What makes some areas of fat in your body harder to lose than others? If you have ever pondered this weight loss conundrum, it’s most likely you’ve tried to lose stubborn body fat and haven’t seen promising results. To really reach a stubborn fat solution, it’s handy to understand why it is such a difficult area to work with. Not only will that help you understand your body better, but it can help you in preventing future stubborn fat from forming.
What is Stubborn Fat?
The layer of fat that hides your abs can be a taxing thing to deal with and may leave you feeling frustrated or defeated, especially if you are an otherwise fit and healthy individual. Getting into the biochemistry of stubborn fat might help you to understand and not blame yourself if you’re having difficulty with weight loss.
According to the Metabolic Effect, the way fat is stored and released is due to two enzymes in the body, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) which stores fat, and hormone sensitive lipase (HSL), which releases fat. This action is caused by the movement of hormone receptors called adrenergic receptors, the two receptors are known as Alpha adrenergic receptors and Beta adrenergic receptors. The alpha receptors slow the fat release while the beta receptors release fat quickly. In addition to fat release, both of these receptors release blood flow as well, meaning the alpha receptors release blood slowly to certain parts of the body while beta works fast.
So how does fat become a stubborn immovable force? When it comes to weight loss, calories and hormones are the most prevalent causes of fat accumulation. However, unlike normal fat, stubborn fat may at times be more affected by hormones than calories. Many types of hormones can leave an effect on the receptors and enzymes that control the storing and releasing of fat in both direct and indirect ways. Hormones that store fat tend to increase the movement of alpha receptors and LPL, while hormones that release it affect beta receptors and HSL. For example, the insulin hormone stores fat so therefore it releases LPL activity while suppressing HSL and impairing beta receptors. The more hormones in your body that store fat, the more likely you have stubborn fat forming in your body.
What is the Most Stubborn Type of Fat?
Our bodies store fat in several areas. The fat stored just underneath the skin is called subcutaneous fat. There is also the fat that is stored in our middle area around our organs and under our abdominal muscles known as visceral fat. Lastly there is the fat stored by our muscles, intramuscular fat. The most stubborn fat of all is subcutaneous fat, and for females it is much more difficult to lose this type of fat compared to men because it holds 9 to 10 times more alpha receptors than male body fat. For women, the most stubborn subcutaneous fat to get rid of is in the lower proportions of the body: hips, thighs, and butt. For men, their most stubborn fat lies around the lower abdomen. Subcutaneous fat is more stubborn because it is more reactive to insulin, has a lower blood supply, and unfortunately more alpha receptors to slow down the fat releasing process.
How to Lose the Stubborn Fat
Searching for a stubborn fat solution may leave some people confused. Certain advice harbors on a more extreme workout regimen or starting a diet. Dieting however may be one of the more harmful ways to achieve weight loss and coupling that with more exercise can cause more weight gain later on. After understanding how fat is generated in the body, we can see that simply eating less and exercising more is prone to fail on a scientific level. When this occurs, the thyroid hormone, a fat releasing hormone, declines and fat cells become more receptive to the insulin hormone. This causes LPL and alpha receptors to be more prevalent in the body. This is not to say eating right and exercise will ruin your chances of losing stubborn fat, but cycling your diet and exercise will have a better and lasting effect. If you choose to go this route, eating more and exercising more or eating less and exercising less will be the more successful route to a stubborn fat solution.
Means of cosmetic surgery are also a viable way to lose the stubborn fat and help push you to live a healthy lifestyle. Target your problem areas and cosmetic surgery can correct them without the need for large incisions. Liposuction is a great way to utilize pockets of fat and graft them to other areas for a more toned, tight, and healthier looking physique. If you know your stubborn fat mainly resides in your buttocks, consider a Brazilian butt augmentation. This type of cosmetic surgery is great for identifying trouble areas by performing liposuction and precisely transferring fat for a fuller, shapely look that fits for your unique body. A newer form of fat distribution known as body contouring focuses more on creating a muscular, athletic appearance, perfect for someone who works out but has trouble shedding that last few layers of stubborn fat. Contouring can work on a number of areas including chest, arms, legs, buttock, thighs, and abdomen.
Choosing how to combat stubborn fat is something you must decide for yourself and how well you know your body. Ask yourself, do you often exercise and diet simultaneously? That could be the underlying cause for your stubborn fat. If you exercise and eat accordingly to your regimen but still don’t see the results you want to achieve, cosmetic surgery is the perfect stubborn fat solution. Sometimes body weight may not be completely within your control, even when you try to take charge because fat storing hormones are a natural part of the body. However, that shouldn’t stop you from reaching your body weight loss goals and feeling confident in yourself.
Dr. Linville’s Plastic Surgery in Houston is growing as people desiring natural-looking results for their breast, body, and facial rejuvenation find out about his exciting practice. For more information about cosmetic surgery and reclaiming your beauty, contact us today.