Fat Composition in the Body or that "hollowed out" feeling.
slimzandra
Posts: 955 Member
After losing about 40 pounds, I'm starting to notice that I feel like I'm living in a skin suit. I've increased my exercise to improve muscle tone and hopefully things will firm up. I feel almost as if the subcutaneous fat directly under the skin isn't leaving, but everything in between is getting smaller. I also can say that the fat in my thighs, buttock, and hips, has changed. It seems much more so than in my belly. I would describe it as my skin fold increasing, body density decreasing. I'm wondering if this is true of weight loss generally or if it is more noticeable due to the LCHF way of eating? Is there a "fat migration" in my recent body recomposition? I didn't think that really made any sense. Do Fat cells really move around the body? I thought they just get bigger and smaller?
Are there any studies about fat metabolism or becoming fat-adapted relating to different types of internal fat. If anyone has any literature about this, I would be interested in reading it.
I found this on Wikipedia which is interesting and now I know the word to describe my "pannus" HAHA.
In an obese person, excess adipose tissue hanging downward from the abdomen is referred to as a panniculus (or pannus). It may remain as a literal "apron of skin" if a severely obese person quickly loses large amounts of fat (a common result of gastric bypass surgery). This condition cannot be effectively corrected through diet and exercise alone, as the panniculus consists of adipocytes and other supporting cell types shrunken to their minimum volume and diameter.
Visceral fat or abdominal fat (also known as organ fat or intra-abdominal fat) is located inside the abdominal cavity, packed between the organs (stomach, liver, intestines, kidneys, etc.). Visceral fat is different from subcutaneous fat underneath the skin, and intramuscular fat interspersed in skeletal muscles. Fat in the lower body, as in thighs and buttocks, is subcutaneous and is not consistently spaced tissue, whereas fat in the abdomen is mostly visceral and semi-fluid. Visceral fat is composed of several adipose depots, including mesenteric, epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT), and perirenal depots.
An excess of visceral fat is known as central obesity, or "belly fat", in which the abdomen protrudes excessively and new developments such as the Body Volume Index (BVI) are specifically designed to measure abdominal volume and abdominal fat. Excess visceral fat is also linked to type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammatory diseases, and other obesity-related diseases.
Men are more likely to have fat stored in the abdomen due to sex hormone differences. Female sex hormone causes fat to be stored in the buttocks, thighs, and hips in women. When women reach menopause and the estrogen produced by the ovaries declines, fat migrates from the buttocks, hips and thighs to the waist; later fat is stored in the abdomen.
High-intensity exercise is one way to effectively reduce total abdominal fat. One study suggests at least 10 MET-hours per week of aerobic exercise is required for visceral fat reduction.
Epicardial fat
Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a particular form of visceral fat deposited around the heart and found to be a metabolically active organ that generates various bioactive molecules, which might significantly affect cardiac function. Marked component differences have been observed in comparing EAT with subcutaneous fat, suggesting a depot specific impact of stored fatty acids on adipocyte function and metabolism.
Subcutaneous fat
Most of the remaining nonvisceral fat is found just below the skin in a region called the hypodermis. This subcutaneous fat is not related to many of the classic obesity-related pathologies, such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke, and some evidence even suggests it might be protective. The typically female (or gynecoid) pattern of body fat distribution around the hips, thighs, and buttocks is subcutaneous fat, and therefore poses less of a health risk compared to visceral fat.
Like all other fat organs, subcutaneous fat is an active part of the endocrine system, secreting the hormones leptin and resistin.
The relationship between the subcutaneous adipose layer and total body fat in a person is often modelled by using regression equations. The most popular of these equations was formed by Durnin and Wormersley, who rigorously tested many types of skinfold, and, as a result, created two formulae to calculate the body density of both men and women. These equations present an inverse correlation between skinfolds and body density—as the sum of skinfolds increases, the body density decreases.
Factors such as sex, age, population size or other variables may make the equations invalid and unusable, and, as of 2012, Durnin and Wormersley's equations remain only estimates of a person's true level of fatness. New formulae are still being created.
Ectopic fat
Ectopic fat is the storage of triglycerides in tissues other than adipose tissue, that are supposed to contain only small amounts of fat, such as the liver, skeletal muscle, heart, and pancreas. This can interfere with cellular functions and hence organ function and is associated with insulin resistance in type-2 diabetes. It is stored in relatively high amounts around the organs of the abdominal cavity, but is not to be confused as visceral fat.
The specific cause for the accumulation of ectopic fat is unknown. The cause is likely a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors that are involved in excess energy intake and decreased physical activity. Substantial weight loss can reduce ectopic fat stores in all organs and this is associated with an improvement of the function of that organ.
Are there any studies about fat metabolism or becoming fat-adapted relating to different types of internal fat. If anyone has any literature about this, I would be interested in reading it.
I found this on Wikipedia which is interesting and now I know the word to describe my "pannus" HAHA.
In an obese person, excess adipose tissue hanging downward from the abdomen is referred to as a panniculus (or pannus). It may remain as a literal "apron of skin" if a severely obese person quickly loses large amounts of fat (a common result of gastric bypass surgery). This condition cannot be effectively corrected through diet and exercise alone, as the panniculus consists of adipocytes and other supporting cell types shrunken to their minimum volume and diameter.
Visceral fat or abdominal fat (also known as organ fat or intra-abdominal fat) is located inside the abdominal cavity, packed between the organs (stomach, liver, intestines, kidneys, etc.). Visceral fat is different from subcutaneous fat underneath the skin, and intramuscular fat interspersed in skeletal muscles. Fat in the lower body, as in thighs and buttocks, is subcutaneous and is not consistently spaced tissue, whereas fat in the abdomen is mostly visceral and semi-fluid. Visceral fat is composed of several adipose depots, including mesenteric, epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT), and perirenal depots.
An excess of visceral fat is known as central obesity, or "belly fat", in which the abdomen protrudes excessively and new developments such as the Body Volume Index (BVI) are specifically designed to measure abdominal volume and abdominal fat. Excess visceral fat is also linked to type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammatory diseases, and other obesity-related diseases.
Men are more likely to have fat stored in the abdomen due to sex hormone differences. Female sex hormone causes fat to be stored in the buttocks, thighs, and hips in women. When women reach menopause and the estrogen produced by the ovaries declines, fat migrates from the buttocks, hips and thighs to the waist; later fat is stored in the abdomen.
High-intensity exercise is one way to effectively reduce total abdominal fat. One study suggests at least 10 MET-hours per week of aerobic exercise is required for visceral fat reduction.
Epicardial fat
Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a particular form of visceral fat deposited around the heart and found to be a metabolically active organ that generates various bioactive molecules, which might significantly affect cardiac function. Marked component differences have been observed in comparing EAT with subcutaneous fat, suggesting a depot specific impact of stored fatty acids on adipocyte function and metabolism.
Subcutaneous fat
Most of the remaining nonvisceral fat is found just below the skin in a region called the hypodermis. This subcutaneous fat is not related to many of the classic obesity-related pathologies, such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke, and some evidence even suggests it might be protective. The typically female (or gynecoid) pattern of body fat distribution around the hips, thighs, and buttocks is subcutaneous fat, and therefore poses less of a health risk compared to visceral fat.
Like all other fat organs, subcutaneous fat is an active part of the endocrine system, secreting the hormones leptin and resistin.
The relationship between the subcutaneous adipose layer and total body fat in a person is often modelled by using regression equations. The most popular of these equations was formed by Durnin and Wormersley, who rigorously tested many types of skinfold, and, as a result, created two formulae to calculate the body density of both men and women. These equations present an inverse correlation between skinfolds and body density—as the sum of skinfolds increases, the body density decreases.
Factors such as sex, age, population size or other variables may make the equations invalid and unusable, and, as of 2012, Durnin and Wormersley's equations remain only estimates of a person's true level of fatness. New formulae are still being created.
Ectopic fat
Ectopic fat is the storage of triglycerides in tissues other than adipose tissue, that are supposed to contain only small amounts of fat, such as the liver, skeletal muscle, heart, and pancreas. This can interfere with cellular functions and hence organ function and is associated with insulin resistance in type-2 diabetes. It is stored in relatively high amounts around the organs of the abdominal cavity, but is not to be confused as visceral fat.
The specific cause for the accumulation of ectopic fat is unknown. The cause is likely a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors that are involved in excess energy intake and decreased physical activity. Substantial weight loss can reduce ectopic fat stores in all organs and this is associated with an improvement of the function of that organ.
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I don't know, but I've been thinking about different types of fat as well, because I have this weird feeling almost like my lower ribs are bumping up against something they didn't used to bump up against. I was wondering if it has to do with losing fat in my abdominal cavity. It's mildly uncomfortable but not in a pain sort of way--just weirdness.
ETA: But my "folds" seem to be the same size, although I've never measured them. It's just that underneath I've gotten smaller, so the folds don't protrude like they used to.0 -
@slimzandra What an amazing read. Thank you so much for finding and typing this all out. Of course, today is the day my printer quit so I need to remember the thread to print and study it later.
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Fat cells don't move around, but your FFA is in constant flux, so I suppose the fat could redistribute itself somehow. Obviously hormones play a huge role, and they're responsible for the difference in the fat distribution of men and women.
Interesting paper here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2585758/
The known, major environmental factors that affect body fat distribution include alcohol intake (1), cigarette smoking (2), and the timing of onset of childhood obesity (3).
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An unexpected recent finding is that systemic FFA can be restored back into sc and visceral fat without going through the very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-triglyceride pathway (44,45). Although the fraction of systemic FFA restored in whole body sc adipose tissue is relatively small (∼3% for men and 9% for women), this process may play a role in the shuttling of FFA from one depot to another in such a manner as to modify fat distribution.0 -
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/
Not sure if this is what you are talking about or even how legit the source is but when I read your post I remembered reading this article somewhere and it mentioned the texture so to speak of fat changing during weight loss. Anyhow it doesn't really mention migrating to other areas but it does mention feeling different under the skin.
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@wabmester and @anglyn1 Thanks for the paper and the link. Very interesting. I also looked at the alcohol intake study, but it was done with older men.
Anecdotally, At my highest weight I fall into the women with lower fat (hips, buttock, leg fat) category and never had any issues with being pre-diabetic or suffered from any insulin level problems. My mother gained her weight in her back and belly, (more like where men put on weight) and at the same weight, she was a Type-2 diabetic. I have read other studies that where fat is stored in the body significantly impacts heart-disease, and other health issues. Lower body weight gain having less of a health impact. The environmental factors are also interesting. I noticed the biggest difference in my appearance when I stopped drinking alcohol. Water retention changed the appearance of my face drastically.
One thing that I was thinking as I was reading, is that I need to drink more water help to flush out the toxins from kidneys and liver that are being released during this process.
That "squishy" fat feeling is located in my thighs and hips and my weight loss has been a series of plateaus and whooshes. However, I haven't noticed as much losing the proportionally same amount of fat in my abdominal cavity, like @Mami1976D, which is why I started looking into this. (I still can't feel my lower ribs ) I read everywhere you can't spot reduce through exercise, just tone, increase muscle in specific areas. I'm more convinced that type of diet and alcohol (or lack thereof) may effect how weight loss and fat reduction happens, but it does not uniformly happen to all people. I wanted to make a connection that eating LCHF vs other methods of reduction, targets "X" type of fat in the body, but I don't think that conclusion can be made given other variables such as environment factors, hormones, etc.,
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There is a dietary effect, but I don't know how well it's been explored. Many studies show that low-carb reduces visceral and liver fat more than low-fat diets, for example.
Lyle McDonald (one of the original ketogenic biohackers) wrote a book called The Stubborn Fat Solution where he discusses how different fat deposits have different densities of fat receptors, and that's one of the mechanisms involved in fat distribution.
It's a fascinating topic! My stubborn fat is typical for males -- love handles and lower gut region.
I can tell that I have had a reduction in visceral fat on low-carb. I have before and after CT scans that show the difference. And my xiphoid process protrudes a bit -- probably due to being remodeled by visceral fat.0
