I love teaching about our body types because it allows us to understand who we are. And, it also helps us with:
Self-Love | Self-Acceptance | Honoring Our Body | Embracing Our Strengths | Setting Realistic Goals | Creating Strategic Exercise Plans | Adopting Strategic Nutrition Strategies
It keeps us away from the diet culture that is so heavily messaged in our society. When we subscribe to The Diet Culture, we are constantly trying to change ourselves. We are often comparing ourselves. We indulge in thought distortions like all-or-none thinking, should statements, and mental filters (among others). We believe that we are trapped in a space where we can never accept ourselves… and we fear that we may never find inner peace.
When we become aware of and embrace our unique body type, we can honor it, stop judging it, stop comparing ourselves to others, unsubscribe to triggering media, surround ourselves with those who promote body positivity, and focus on what our bodies can do.
Genetics plays a huge role in our body type. I shared that my mother is mesomorph as is my father… therefore, I am also mesomorph, as are my two brothers. Genetics not only plays a role in what body type you have, but also in the way that we desire food, the way we regulate our appetites (some of us are hungrier than others), our metabolism, our weight set-point, our muscle mass, and our strength capacity, to name a few.
Our body type, or somatotype, refers to the idea that there are three generalized body compositions that people are predetermined to have. The concept was theorized by Dr. W.H. Sheldon back in the early 1940s, naming the three somatotypes: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. By understanding our predominant type, we can set realistic goals, adequately feed ourselves, and create an exercise routine that will optimize who we are.
The journey of self-love allows us to honor who we are, but we also have the freedom to make progress. The questions become:
What progress do you want to make? What is your GOAL? What is your WHY? GOALS should be small, realistic, specific - are yours? Strategy should be EFFECTIVE so we can work smarter, not harder. In order to achieve a long-term sustainable goal, we need to commit to a long-term solution.