Does your remaining fat "redistribute" after losing weight, or is that a myth?
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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.2
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Christine_72 wrote: »I hope my fat redistributes back to my boobs!!
Oh I can only dream!0 -
Man, that would be awesome if it would redistribute itself to my boobs and butt instead of my stomach and cankles! Stupid fat.2
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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
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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?0 -
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.
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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.5 -
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.1
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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.2 -
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
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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.
Me too! My arms and thighs still feel flabby and huge even after almost 40 pounds lost. My tummy I can now live with but my arms and thighs drive me insane! I'm wondering if weight lifting would help. I really don't want muscle definition, but I want the flab gone!!2 -
girl_inflames wrote: »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
That's why there is CoolSculpting! Not for me.. just saying..
I am way too old to worry about this kind of stuff now, I managed to do quite a bit with body recomp, and I keep plugging away at it and what what I can't build in muscle will just have to stay there! LOL3 -
I keep trying to shove these fat cells from my belly to my butt but no such luck
LOL 6 -
girl_inflames wrote: »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.
Me too! My arms and thighs still feel flabby and huge even after almost 40 pounds lost. My tummy I can now live with but my arms and thighs drive me insane! I'm wondering if weight lifting would help. I really don't want muscle definition, but I want the flab gone!!
Lost battle for me. I have bat wings. If I flex, you can hardly tell that they are there, and I have some muscle definition... but they haven't gone anywhere.
For what it's worth, I've gained 5 pounds or so since I started maintaining 2 years ago but I've lost a couple inches in my waist and hips (my problem areas) since.4 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I hope my fat redistributes back to my boobs!!
Right?!?! One of only two bummer effects of my weight loss. (the other being genetics/what happens to your skin as you age and lose weight thing)0 -
girl_inflames wrote: »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
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You will revert to a smaller size applie, hour glass, pear shape, or whatever you were previously,2
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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!)
Women in definite particular have the strong genetics for where their fat accumulates. "She got it from her momma" - 100% truth. In my family, even the women in size 0 have tendency to have bigger arms. On my dads side, no one has any behind!
I'm one of those people - I think - who seems to have a muscular build and I build muscle easily and quickly.
Those people who seem "mismatched" would still have the same general shape if they were totally normal BMI and normal body fat %. I think distribution is all genetics, with the exception of abdominal obesity.2 -
girl_inflames wrote: »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
But their souls are sad and empty...just like we like them4 -
I just kept walking and my gut tightened up, my bust perked up, and I looked much better. My naive feeling was that the fat physically wasn't there any more, so the cells had to tighten up. It was like after I had my kids. But looks great now.0
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