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Are you having trouble sticking to your weight-loss resolutions?
The year is just a couple of weeks old, but some are already finding it hard to keep to a weight-loss regimen. If you are one of them, you might find it easier to focus your workouts and diet according to your body type.
Body type: Pear
Defined by: Narrow shoulders, small bust and shapely hips and thighs. In short, pear-shaped women are smaller on top and heavier at the bottom.
It means: You gain weight easily around the hips and thighs. It's also harder to build up the shoulders and arms.
Tip: Focus on toning the butt, hips and thighs by doing lunges and other leg exercises. Lift weights too, so the upper body is not neglected.
Diet: A low-fat diet helps to break down fat cells in the lower body. Cut down on red meat, which contains saturated fat and switch to lean white meat like chicken. High-fat dairy products should also be avoided, but low-fat dairy products such as milk and yogurt can help with weight loss. Nutritionist Sheeba Majmudar attributes weight gain in the lower body to hormonal imbalance. She says: "Such people would do very well cutting out all sugary foods and eating five meals a day to balance blood sugar."
Celebrities with this shape: Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Alicia Keys.
Body type: Apple
Defined by: Broad shoulders, a large bust, a larger middle portion with a less defined waistline and narrower hips.
It means: "The apple-shaped person is thought to have the most unhealthy type of weight gain, as it involves a lot of weight in the midsection. This is where the body's organs are and can stress them," says Ms Majmudar. The visceral fat surrounding the body's abdominal region is also known to cause Type-2 diabetes, heart disease and in some cases, cancer.
Tip: To slim down your midsection, alternate between low-intensity exercises with sudden bursts of high-intensity ones. This helps boost metabolism, which in turn helps to burn fat.
Diet: Ms Majmudar recommends a detox diet consisting of mainly vegetables, fresh juice, greens and seaweed.
Celebrities with this shape: Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Drew Barrymore.
Body type: Banana
Defined by: A small bust, narrow hips, and a generally straight torso with relatively few curves. It's also known as "the ruler" for the straight silhouette it projects.
It means: You find it hard to put on weight. The downside? A lack of womanly curves and when you do gain weight, it's in the stomach area.
Tip: If you can't put on the curves, refine your shape. Focus on abdominal exercises to slim and tuck the tummy area in to create some semblance of an hourglass figure. You can also help your side profile by doing weight-training exercises to build up muscle mass on the butt.
Diet: With little weight gain, you can afford a less strict diet. That said, healthy balanced meals are still needed to prevent weight gain. Eat plenty of protein, carbohydrates, calcium and whole grains, and cut down on starch.
Celebrities with this shape: Alexa Chung, Keira Knightley, Nicole Kidman
Body type: Hourglass
Defined by: Ample bust and curvy hips of almost equal width, and a well-defined waist.
It means: The hourglass shape may be considered the feminine ideal. Weight gained is mostly on the top and bottom of the body.
Tip: Focus on maintaining your body shape - swimming, stationary biking and squats all help trim and tone this body type.
Diet: Control sugar consumption to prevent the accumulation of fat in undesired areas. Also, eat more protein that can be found in eggs, lean meat and nuts. Include plenty of leafy green vegetables which are good sources of Vitamin B12 and iron.
Celebrities with this shape: Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence, Christina Hendricks
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