Endomorph Diet: Everything You Need To Know About This "Body-Type" Diet

Everyone is bio-individual—meaning, a weight loss regimen that works for me won't necessarily work for you. Of course, there are certain universal truths, like the fact that you'll probably have to eat a little bit less and move a little bit more. But beyond that, the specific macronutrient breakdown and types of foods that are "ideal" may vary quite a bit. 

Increasingly, one way people are personalizing their nutrition plan is with an endomorph diet—created for those with an endomorph body type (think bigger bone structure, higher percentage body fat, little muscle definition). It's not exactly new, but it's recently been gaining steam, and Google recently announced that it was the ninth-most searched for diet of 2019. 

Back in the 1940s, psychologist William Sheldon classified people into three categories (called somatotypes) based on their body composition and build: endomorphs, mesomorphs, and ectomorphs.

There's no one official set of rules for the endomorph diet (like you'd find with a Whole30, for example), but there are plenty of recommendations swirling around the internet and elsewhere about how to eat for each body type. The American Council on Exercise (ACE), for example, is one of the only national organizations to feature recommendations on what endomorphs, mesomorphs, and ectomorphs should be eating; and in 2019, the book Just Your Type: The Ultimate Guide to Eating and Training Right for Your Body Type, featuring tips on how to eat and work out for your somatotype, was released.

According to the ACE, endomorphs tend to have some degree of insulin or carbohydrate sensitivity and are particularly good at converting high-carb foods into sugar, which is then stored as fat. This, in turn, is said to increase their body fat percentage along with the risk of issues like diabetes. For this reason, it's generally recommended that endomorphs eat enough protein and healthy fats and lay off the processed refined carbohydrates (cereal, bread, crackers, sweets, etc.). Carbohydrates from fiber-rich vegetables and fruits, and to a lesser extent from unrefined grains such as quinoa or rice, are said to be a better choice for endomorphs. A paleo-style diet would easily fit this framework.

There is some variability in these recommendations, though—Phil Catudal, author of Just Your Type, suggests ramping up both protein and fat to about 40% and dropping carbs down to 20%, while aiming for around 1,300 to 1,500 calories per day to start.  

If you're following Catudal's recommended macronutrient breakdown for an endomorph diet, Largeman-Roth says you should also be mindful that, depending on a person's size, an intake of 1,300 to 1,500 calories may be too restrictive, and 40% of calories from protein may be too high unless you're doing a lot of endurance training. "But this is a low-cal diet," she says, "so people are likely to lose weight on it, at least initially."

On the bright side, there's likely no harm in trying an endomorph diet (which, again, can be formulated pretty similarly to a paleo diet, if desired), and Largeman-Roth says, "Everyone can certainly benefit from reducing their intake of refined carbohydrates like white bread, cookies, and crackers."

But keep in mind, every body is different, and if you're struggling to lose weight, you may benefit from a more tailored dietary approach—and don't forget a consistent exercise routine.