Is belly fat really the last to go?

chrisbeavers311

This is copied from an article on the subject but I think it provides the best answer.

First of all, your body stores fat in your midsection (your abdomen, hips or buttocks) due to basic biomechanics. The midsection of your body is the best place to store extra energy because it takes less energy to carry it around. Remember, fat storage is a survival strategy, so your body wants to maximize energy efficiency in the creation, storage and use of body fat.

It wouldn't make sense to have a lot of extra fat on your fingers and toes because you'd have to swing those around when you moved and that would require extra caloric expenditure. So given that your body wants to store fat as a way to have portable energy, it makes perfect sense that it would prefer to store that fat in your midsection.

Secondly, from an anthropological point of view, the placement of body fat also has some implications for mate selection. This is especially true in women, where fat is stored in locations like the hips, buttocks and breasts to actually create a more attractive physical body in order to attract a potential mate. In this way, the fat is stored in predetermined locations on your body for much the same reason that a male peacock has brightly colored feathers -- it's part of the mating game, so to speak. Exaggeration of physical traits is a common evolutionary strategy for mate attraction in primates, including humans. And body fat can be used cosmetically to pursue this strategy.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/006981_abdominal_fat_body.html#ixzz2sPzeEu9N

silken555

I've always lost back and belly fat first. Arms are the last unfortunately, as far as seeing big changes. But I think that it's just that I see the dramatic changes in those areas first, because measurements prove that I lose in all areas steadily, when I'm keeping with the program.

Same for me...except my arms do lose slower based off measurements.

Your body type does play a roll in where you'll be more predisposed to lose first.

silken555

I'm glad it's not just me that's struggling to get rid of that last bit of belly fat! But after raving reviews about hula hooping I'm buying a weighted hula hoop have heard they get rid of the fat on the belly and tone it up went to buy one today and had sold out I really want one and think it will be fun aswel as effective

You can't spot reduce so you'll lose in that area when your body is ready to lose it.

I'm sure it would help strengthen your core though and will more than likely be tons of fun...:)

callowaymk5

I have started this process about a month ago and notice areas toning except my belly!
I do focus T25 and insanity 2 times a week and weights 2 days a week
High protien low carb/sugar diet
I feel great

TheITCrowd1

Unfortunately for me, it is....It is the absolute LAST place that I lose weight. And the FIRST place that I put it on! Booo!

Ever heard of the mysticak chinese dish Chin2Fat? thats the last place - if your belly can't store anymore it starts to shift up to your boobs and chin / neck area! nothing worse

JazminGowdy

I always lose it there first. My thighs are the last to go!

Same here!

SoDamnHungry

Depends on the person. I never have stomach fat. My love handles, on the other hand, won't budge!

coopersmom2006

For me yes. It's been a 2 year journey to getting healthy and yesterday I saw the first glimpse of ab definition. It's also the first place I gain when my diet is crap. **sigh**

HugeBum

Belly fat is the first to go for me, which is quite surprising considering I'm a pear shape, I guess my body hangs onto fat in the bottom half a lot more than top half.

usmcmp

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach

sportyredhead01

Yes.

And it's stubborn as hell.:mad:

I'm on my second year of really trying to get rid of it.
I attempt to eat as little junk as possible and low carb but it's determined to hang on for dear life.

I wish I could lose it from my middle like I lost it from my face/neck. :drinker:

SarahBeth0625

YES, for me. If I start gaining (even water weight), my belly is the first and only place it shows. I watch my diet and cut even just the water weight out and I'm back down 3 lbs and my abs look better. My belly is kind-of my "guide" on how I am doing with my diet.

123Pari

Hi

In some cases it depends on the person. Do you do a lot of cardio? When we do cardio our body releases a stress hormone-cortisol. doing a lot of cardio will release a lot of cortisol.

If you do cardio everyday, maybe reduce it to 2-3 times week and add in a day of yoga or heavy lifting.

If you want to give me some more details of what exercise you do and how often then i might be able to give you some more advice

Also, are you under a lot of stress? how many hours of sleep do you get? all this info helps....

obrientp

I feel like even after I will die and been dead a couple of years, I'll still have my stupid goo pouch under my belly button!

TheITCrowd1

I feel like even after I will die and been dead a couple of years, I'll still have my stupid goo pouch under my belly button!

The only way to melt that is to excercise as many muscle groups in your body as often as you can

Mine only started to go when i started BJJ - which is pretty extreme x

littleburgy

I would think the area of fat that's last to go is the one you are more likely to store weight in the first place.

I've never carried much weight in my waist. The fat on my thighs have clung to dear life to the very end, though.

skittle316

I agree with people who say it's first in, last out. During my 10 year weight gain, I gained fat in my belly(muffin top) first, second on my thighs and last on my back. It's been 5 months, and i've lost like 65lbs. I still feel the same until I look at my body. I've lost the most fat on my back, now my legs are starting to loose fat more noticeably. It sucks because I look so disproportionate. My muffin is 37 inches, but my hips are 40 and my waist is 31. So i'm hoping the last 20lbs comes off the tummy.

holliebevineau

I will probably always have the FACA ( FAT ABOVE COOCHIE AREA).

caracrawford1

Not for me. It was the first to go and last on. Boobs for me are last.

RHachicho

For most men the last place to go is the abdomen and gut area. For most women it is the bum and thighs. I hear this an evolutionary process. As the fat in these areas is near our center of gravity. Therefore carrying fat in this area restricts our ability to move the least and is most easily supported and carried by our bodies.

caitconquersweight

In my experience, yeahhhhhh. I've toned up and visibly lost a lot everywhere except my stomach and hips. I have lost inches there, but I guess I'm just holding onto a lot more fat there. It's annoying.

115s

Not for me, I lost weight evenly throughout my entire body

Bree92489

How long did it take to reduce your waist
From 45 to 27? Any tips?

Bree92489

65lbs in 5 months ? How?

RHachicho

65lbs in 5 months ? How?

Can be done. But unless you are very very obese it is next to impossible to lose this fast in a healthy manner. Remember weight in the body has a kind of metabolic gravity. The higher it goes up the faster it wants to go down. It takes a truly shocking amount of food to get someone to the can't walk around because they are so fat stage. Even at my heaviest. Where I was literally eating just what the hell i liked. I never got near immobility. It's why I pity those people so much I mean my problems where bad enough. I hate to think about what kinda self hatred could force people to just ... stuff themselves all day long. It can't even be about greed anymore. If they just ... stopped and ate when they where actually hungry the weight would probably start falling off them. On the other end of the scale you see catwalk models going to lipo to get rid of the last half a lb to end up looking even more like skeletons. Because their bodies simply refuse to let go of their last reserves of fuel.

jrline

It goes along with the other but toning is the hard part. Sit ups and crunches are what I am doing to try to get the last of mine gone.

stevencloser

It goes along with the other but toning is the hard part. Sit ups and crunches are what I am doing to try to get the last of mine gone.

You're gonna do those for a very long time. Cause spot reduction doesn't work.

nilbogger

Not true for me. It's the last to come on and the first to go. I carry most of my weight in my hips, thighs and butt. This is true for many women. Men tend to carry more weight in the midsection.

Unknown

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BuddhaMom74

Not for me! it was the first to go.. I am rally middle heavy though.. I think they call it apple.... So besides my best girls my belly fat is going... Everyone is Diff!

For me too! Apple here as well...I've always said the bad thing about this body type is that when I gain weight it's all in my middle, but the thing I like about this body type is that when I lose weight, it all goes from the middle!