Continued from Diet for Your Body Type.

Determine your body type. Science has observed three primary somatotypes, or varieties, of the human physique: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph. Knowing which category you generally fall into will help you determine your metabolic makeup.

An ectomorph is usually a hardgainer – an individual of slight build and skeletal structure, possessing a very quick metabolism. An ectomorph carries little bodyfat coupled with a slight amount of muscle, and finds gaining weight difficult.

A mesomorph is usually the most athletic bodytype, possessing a naturally well-developed, muscular build. This person can radically alter his or her physique, gaining muscle or losing weight quickly with the help of a moderate-to-fast metabolism. This type is ideal for quickly building lean muscle mass.

An endomorph has a preponderance of bodyfat. This individual also has a characteristically slow metabolism, which, on a good note, leads to quickly adding muscle. The downside is a higher chance of acquiring more bodyfat while adding that muscle.

Some people might fall neatly into one of these three categories, but most individuals are a cross between two categories (such as an ecto-mesomorph or an endo-mesomorph). Honestly assess yourself and make the appropriate adjustments; if you don’t take this crucial step, your diet will not work optimally. [via]