Some people have a harder time losing weight and avoiding weight gain than others, and this is partially due to their genetics. Medical science has identified three basic body types. These are endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph. What you need to know is more about endomorph diet.
If you have a stocky build and wide hips, you would be classified as an endomorph, and it’s likely that you have struggled with excess body fat throughout your life. One way to deal with this problem is to follow the endomorph diet.
How do you know if you’re an endomorph?
To determine your body type, you have to look at a few body characteristics. Generally, if your wrist is too wide for you to encircle it with your thumb and middle finger, then you’re probably an endomorph.
Endomorphs have wide hips in proportion to their height, and they have short limbs and fingers. Endomorphs sometimes jokingly say that they gain weight just by driving past the bakery.
How to combat excess weight as an endomorph
Endomorphs tend to have slow metabolisms, and they have an adverse relationship with carbohydrate-rich foods. Eating a typical modern diet that is high in sugar and refined carbs often cause endomorphs to become insulin resistant.
Insulin is a substance produced by the pancreas that enables fat storage. When your fat cells become insulin resistant, your body needs to produce more insulin than normal, and this leads to more weight gain because insulin promotes fat storage. The way to combat insulin resistance is to reduce your carbohydrate intake, especially table sugar and refined carbohydrates such as white flour, corn syrup, and other high-glycemic foods.
What you should eat
What is it about this body type that makes it difficult for people to control their weight, and what can you do about it? One promising approach is to follow an endomorphic diet.
The food guidelines for the endomorph diet are similar to low-carb diets such as Paleo, South Beach or the Zone diet. A diet that is low in carbohydrates should provide 30 percent or less of your calories from carbohydrates.
It is especially important to avoid sweets and sugary beverages such as soda pop and energy drinks. If you need to enjoy an occasional sweet treat, there are many products and recipes that use sugar substitutes and fresh fruit.
An endomorph should eat fresh vegetables and healthy proteins such as eggs, poultry, fish and organic meats. When shopping, focus on the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid the isles that contain processed foods and snacks. Cook your own meals with fresh produce, meat, and dairy products.
By eliminating refined carbs and sugar, you’ll notice that your cravings for sweets will diminish. You’ll also be less hungry because you won’t have big highs and lows in your blood sugar levels.
If your life feels like an endless struggle with excess weight, it could be due to your body type. When you follow the endomorph diet, you should be less likely to overeat and have an easier time shedding pounds.