Body type determines weight loss

Body Type is not a term many of us think of when we are considering our diets. With Christmas coming up, many of us are aiming to keep the pounds off even though we might be stuffing ourselves rotten. If we have an understanding of our body type we might be able to keep the weight gain to a minimum.

You might think ‘why is body type important’ ? It seems to come down to the way we process carbohydrates in our diet a lot of the time. Most of us believe that if we truly want to lose weight then our greatest enemy is carbohydrate. Trying to diet but not involve carbs is a difficult job but there are some carbohydrates which can be extremely valuable in our pursuit of a better figure.

Carbohydrates actually speed up weight loss and with it we can optimize the way our body functions. Many carbohydrates for a start come in foods which also contain lots of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, antioxidants and so on, along with one of the most important fibre. If we are serious about losing weight it is not a good idea to starve ourselves of these really useful compounds if we are cutting carbs from the diet.

We need to understand how carbohydrates work in the body to get a feel for why they are so important. many nutritionists are right in saying that if you eat the wrong carbs at the wrong time of day and if there is too much of them then weight gain is inevitable. The same though can be said of protein and fat as well.

Simple Carbohydrate Metabolism Or How Our Body Uses Carbs

So let’s say we consume some carbohydrates as a meal or in some crisps or a biscuit. Those carbohydrates start being broken down into their component parts as soon as they are chewed and swallowed. They ultimately get converted to a simple sugar which is usually glucose that is circulated in the body via our blood system.

This glucose is available to cells as a ready source of energy and we can use it for exercise, for various activities including reading and also for keeping our cells living for starters. When we have a sedentary job; lets say we sit around a lot in the office, then that glucose is more likely to be stored in our muscles and liver to be used later on. Animals store glucose as glycogen. If you were plant the storage molecule is starch.

The body is a bit like a bank when it comes to storing energy. There is only so much glycogen that can be stored in our two tissues (liver and muscle). If we carry on eating more carbs after we have used up all the storage ‘space’ or we ate more carbs than we needed in the beginning, the body stores the rest of the carbs as fat. You can see why it is easy to put on weight !

Body Type Determines What Sort Of Carbohydrates To Consume

One of the main factors in dieting is how large the glycogen stores are and how quickly we can make use of them. Body type is the key consideration here. There are three different types: endomorphs, mesomorphs and ectomorphs.

To know what our body shape is, just look in the mirror at your frame and overall physique. Ectomorphs tend to look long, lean and have a propensity to lose weight easily. At the other end of the scale are the endomorphs. These are broad and stocky. The mesomorph is someone who actually looks athletic with shoulders and hips in proportion.

Endomorphs are fortunate in that they have the biggest glycogen stores of all. They tend to have plenty of what are called fast twitch muscle fibres. These people who can get the most from fast and explosive events. To do so they need quick release carbohydrates to get enough energy released for this type of exercise. What do they eat ? Bread, rice, a banana, white but not brown pasta because they all contain plenty of starch which can be broken down to glucose and rapidly used for energy production.

One other feature is that endomorphs tend to have a slower metabolism than others. Their glycogen stores take longer to be used up. One consequence is that they have a much lower need for carbohydrates.

At the other end of the scale, the ectomorphs have plenty of slow twitch muscle fibres. They are best suited for endurance type exercises such as cycling and long-distance running. They are better at using glycogen in many respects and also capable of burning off a fair portion of fat too.

Is Their A Myth About Not Eating Carbohydrates After 6 p.m.?

Consuming carbohydrates at different times of the day is more about how active we are at those times. We are more active, both physically and mentally during the day than we are in the evening. The time of 6 pm is a cut-off point for many who get home before 6 and tend to put our feet up accordingly. If we are more active during the day then it is more likely we will be using any energy consumed to power our activities whatever they are.

When we sit at home as in an evening let’s say, then any energy consumed might not need to be used because we are less active. That energy can be stored as glycogen to replace missing reserves and then as fat.

To be honest, we all need carbohydrates for energy purposes. What types we use and when we use them is much more critical. It all depends on lifestyle, levels of physical and mental activity and this ultimately determines the appropriate amount and type of carbohydrate as well as food we need to eat.

Generally the myth about not eating carbohydrates after 6 p.m. is a false one.

Why Do We See Weight Loss Anyway If we Cut Out Carbs ?

For good reasons, there is usually some short-term weight loss when carbohydrates are completely cut out. This is not however down to losing fat. It is also not a consequence of any particular body type.

Each molecule of carbohydrate has two or three molecules of water attached to it. The weight lost is from any stored carbohydrates along with those molecules of water. 

Carbohydrates are a preferred energy store anyway. When that is gone there are only two other options available for hungry cells, fat and protein. 

Burning off fat will increase but there is also some burning off of protein which comes from muscle. If you have more muscle then more calories from that source tend to get burnt off. A lot of body builders up their protein intake slightly when they are trying to get a leaner definition for sculpting simply to avoid losing all that hard earned muscle mass.

Over time, losing proteins also slows down the rate of metabolism. Fat becomes harder to lose as a consequence. The reason is that fat is a great resource of energy needed for keeping life going. Remember it is carbs that get burnt preferentially before anything else.

How Do You Avoid Piling On The Pounds Over Christmas Or Indeed Any Other Festive Period Where Food Is Involved ?

1. Keep the alcohol drinking to a low level. Alcohol is also a fuel and is burnt in preference to other fuels such as carbs. It helps to drink water between those  glasses of wine or beer. It also helps to choose drinks that contain mineral water or a soda water.
2. Keep active. Keep the exercise levels up, go for walks or jog. Exercise helps with producing endorphins that steer us to better food choices rather than just snacking.
3. Try A Portion Plate. Nutritionists recommend that for a portioned meal, it should be 1/4 plate of complex carbohydrates which means something with fibre rather than just sweets, a 1/4 plate of protein with a 1/2 plate of vegetables. Only one or two teaspoons of fat is needed.
4. Snacking Is Good If Managed Properly. Apparently if you have snacks available throughout the day, this actually helps with weight loss because it stops unnecessary gorging at set times or choosing the wrong foods.
5. Finger Food Will Help Put On The Pounds. Yes, canapes etc. are tempting but it helps if you eat a good nutritious meal before a party. Try to decline the finger food but if it is too tempting, feeling full beforehand helps because finger food is invariably fattening.
6. During any festive period, prepare some healthy meals and snacks, or even try out some healthy ingredients. Increasing the fibre content, cutting out some meat, adding more vegetables really does help here.