle Google is how does an endomorph lose weight? This is when this came clear to me, everything started to make sense. My body apparently is too efficient at storing carbohydrates and thus I have to limit them, I also need to increase my cardio and weight training. Cardio will help me speed up my metabolism and be more efficient at weight loss and weight/strength training will help me build lean muscle mass that will help burn off stored fat cells even when at rest; but the true key to this is in my nutrition. I need to increase my protein intake to 1 gram of protein per pound daily and then a relative low carb amount (nothing ridiculous of course) and work on having more healthy fats. I am using the macros in the MyFitnessPal app to where my Macros are 50% protien intake, 25% each of carbs and fats.
Now I am no expert but the mass amounts of information I have found have all told me similar information and similar macros it just depends on what it is your looking for; for me it is fat loss and muscle build up.
ENDOMORPHS ARE SENSITIVE TO EXTRA CALORIES
One of the reasons endomorphs struggle with their weight more than mesomorphs and ectomorphs, is that for various reasons endomorphs are very sensitive to even the slightest over-consumption of food. This means that the extra calories are more likely to be stored as fat compared to ectomorphs, resulting in a greater propensity for fat storage. As an endomorph you need to monitor your calorie intake carefully.
Does that mean calorie counting until the day you die? Not at all. But for the first few months you do need to closely watch your diet until you have a firm sense of how and what to eat. And at regular periods you might want to do a spring clean/ inventory of where you diet’s at. Looking over your diet for any bad habits that have crept in, and then to re-evaluate and reset your diet.
Remember when you veer of course it’s often only by a few degrees (or a chocolate bar!). You want to catch it and get back on track early. Before you’ve strayed off too far, gained a lot of weight and become disillusioned, discouraged, and feel you have to start all over again.
WHAT SHOULD ENDOMORPHS EAT?
As an endomorph, it isn’t only your calorie intake that’s important. Your macronutrient ratio (the ratio of protein, carbohydrate and fat) is also a key factor helping you lose weight and get fit. And it’s your body type that helps determine your ideal macronutrient ratio.
Endomorphs often have some degree of carbohydrate sensitivity and insulin sensitivity. Carbohydrate rich foods are converted to sugar in the bloodstream quickly and more likely be stored as fat than be burned for energy. This is one of the reasons endomorphs tend to do better on a lower carb diet. A moderate reduction in carbs will make a significant difference in helping carb-sentive endomorphs shift body fat.
The carbs you do eat should be complex carbs – predominantly vegetables and some smaller amounts of unrefined, high-fiber starches, such as quinoa and amaranth. As an endomorph, if you want to lose weight, you need to step away from the white bread, rice and pasta, and from the sweet cereals, cakes and cookies! Fruits are rich in important nutrients, but also higher in sugar. So aim to eat at least 5 servings of veggies for every 2 servings fruit (~5:2 ratio).
Carb sensitive endomorphs should minimize the amount of carb-dense foods they eat outside the workout window. Stick to eating largely complex carbs most of the time. Limit eating carb-dense foods to the pre- and post-workout period when your body wants them most – for energy and when it will help your body repair and recover from your workouts and also limit fat gain.
BEST DIET FOR ENDOMORPHS
Endomorphs typically do best on a diet that is higher in protein and fat, with less carbs. A macronutrient ratio that works well for endomorphs is:
- 30 – 40% carbs
- 30 – 35% protein
- 30 – 35% fat
You can start with more carbs such as a nutrient distribution of 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats, and if you find you’re not losing weight reduce your carb intake further. For example, 30% carbs, 35% protein, and 35% fats.
You needn’t follow a complicated diet to make these changes. This ratio of protein, fat, and carbs doesn’t have to be pinpoint accurate. Think of it simply as eating a diet higher in protein and fat, and lower in carbs. A Paleo-like diet is often best suited for endomorphs, as each meal contains protein, vegetables and some healthy fats, such as avocado or olive oil.
A moderately low carbohydrate, higher protein and fat diet will help endomorphs to:
- Lose fat.
- Maintain energy levels.
- Higher protein levels allow a reduction in calories, while minimizing any feelings of deprivation/ hunger. A protein rich meal is more satisfying and leaves you more full after eating compared to carb-heavy meals.
- Protein has a higher thermic effect and “stirs the pot” more than fat or carbs. While anything eaten in excess is likely to lead to fat gain, a diet higher in protein is less likely to be stored as body fat than a diet high in carbs or fat.
- Moderate carbs with higher protein will help prevent the muscle loss that occurs when lowering calories to lose weight.
- Provide enough carbohydrates to fuel metabolic needs, while keeping blood sugar controlled and minimizing risk of diabetes and other diseases.
- Help make eating like this a lifestyle choice and a habit, as it isn’t restrictive, doesn’t exclude entire food groups and is easy to stick with.
As discussed in one of our previous articles, endomorphs are large in size with less or no muscle definition and face the highest level of difficulty in losing fat. The endomorph has a particularly easy time gaining weight, but it’s hard for them to shed kilos. Much of the weight they gain is fat, which tends to produce a round body shape. The following are the traits of an endomorph:
- Thick rib cage.
- Sluggish metabolism.
- Low carb tolerance.
- Blocky
- Thicker Joints.
- Hips as wide (or wider) than clavicles.
- Shorter limbs.
- Underdeveloped muscles.
- Short arm and legs.
Endomorph Diet
In case you’re an endomorph, the good news for you is that packing on muscles is fairly easy and the bad news is that your body type is prone to excessive accumulation of body fat, especially in the form of “a large tire” in the midsection.
Endomorph diet should be high protein with minimal carbohydrates & fatss
Endomorphs can’t afford to consume excessive carbs. Cutting down on carbs will produce visibly appreciable results.
Protein is your friend and you should consume more than 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Protein is essential for building lean muscles and intake of the right quantity of protein makes your weight loss program much more effective. Including lean protein in every meal will make up for a good endomorph diet. Eg. Protein shake after workout, egg whites in the morning.
Your fat consumption should majorly be composed of dietary fat, for example: endomorph diet should contain olive oil, nuts and nut butter, fish and fish oil, flex seed oil, eggs etc.
Endomorph Workout
If you are ready to look less like Govinda and more like Aamir, then you need to plan your training program keeping in mind the above nutrition guidelines. An endomorph workout program will contain more exercises per body part for the obvious reason of breaking down more muscles and burning more calories.
- Do 12 or more sets of exercises per body part. Higher number of sets per body part will help you burn more calories.
- Try doing around 15 reps per set. This is essential for hypertrophy. The more you stress your muscles, the more active will be your metabolism, which in turn will convert you into a fat burning machine.
- Endomorphs have an upper hand in some cases as compared to other body types. Your recovery is faster than a mesomorph, but slower than an ectomorph. This means that training more frequently and thus training sore won’t hinder your ability to gain benefit from training. The more endomorphs workout, the more calories they burn and hence eventually get slimmer.
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake drastically. Your body type stores a lot of carb as fat, so it’s better for you to reduce carb intake throughout the day. The only exception to this rule can be before and after your workout for energy and recovery, but try not to overdo it.
- Try to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet after 7 pm, so that you start your next day with some carb deficit and leave your body searching for fuel elsewhere. To get the max out of the morning carb deficit, train in the morning.
- Lift as heavy as possible. The real test of heavy is that it really tests your guts in the last 3 reps. Also, your rest interval should be around 30 – 40 second max.
Importance of cardio
Though cardio might be an enemy for ectomorphs and mesomorphs, but “cardio is your friend”. Focus on cardio. This shift your body’s energy burning mechanism from glycogen burning (carbs) to fat burning. Plan your workout in such a way that it includes 3 cardio sessions a week. Due to cardio, your body depletes its glycogen reserves, which are the main energy sources for physical activity and thus, as a result of it your body starts using the stored fat as energy. It is recommended that your endomorph workout plan includes steady cardio or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in your workout schedule. Steady state helps to burn more calories during a workout, while HIIT cranks up your post workout metabolism. By mixing these two, you will gain vastly superior results.
With a controlled and protein rich diet and a focused workout regime, endomorphs would definitely be able to shed off their extra kilos and come out with a solid, strong build.
Anyways you can see that there is a lot of information out there that can help with your body type once you figure out which one you are. This all has been very illuminating for me and I look forward to putting this information in to practice and seeing where the results come.
