Healthy Weight Week (How Your Body Type Affects Your Weight)

Did you know that we are in the middle of Healthy Weight Week?  I sure didn’t.  I had no idea that such a week even existed.  Whether that’s because I live under a rock or because I never thought  about it remains to be seen.  Perhaps it’s a bit of both.  Regardless, this week is Healthy Weight Week.  So I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk about different body types, what healthy weight looks like and how to determine if your weight is “healthy.” 

3 Body Types

There are three “body types”  in which most people can be classified.  This is significant for you to know and understand as it impacts how you gain and lose weight.  It helps you identify how much to eat, the best type of workouts for you, etc.  And it is important to know your body type so you can determine if you are in the healthy weight ideas for your body type. 

Ectomorph: This is typical skinny person; long and lean with lower body fat percentages than most.  These people are blessed with fast metabolisms and find it very hard to gain weight.  This body type has more leniency with the number of calories they can eat per day especially if looking to gain weight.  Individuals with this body type should significantly increase their daily caloric intake especially if they are very active and/or workout regularly.  Insufficient calories could lead to unwanted weight loss, especially of muscle mass because there are fewer fat reserves from which to burn energy. 

Mesomorph:  This is what most people consider the “athletic” body type.  People with this body type have well defined muscles, they gain muscles and muscle mass easily.  However, they also gain fat more easily than ectomorphs so it’s important for them to be aware of the caloric intake and types of food they eat.  This body type benefits most from a combination of weight/strength training and cardio exercise. 

Endomorph: The endomorph body type is typically what most people consider “stocky” or “soft.”  People with endomorph body types gain fat very easily (and it’s difficult to lose weight) thus it becomes critical that they are aware of the types of food and the amount of food they eat.  Endomorphs, however, also tend to be very strong, especially in the legs. For this group, cardio exercises are the most important to battle the fat gains. 

 

Ladies, I know there is information out there that talks about pear-shaped versus apple-shaped, etc and while there is some validity to those, the main body types are those listed here.  The others refer to where you carry your weight which is a topic to be covered at a later date. 

Now here’s the caveat to all of the above…you can be a combination of these body types.  Everyone is not necessarily one body type only.  For example, when I was younger I was definitely ectomorph.  However, as I’ve gotten older I have more traits of mesomorph and even endomorph.  If you are not sure how you fit into these categories, go to this link and complete the survey and it should help you identify your body type.  http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm

So now that you know your body type, let’s talk a little about what healthy weight means.  Clearly, based on your body type, what defines healthy weight for you may not be the same as healthy weight for the next person; even among family members.  The best way to determine if your weight is healthy is to have your body composition measured.  There are numerous ways to have this done.  Most people are familiar with body fat testing using calipers.  If you have a personal trainer (and they are worth what you pay them) he or she will have calipers and can help you determine your body fat.  With my clients, I use body fat with calipers as well as a tape measure to determine circumference.  That also establishes a baseline as we go through the personal training sessions and can measure progress every 6 weeks.  If this is something your trainer does not do, I would encourage you to talk to them about having it done.   With body fat, anyone typically under 24.9% body fat is considered “healthy” though once you get above 22-23%, you bordering on obesity and should talk with your doctor or personal trainer about how to lower your body fat. 

If you don’t have a trainer or access to calipers, there are places you can have other body composition tests done. The most effective measurement is hydrostatic measurements.  However, you have to find a location that has the equipment and space available to do this and there is typically a fee. 

The important thing I want you to remember and take away from this, though, is that there is no hard and fast weight that is healthy.  It depends, again, on your body type and your body fat/body composition.  So while someone may weigh 200 pounds, we need to consider how tall they are, their body type and so forth.  If I’m 5 feet tall and weigh 200 pounds, I probably fall under endomorph and there might be cause for concern.  However, if I’m male and am 6’2” and weight 200 pounds, I’m probably okay.  Again, it’s important to have this conversation with your doctor or personal trainer.  I’m happy to have these conversations with you as well. 

So as we celebrate Healthy Weight Week, celebrate your accomplishments so far in your fitness/wellness journey!  Just remember that extra piece of cake may not be the smartest option for you J 

BE BOLD! BE YOU!