The first thing to fashion is knowing your body type. Ladies, as much as we hate to say it, we aren't all hourglasses.
There are three official body types.
Ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph.
The Ectomorph characteristics:
Skinny
Small joints/ boned
Long arms and legs
Linear physique – “ruler body shape”
Small shoulders
Lightly muscled
Small chest and buttocks
Low body fat (without exercising or following low calorie diets)
Can eat anything they like without weight gain
Fast and efficient metabolism
Difficulty gaining weight
Hyperactive Difficulty in gaining muscle mass
Here are some famous ectomorphs:
Kate Moss
Gisele Bündchen
Nadja Auermann
Audrey Hepburn
Thandie Newton
Cameron Diaz
Whitney Houston
Calista Flockhardt
ECTOMORPH PROBLEMS
Although ectomorphs tend to be highly regarded, one must remember that they have problems of their own. Ectomorphs tend to lack shape because of their low muscle mass. Female ectomorphs are likely to be flat chested and may complain of looking boyish, wishing they had more womanly curves. Male ectomorphs struggle to increase their muscle mass and may look wiry. As you see, they too, have to work hard to achieve their goals. As ectomorphs lack muscle mass, thus they need to keep their weight lower than endomorphs or mesomorphs. Furthermore, some ectomorph want and struggle to gain weight – muscle and some fat.
Some characteristics of mesomorph:
Naturally lean
Naturally muscular
Naturally strong
Medium size joints/ bones
Wider at the shoulders than the hips – i.e. chest dominates over abdominal area Broad/ square shoulders
Female mesomorph: defined hourglass figure Male mesomorph: V or rectangular shape
Efficient metabolism
Gaining muscle is almost effortless
Losing fat is almost effortless
Responds quickly to exercise
Famous mesomorphs:
Sarah Jessica Parker
Tina Turner
Jerry Hall
Jennifer Garner
Angela Bassett
Gabrielle Reese
Anna Kournikova
Madonna
Yasmin le Bon
Gloria Estefan
Halle Berry
MESOMORPH ADVANTAGE
It is a great advantage to have mesomorphic qualities, as one has great foundations on which to build. Mesomorphs don’t have to worry too much about what they eat and they can gain muscle mass and lose weight fairly quickly with relatively easily. This combination allows the mesomorph to achieve fantastic definition of the body. However, as easily as you lose fat, you gain fat also. Janet Jackson is a good example of someone who has struggled with fluctuating weight, but when determined is able to lose weight relatively quickly and look incredibly defined and boast amazing abs.
Endomorph Characteristics:
Smooth, round body
Medium/ large joints/ bones
Small shoulders
Short limbs
High levels of body fat (may be overweight)
Body fat tends to settle in lower regions of body, mainly lower abdomen, butt, hips, and thighs (rather than being distributed evenly throughout body)
Pear-shaped physique
Can gain muscle easily, but tends to be underdeveloped
Difficult to keep lost body fat off
Lose weight slowly
Have to work hard to lose weight
Slow metabolic rate
Attacks of tiredness/ fatigue
Fall asleep easily
FAMOUS ENDOMORPHS
Jennifer Lopez
Beyonce
Shakira
Sofia Vergara
Marilyn Monroe
Oprah Winfrey
Sophia Loren
Rosanne
Queen Latifah
Kate Winslet
Minnie Driver
Sophie Dahl
ENDOMORPH PROSPECTS
There is no way round this issue. Endomorphs will have a harder time losing weight. But lets be clear. No one is saying that endomorphs CAN’T lose weight, but that they will have to work harder to lose the weight. Endomorphs do not have to be overweight. They simply require more determination than perhaps a mesomorph would, to achieve the same goal. Endomorphs have to train hard and must eat healthily most of the time. Endomorphs gain fat quickly when eating the wrong types of foods because their metabolism can be unforgiving. They also find it difficult to lose weight through diet alone.
The good news is that endomorph women are often thought of as voluptuous and sensual because they go in at the waist, have large rounded breasts and have womanly curves in all the right places – when in shape, their curves create an allure likened to that of Jennifer Lopez, Sophia Loren and other celebrated and famous bodies. Some of the most beautiful women in show business today are endomorphs. In shape the female endomorph is unrivaled – toned and fit whilst being soft, sensuous and alluring. It’s a wonderful paradox only the female endomorph can fully achieve.
