Many people wish to lose weight for various reasons, including health, sports performance, beauty, and the desire to keep up with their children or grandchildren. Many struggle to find enough time each week to fit in physical activities that will aid in weight loss. Fortunately, several studies indicate that dieting has a more significant and beneficial role in weight loss. However, physical activity does not have the same impact on weight loss as calorie restriction.
But where the weight will fall off initially is highly individual. There is little scientific evidence to imply that all people lose weight in specific regions first. Instead, men and women lose weight differently due to differences in fat composition and reproductive variables. [1, 2]
Fat Distribution and Factors Affecting It
- Genetics
Genetic factors mainly determine fat distribution in the body. According to a genetic study, women have a stronger association between genes and body fat distribution than men. For example, if your family members tend to develop weight in their hips and thighs, they may also gain weight there. Hereditary factors also influence weight loss. For example, if high-protein, high-fiber diets work for your parents, there’s a decent chance they’ll also work for you. [1, 2] - Age Factor
If a person has previously lost weight, they may already know where their body tends to display weight loss initially. The first apparent shift for some people may be at the waistline. Some women initially notice changes in their breasts or faces. Where a person first gains or loses weight is likely to shift as they age. Weight is stored around the midsections of both middle-aged men and postmenopausal women. According to research, postmenopausal women who combine exercise with a nutritious diet are likelier to lose abdominal fat. [1, 2] Hormones
Hormones play a significant role in weight loss. Estrogen (primary female sex hormones) may cause women to gain weight nearby the hips and thighs. Meanwhile, increased testosterone levels in males in their 20s and 30s help them gain muscle and burn fat. These hormone levels decrease with age, which is one reason both sexes gain weight around their midsections as they age. Additional hormones that influence weight include cortisol, insulin, ghrelin, and leptin. [1, 2]
Different Types of Body Fat
Essential: Vital fat is required for a functional and healthy body. It is at least 12 percent body fat for women and around 3 percent for men.
Subcutaneous: This is the type that is immediately beneath your skin. This stuff is mostly harmless, and some of it is even necessary.
Fat around the abdomen: Visceral fat is known as “invisible fat” because it hides between your essential organs and muscles, mainly around your belly. It is more hazardous than subcutaneous fat. It can increase your chances of having health issues such as cardiovascular disease (especially for women). [3, 4]
How Does Fat Loss Work?
Excess energy ingested-typically calories from fats or carbohydrate- is stored in fat cells as triglycerides that allows the body to save energy for future use. Over time, this excess energy leads to a fat surplus, impacting body shape and health. To lose weight, a person must intake fewer calories than they expend, known as a calorie deficit.
A daily 500-calorie deficit is a decent place to start to observe noticeable fat loss; however, it varies from person to person. For example, fats are released from fat cells and transferred to the energy-producing machinery of the cells in the body called mitochondria when a constant calorie deficit is maintained. [2, 3, 4]
Where Do you Start Losing Weight?
People frequently want to lose weight in the abdomen, hips, thighs, and buttocks. While spot reduction, or weight reduction in a specific location, has not been proven helpful, some people tend to lose weight in particular areas faster than others.
As stated above, genetic and lifestyle factors have a crucial effect on body fat distribution. Furthermore, if a person has a history of weight loss and weight gain, body fat may be distributed unevenly due to changes in fat cells over time.
Women tend to lose all over but retain weight in their hips and thighs. It may change around menopause when women’s fat distribution changes due to hormonal changes. Obese persons, regardless of gender, tend to shed weight first in their arms and legs. When it comes to defending weight, women outperform men. Women’s bodies are willing to struggle harder to retain fat, even after hours on the treadmill. [1, 4]
Men tend to lose weight first around their torsos. Obese men, on the other hand, tend to lose weight first in their arms and legs. Men also have a much easier time losing weight than women.
How to Burn Fat by Exercising?
By depleting glycogen stores, you “prime” your body for fat loss on days of intense exercise.
During high-intensity workouts, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), weightlifting, sprinting, or CrossFit, it is crucial to consume enough carbohydrates and protein. This will ensure that your body burns carbohydrates effectively while preserving muscle mass.
Suppose you want to incorporate cardio into your exercise routine in order to burn fat. In that case, you must perform cardio after a high-intensity workout, as your body will have depleted its glycogen stores and shifted into fat-burning mode. [1, 2]
Lifting weights or performing other types of high-intensity workouts are ideal for fat burning because your body will continue to burn fat even after you’ve stopped exercising. Cardiovascular exercise, on the other hand, only burns fat during the exercise session. Limit HIIT workouts to no more than 30 minutes for maximum fat burning.
To burn fat, you can also incorporate low-intensity workouts into your routine. On days when you perform low-intensity workouts (such as jogging, cycling, or weightlifting with long rest periods), avoiding carbohydrates and excessive fat can help your body burn fat instead of muscle. A low-intensity workout forces the body to rely on lipolysis (fat breakdown) for energy instead of sugar fuel from carbs.
On low-intensity days, experts recommend consuming less than 20 percent of your daily calories from fat. You should also maintain a heart rate between 105 and 125 to prevent your body from entering “high intensity” mode. [3, 4]
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Reference:
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/333182-what-parts-of-the-body-lose-fat-first/
- https://phenq.com/blogs/weight-loss/order-fat-loss-youll-notice-first
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/weight-loss-stages
- https://whitecoattrainer.com/blog/where-do-you-lose-weight-first
- https://www.ketotrim.co
- https://www.greencoffeeplus.co
