Body Types and Weight Loss
Human body types are broadly categorized in
to three types called somatotypes, and they are: ectomorphs, mesomorphs,
and endomorphs.
Ectomorphs – have short
upper body, long arms, legs, and has very little fat storage.
The chest and shoulders are generally narrow with long, thin muscles.
Mesomorphs – have large
chests, long torso, solid muscle structure, and can gain muscles
quite easily without putting on too much extra body fat.
Endomorphs – have wide
hips, round face, short neck, and can gain and store body fat
very easily.
Generally, a person will be a mix of 2 of the
body types listed above. Myself, for example is an ecto-mesomorph.
Had I not been bodybuilding for over 10 years, I would have mostly
an ectomorph body type.
So what the heck does body type have to do with
weight loss? One of the key factors that determine body types
is metabolism, where one individual can burn calories easily,
while another can not. Obviously, endomorphic bodies have a much
tougher time burning calories compared to the other two types.
However, as your body changes, its ability to burn calories also
changes – hence your metabolism also changes. Did you know
that for every pound of lean muscle you gain, you will burn an
extra 50 calories per day? Contrary to this, as you lose weight,
your metabolism also slows down.
This brings me to a very important point: losing
20lbs in 30 days is very difficult to achieve for most people,
and losing so much weight in such a short time is not good for
your physical health. A general rule of thumb for healthy weight
loss is targeting for NO MORE THAN 2lbs per week, which means
in a course of 30days, you should aim to lose at most 8 pounds.
Recent studies have shown that when you lose
10% of your bodyweight, your metabolism drops by about 15%, which
means that its gets harder to lose more weight, while losing weight.
This is why for most people, its mission impossible to try to
lose the last few pounds. Makes sense right? You body and metabolic
system always tries to stay in balance, and as you lose weight,
your metabolism tries to find a better balance by lowering itself.
Other way around, everyone knows that when a person gains weight,
his/her metabolism increases accordingly.
Sorry to burst your quick weight loss
bubble… But, know this: achieving your ideal body is not
something a temporary fix will accomplish, but it’s through
a life long process of disciplining yourself to eating a healthy
diet, and exercising regularly that will help you lose the extra
weight, and most of all, keep it off.
>> Click here for Tom's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program
Weight Loss
Article - Part 1
Weight Loss Article - Part
2
Weight Loss Article - Part
3
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