In the information age, most of the principles of health and wellness have ceased to be common knowledge. However, there is still a very clear distinction between people who are successful and lose weight and/or stay fit, and those who don't. Why? What can you do to increase your chances of being in the successful minority instead of the unsuccessful majority? When it comes to the world of weight loss and fitness, there are usually two areas that help you determine what you can expect for your efforts. 1) Genetic Factors 2) Psychological Factors Most of the information here is about Genetic factors and how to compensate for any natural deficiency with a certain amount of physical activity and diet. One of the most popular topics along the lines of genetics is Body Type. Anatomical body type is generally divided into 3 basic groups: Ectomorphic, Mesomorphic, and Endomorphic. Ectomorphic types are defined as people who keep their weight under control most easily and have a thin, upper and lower body structure. Basketball players and track models often fall into this category. Mesomorphic body types are characterized as individuals with athletic frames and generally muscular, well-proportioned bodies. Bodybuilders and dancers usually fit here. Endomorphic body types generally tend to be rounded shapes and often have the most trouble keeping unwanted weight off their bodies. Most of us are combinations of two or more of these types, one more dominant than the other. An important note about these anatomical types is that while they can give an idea of how you look on the outside, they can mislead us about how healthy you are on the inside. Many people who might be “thin” literally collapse from the inside out because of bad habits (poor diet, smoking, lack of exercise). In contrast, many people are not stereotypically thin, but healthy due to their healthy lifestyle (proper diet, physical activity). The general role of knowing your body type is to get an explanation of how your body will tend to respond to your diet and lifestyle, in terms of how easy or challenging it can be for you to "hold it together" in certain areas. Another way to classify your body is which of your hormone-producing glands dominates the way you process nutrients in the food you eat. These Glandular (“metabolic”) types fall into one of 4 categories: Adrenal, Thyroid, Pituitary, or Gonadal. The description of each is very similar to the anatomical body types above. The adrenal type tends to correspond to the mesomorphic anatomical type. Thyroidal ectomorphic and pituitary endomorphic are similar. The gonadal type is a female-specific classification that is a hybrid of slim at the top, slightly larger below the waist, and with a greater amount of body fat. In women, the gonadal body type is more often called "pear type". There is a third type of body classification that you may come across that originated in Ancient India. It has to do with “Doshas” – how the energy fields of the earth and your physical mass interact to influence how you feel. This is not directly related to the physical aspect of losing weight but tends to give you an idea of what psychological advantages or challenges you may have when it comes to staying fit and staying fit. This brings me to an important point of clarity in this article: While all body type information is valuable for learning about your body, it is not the "end of everything" as it is often marketed. Based on your genetics and body classification alone, you are neither “guaranteed” to look and feel great, nor are you “destined” to be overweight and unhealthy. Body types should only be used to give you an idea of what advantages or challenges you may have in your lifelong pursuit of wellness - not a death sentence or death sentence that limits what you can achieve. In reality, the Psychological factors of how you look and feel are where the tire meets the road in losing weight and staying healthy and fit. Here you will find the tools you need to overcome the physical challenges you face. So this is where you focus MOST of your energies if you are able and successful with your health and wellness goals. Something many people don't consider is how knowledge of "body type" and what it means affects their psychological appearance in the first place. Many "fit" people who look great because they eat right and exercise do so because they believe they already have something valuable and protected. Therefore, healthy lifestyles are, of course, an issue. The importance of the impact your perspective has on your results cannot be overstated. To put it bluntly, your outlook directly affects your output. If you're not one of those people who seem to be "naturally" together when it comes to your body (or if you've been before but have lost the "magic" since), then what you need to do is harness the power of your psyche to propel you towards success. There are 5 Basic Steps you must follow to tap into your stores of strength, drive, and confidence.
Self-Acceptance For ANY of these to work, you will want to have or develop a certain level of self-acceptance for your body and all of its major points and weaknesses. This doesn't mean you have to be content with yourself when you're out of shape. But DOES mean that YOU should be “okay” to have your “best body” and not anyone else.
Find the Keys to Your Motivation Different things work for different people. While there maybe 4 or 5 body types, there are even more different personality types.
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