What's the word on squishy fat and whooshes?

I'm unsure of the actual research/data. It seems mostly anecdotal. I have experienced this personally. I don't get the squishy fat that is often described, but in a deficit my fat will get soft and hangy-like it's melting. I won't lose for awhile and then I'll drop pounds suddenly at once.

I haven't read the popular Lyle McDonald article on it recently but from what I remember there really isn't much research/science to back it up. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I think everyone acknowledges that the effects people experience are real - I'm just not sure science has a consensus on the why. It is definitely true that weight loss is not linear; sometimes, you'll go several weeks without losing weight, and then lose a bunch at once. Some people report their fat feels different (i.e. squishy) right before a loss. These are documented and all true.

Whether the phenomenon that your fat cells empty and fill with water before the "whoosh" actually happens has not been scientifically proven, to my knowledge. It could very well be true, but I don't believe we have the research to back that up at this point.

However, I don't really think that it's imperative for us trying to lose weight to understand why it happens. We just need to know that if we are truly in a deficit, not lying to ourselves, and tracking accurately, the weight will come off. More some weeks than others, and not linearly. I think the reason for the whoosh is irrelevant.

The jury is still out I guess.

Fascinating though!

arditarose wrote: »

I have experienced this personally. I don't get the squishy fat that is often described, but in a deficit my fat will get soft and hangy-like it's melting. I won't lose for awhile and then I'll drop pounds suddenly at once.

I've experienced this as well. I typically whoosh in a noticeable way once a month. I'll have occasional, tiny movements between major whooshes. I also have the melty fat phenomenon. At the moment, my thighs kind of exhibit that, so I'm hoping for another whoosh on the scale or in measurements soon.

I think the problem with proving this scientifically is that you can't really take fat cells and observe them through a loss cycle outside of the body. Or, at least no one's really tried and recorded it.

Personally, considering the number of people who seem to confirm this idea, I think the theory holds weight.

Squishy people, I have a question for you. Do you get squishy and then have a big loss and then are not squishy until right before the next big loss? I am just perpetually squishy in the stomach at this point so I don't think my squish is the same as the article's squish.

ManiacalLaugh wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

Squishy people, I have a question for you. Do you get squishy and then have a big loss and then are not squishy until right before the next big loss? I am just perpetually squishy in the stomach at this point so I don't think my squish is the same as the article's squish.

For me - sometimes. It's hard to tell, especially if my skin hasn't quite caught up to my loss yet.

Are you sure your squishiness isn't loose skin? It could be fat (impossible to tell from just a profile picture), but I know abdominal skin doesn't like to rebound as quickly as some other areas. Plus "squishy" is such a relative term.

@ManiacalLaugh

Nah, as much as I wish otherwise, I still have a lot of fat in that area. I lose from every spot but there, it seems. I just put a picture in my profile so you can see what I mean. I have a loathsome "mother's apron" hiding under my clothes.

jemhh wrote: »

ManiacalLaugh wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

Squishy people, I have a question for you. Do you get squishy and then have a big loss and then are not squishy until right before the next big loss? I am just perpetually squishy in the stomach at this point so I don't think my squish is the same as the article's squish.

For me - sometimes. It's hard to tell, especially if my skin hasn't quite caught up to my loss yet.

Are you sure your squishiness isn't loose skin? It could be fat (impossible to tell from just a profile picture), but I know abdominal skin doesn't like to rebound as quickly as some other areas. Plus "squishy" is such a relative term.

@ManiacalLaugh

Nah, as much as I wish otherwise, I still have a lot of fat in that area. I lose from every spot but there, it seems. I just put a picture in my profile so you can see what I mean. I have a loathsome "mother's apron" hiding under my clothes.

I think the "squish" everyone is talking about is more like a CHANGE in the amount of squish you have, know what I mean? Like, I think I've experienced this because sometimes I feel like my fat is, I don't know, softer? than normal, even compared to at a higher weight, and then I'll drop a couple pounds and notice that it goes away again and everything is firmer, but if I keep losing it sometimes happens again.

Obviously this is completely anecdotal and I have no idea if I'm imagining it, but still.

ManiacalLaugh wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

ManiacalLaugh wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

Squishy people, I have a question for you. Do you get squishy and then have a big loss and then are not squishy until right before the next big loss? I am just perpetually squishy in the stomach at this point so I don't think my squish is the same as the article's squish.

For me - sometimes. It's hard to tell, especially if my skin hasn't quite caught up to my loss yet.

Are you sure your squishiness isn't loose skin? It could be fat (impossible to tell from just a profile picture), but I know abdominal skin doesn't like to rebound as quickly as some other areas. Plus "squishy" is such a relative term.

@ManiacalLaugh

Nah, as much as I wish otherwise, I still have a lot of fat in that area. I lose from every spot but there, it seems. I just put a picture in my profile so you can see what I mean. I have a loathsome "mother's apron" hiding under my clothes.

The smilies. X)

Yeah, I see what you mean. That might be true. It's still hard to tell, but it does look like squishy fat. Which is unfortunate for me as well because I have a similar thing going on... except I've never had kids. XS

Lol I couldn't resist the smilies. Did you carry most of your weight right in front too? My dad's side of the family seems to carry all excess weight that way and I inherited it. Never have I thought "wow my thighs/hips/butt are getting a bit wider" but I have thought "I am thick. Not sexy woo woo thick or dumb thick. Literally thick."

jemhh wrote: »

Squishy people, I have a question for you. Do you get squishy and then have a big loss and then are not squishy until right before the next big loss? I am just perpetually squishy in the stomach at this point so I don't think my squish is the same as the article's squish.

I'd say that my skin will look "melty", then I'll drop weight, then it will look...better. It's hard to pinpoint it exactly but I believe I start looking a little tighter after the whoosh. I don't get the squishy fat as described in the article though..more droopy/soft/generally weird looking fat lol.