Download the pdf of my food and exercise diary from yesterday below:

I have spent WAY TOO MANY hours searching stuff on the internet this past week relating to macro-nutrient recommendations and Somatotype (physique typing that takes into account metabolism and muscle composition)

Not Exactly an Endomorph…

I realized that I was slightly off about my type. I typed myself as an Endomorph all this time, but I realized some things just didn’t add up. One was that when I was at my fittest, I still ate a decent amount of grain carbs and starches- including white sourdough, white rice, and lots of sweet potatoes- along with a moderately active lifestyle, and looked pretty good and had no trouble building muscle. Carbs probably composed about 40-50% of my diet at that point. However, the Endomorph is supposed to be extremely carbohydrate inefficient and only consume about 30% of their daily nutrients from carbs.

Endomorphs are supposed to gain weight easily, have a sort of rounded body shape, and extremely feminine in curvature and softness. I felt like I had some of these traits: I am fairly curvy, feminine shape and features, and I have struggled with my weight a bit but not that much, truly…

I think a lot of that was in my head and a result of my poor self image- meaning I have a hard time seeing myself as I actually am.

I have always been referred to as “small” and “solid” by friends and strangers, traits that don’t really fit with a generic voluptuous Endomorph woman. My boyfriend considers me as curvy, yet compact. Compactness and solidness are features of a Mesomorph. I have always been guessed at weights that are 10-15 pounds lighter than my actual weight- this means I have always been solid with lower body fat percentage naturally.

What About Mesomorphs?

However, I am not a generic mesomorph, either- they are very solid in appearance and have VERY defined muscles that stay that way without even trying much. I have to work for muscle definition in my arms and stomach, but I suppose my leg muscles look defined even when I am not in shape (I blame all the soccer in my youth haha). Mesomorphs are born athletes- I was good at athletics, and was usually one of the strongest, but I definitely had my limits compared to other friends who could run the school mile with ease and hardly trying.

Mesomorphs, although they may boast thin waists, they aren’t as curvy and have smaller hips (helps with athletics to be more compact this way). I have a defined waist and a shoulders/waist/hips ratio that puts me somewhere between an hourglass and a pear shape. Pants are always tighter on my thighs and too loose on the waist.

Therefore, I am somewhere between Endomorph and Mesomorph, and I guess it’s possible (or more realistic) that there are combinations of the main three types. A Meso-Endomorph.

Nutrition for a Petite Meso-Endomorph

For my nutrition, this means I can allow a few more carbs into my diet without too many negative consequences. But, this also means that I still need to keep protein high, and focus on combining strength and cardio exercise in one (HIIT and Intervals are best for this) to gain more muscle definition and maintain a healthy weight.

Current Macro-nutrient Daily Goals

(with light to moderate activity)

40%: Carbohydrates (25 grams as Fiber)- 130-147g

30%: Protein- 83-110g

30%: Fats- 35-47g

(Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): ~1399 kCal;

Daily calorie goal as of 6/12: ~1399-1450 kCal)

You can see an example of how this works out by viewing the pdf I put at the beginning of this post (I splurged yesterday and ate too much sodium and carbs for my activity level hehe)

I put ranges because it depends on my activity level for the day. Less activity= fewer calories and vice versa. I would like to mention that I learned that I should always consume AT LEAST the calorie amount of of BMR- the amount of calories I would burn laying in bed all day. I included a link above to find out yours. Don’t starve yourself, please.

Anyways, I feel like I have done enough research the last me for awhile in this regard. I got sort of obsessed with finding the optimal set-up for me. I do that sometimes, and lose sleep, which defeats the purpose of all this.

Here’s to knowing your body and it’s uniqueness and customizing your diet and exercise to work for YOU!

Featured image from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJJoRZ8ArzQ