Does your remaining fat "redistribute" after losing weight, or is that a myth?

Orphia

Does your remaining fat "redistribute" after losing weight, or is that a myth?

I know fat doesn't move around, but if you're at a low but healthy BMI, after hitting maintenance and continuing to exercise, does body recomposition mean you gradually have less problem areas?

What's the relationship between recomp and genetics, with respect to layers of fat and/or accumulations in a certain area?

LivingtheLeanDream

Not sure it redistributes, but what I've found is that although I've been maintaining my weight nicely for a few years my shape is still changing and for the better - that is down to strength training and being active though. My tummy is the last fatty area to go and each month I am seeing improvements

I do think loose skin can diminish and tighten over time, it might not ping back into shape but it definately improves.

sijomial

The fat cells obviously do not move but they aren't in a static state either - the fat in them (triglyceride) is filling/emptying all the time depending on your current energy balance.
Recomp would mean you simply have less fat stored not that it has "moved".

But one thing I have noticed is that when I gain weight (holidays/vacations etc.) it all seems to be around my middle but arms and legs remain lean, whether that is just a function of being leaner overall or a visual illusion - who knows?

Relationship between recomp and genetics - yes some people are more gifted in their ability to gain muscle.
I've always seemed to be able to gain muscle easier/quicker than my age peer group. Unfortunately I also seem to lose muscle quickly when I'm not training. My brother would retain the shape of someone who is trained whereas I would quickly just look, and be, chubby.

People do have different genetic predisposition to store fat in certain areas. We've all seen people that seem to have mis-matched proportions - a slim top half and a fat *kitten* and legs for instance!

(Sorry - the kitten thing just amuses me!)

Fursian

I have heard and wondered about this also. Can't provide any experience yet, but the idea of this 'fat redistribution after weight loss' does sound appealing, lol.

Orphia

Thanks for the helpful replies!

mikeceet

I read and article wish I could find it but it says that your body takes 2 to four years for your skin to readjust or shrink to new size. I really hope this article was right cause my stomach need some skin shrinking lol but I've went from a 44 waist US men's size to a 34 and almost hundred pounds lost overall. The article also stated that u need to stay away from chlorine and other harsh chemicals on skin so that your skin stays healthy and bounces back. We will see if I find the article I'll post it here

JanetMMcC

I'm just a sample of one ... but since I've gone on maintenance, staying between 140-145 lbs, I've gone from size 12 pants to size 10 and sometimes 8. More to the point, since there's no standard for women's sizes, a pair of size 12 jeans that originally was so tight I had trouble getting my phones (1 work, 1 mine) into the pockets is now loose, with about 1.5" between my navel and the waist button if I hold it in front of me.

And it's not as if I've been obsessive about exercise, either.

benevempress

Ah, I can only hope! If my loose wrinkly skin (from the weight loss) would tighten up, that would be lovely. If my remaining fat from below my waist to my knees would magically redistribute to a thinner overall layer as well as refill my ta-tas a bit, that would be like finding the fountain of youth! lol Somehow I suspect the only way my remaining fat is going to shrink or move is through a lot of strength/resistance training.

ChihuahuaMeme

You don’t actually “lose” fat cells, you “shrink” or “empty out” fat cells because the fat inside is used for energy. Any fat that is used makes the cell shrink but the fat cell is always there waiting to fill up and increase in size if you overeat your calorie input. They don't move but you can add more elsewhere.

ChihuahuaMeme

When you reach a certain age your skin will not shrink back and become smooth and firm as your youth. I have lose over 100 lbs and I am 69 and have loose skin all over. I look really good in clothes so I don't care. The only one that is going to see my loose skin is my doctor and the undertaker.

flrancho

In my experience fat doesn't redistribute. I'm at my goal weight now and a little "skinny fat". I still carry the vast majority of my weight at my belly. I've been doing weight training to do recomposition, but so far after doing it for months on end that seems to be shrinking are my underarms and my breasts. Belly has stayed the same.

I lost about 130 pounds overall (most of it with MFP), over the course of just short of a year and a half. I'm 29 and have loose skin. I'm hoping it gets better, but if it doesn't I'm going to look into getting surgery even though I can't afford it. If I was older or already married I probably wouldn't care that much, but since I'm single and have never had a boyfriend, the loose skin really bothers me. My breasts are the worst.

Tweaking_Time

When I lost my original 75 pounds - and then went to maintenance for several years and maintained my weight within a pound or two of goal - my body shape continued to change. If I did not keep active, my belly would grow (first) even though my weight did not change.

TheRiceLord

ChihuahuaMeme wrote: »

You don’t actually “lose” fat cells, you “shrink” or “empty out” fat cells because the fat inside is used for energy. Any fat that is used makes the cell shrink but the fat cell is always there waiting to fill up and increase in size if you overeat your calorie input. They don't move but you can add more elsewhere.

So true. Think of fat cell receptors as balloons. They deflate, but as soon as you start overeating again, they blow up and expand.

TheRiceLord

Also when you gain more muscle, it'll tighten your skin up. Very useful to gain some muscle everywhere. Your skin is like a huge organism or whatever. Anyways, if you lose a good amount of weight it can take 6 to 8 months for your loose skin to tighten up and get used to your new physique. But it will stay loose if you keep on losing weight. It will start to tighten when you maintain or slowly gain pure muscle. I would recommend a caloric surplus of 200-250 calories max.

kimdawnhayden

I've never heard of fat redistribution. I know some ladies that would totally take advantage of that.

cwolfman13

Orphia wrote: »

Does your remaining fat "redistribute" after losing weight, or is that a myth?

I know fat doesn't move around, but if you're at a low but healthy BMI, after hitting maintenance and continuing to exercise, does body recomposition mean you gradually have less problem areas?

What's the relationship between recomp and genetics, with respect to layers of fat and/or accumulations in a certain area?

I've never heard of this...

Re-comp is basically a bi-product of good livin'...eating well and getting your fitness on...doing the things the lean and fit people do. Re-composition is basically slowly adding some muscle mass while burning fat. It's a slow process. I've been in maintenance for three years and in that time I've lost about 2-3% BF and put on about 5 Lbs of muscle...I weigh basically the same, but I'm leaner at that same weight.

ARGriffy

Orphia wrote: »

Does your remaining fat "redistribute" after losing weight, or is that a myth?

I know fat doesn't move around, but if you're at a low but healthy BMI, after hitting maintenance and continuing to exercise, does body recomposition mean you gradually have less problem areas?

What's the relationship between recomp and genetics, with respect to layers of fat and/or accumulations in a certain area?

My body has changed shape an awful lot whilst maintaining, and some of that was with no exercise at all. My hips have come out, my arms are more shapely too and I'm the exact same weight! I don't know if it's fat moving around but something definately happened!

hekla90

If you are doing weight lifting and staying active your body fat percentage and size of muscles can change (aka recomping). Fat won't move around though unless you get lipo or injections. I have a pretty low body fat and I still have my genetic predispositioned fatty areas despite resistance training and doing cardio (especially my upper arms and saddle bags lol they're small but all fat!) though fortunately none of them are disproportionate or noticeable to anyone but me. I'm happy with how I look and not dedicated enough with my current job to put in more effort to get down to competition level of fitness/body fat/muscle building.

Christine_72

I hope my fat redistributes back to my boobs!!

Gisel2015

ChihuahuaMeme wrote: »

When you reach a certain age your skin will not shrink back and become smooth and firm as your youth. I have lose over 100 lbs and I am 69 and have loose skin all over. I look really good in clothes so I don't care. The only one that is going to see my loose skin is my doctor and the undertaker.

I agree with you. I only had 12 lbs to lose and even if things look better, they will never be like when I was younger (I am older than you). Fat stays put where ever it wants to be, even at a low weight.

Even with a lot of strength training skin doesn't bounce right back, elasticity and collagen diminished a lot, and it is not that easy anymore to develop muscles once we became super senior citizens. Oh well, at least I am healthy and I also look decent with clothes on.

Elise4270

Hey @Orphia ! I've been at the same weight +/-3 pounds for the last 3+ years. Its a bit frustrating not losing scale weight. I have changed shape. I have a butt, my clothes fit better and I have some definition in my legs, and clavicles.

I bought a BF scale hoping I'll see some of the numbers change.

Good luck girl! I know you'll succeed!

sympha01

I've been in maintenance for about a year too, and my shape has continued to change for the better (more defined facial features, abs, legs, bust leaning out and tightening up). Some of that could be unrelated to weight loss (e.g., I'm middle-aged so hormones; I only started working out 3 years ago after a lifetime fitness history of ZILCH so all kinds of stuff could still be adjusting there). But mostly I think it's the weight loss. Like my body is still trying to figure out where to store things.

ARGriffy

Christine_72 wrote: »

I hope my fat redistributes back to my boobs!!

Oh I can only dream!

hcdo

Man, that would be awesome if it would redistribute itself to my boobs and butt instead of my stomach and cankles! Stupid fat.

bfanny

I'm very hard on myself and ONLY focus on my problem area (lower abs pouch) but each year my clothes from last year (summer) are bigger from all over, despite being around the same weight...I'm shrinking!!!
Thanks to lifting/cardio & a small deficit

Gamliela

Is the problem that there is still a small layer of flab under the skin or is it actually skin rolls that have shriveled up and wrinkled because they have no fat or muscle behind them?

Do you think this is because the weight was lost too quickly?

Do you think its caused by a lot of water weight lost?


For those who have seen this improve over years, as some have said it has, what do you think made the improvement?

gothchiq

I've had no luck with loose skin tightening, but then again, I'm only a couple years short of fifty. I have given up on that and contented myself with not being fat.

Hornsby

Here is my theory. As we gain weight and are inactive, our core and abdominal area are the least used. I believe most accumulate more fat there, and it happens most to the most sedentary. Our legs and arms still get worked pretty often just from everyday movements.

I think the reason it is the last to go for most is because that is where there is the most fat to begin with. So you may lose it at the same rate as the rest of your body, but since there was the most there to begin with, it's not really the "last to go", it's just the last area that still has fat.

Once you remove it and decide to add fat back on through a bulk or what have you, you aren't adding fat the way you did when you were just inactive and overeating, now you are on a training plan and exercising regularly. So in my opinion, no, the fat won't go on the same way as you lost it. It'll go on more evenly.

Obviously this is very dependent on one's training.

Does that make sense? Typing on my phone from the target parking lot isn't ideal.

Gamliela

It make sense, yes, but its my arms and thighs that seem to have the most jiggly flab after losing 30 pounds, not the abdominal area. So idk? I still have about 10 to 20 to lose to get back to where I started before gaining I think. I lost it fairly quickly and maybe some was edema as I now eat a lot more protien less carbs where before, mostly carbs.

RoxieDawn

I kinda disagree with the the fat gain in ab and core area because we do not use them when we become less active.

I theory fat accumulated in the lower body is mainly subcutaneous, while fat in the abdominal area is largely visceral. Where fat ends up is influenced by several factors, including heredity and hormones.

girl_inflames

ChihuahuaMeme wrote: »

You don’t actually “lose” fat cells, you “shrink” or “empty out” fat cells because the fat inside is used for energy. Any fat that is used makes the cell shrink but the fat cell is always there waiting to fill up and increase in size if you overeat your calorie input. They don't move but you can add more elsewhere.

That's a depressing thought...those damn fat cells will always be lurking