Do you ever feel like you’ll never get rid of that stubborn side fat or muffin top no matter how many sit-ups you do? It’s not just you—certain areas of your body are predisposed to store fat cells that are impervious to the effects of diet and exercise.
The distribution of fat throughout your body is established early in life, determined by factors like genetics, gender, physical activity level, and calorie intake. Your body’s total number of fat cells stays the same for life, and while diet and exercise can increase or decrease their size, you cannot completely lose fat cells once they’re created.
For example, if your body is predisposed to hold more fat cells in your belly and abdomen, you’ll likely have more fat in these areas for your entire life. Even the most intense diet and exercise routines have little effect on these fat deposits and their distribution—you might be able to shrink the fat cells, but they’ll still be present in these problem areas, retaining the pudgy or flabby shape you see outwardly. Genetics are responsible for the most exercise-resistant parts of your frame.
Subcutaneous Fat vs. Visceral Fat
There are two different types of fat cells: subcutaneous and visceral. Subcutaneous fat is the visible, pinchable fat located directly under your skin, while visceral fat cells are stored within your abdominal cavity, surrounding your vital organs. Visceral fat is often referred to as “active fat” because it can actively increase your risk of serious weight-related medical problems. Losing visceral fat is good for your health and longevity, but losing the stubborn subcutaneous fat is what will help you slim down and fit into smaller clothes.
What Causes Subcutaneous Fat?
All individuals have some amount of subcutaneous fat in their body, but genetics, physical activity, and eating habits play into how much. Subcutaneous fat is primarily caused by eating more calories than you burn, getting limited aerobic exercise, and having low muscle mass.
Subcutaneous fat is one of the main ways your body stores energy—in order to lose some fat, you must burn that energy in the form of calories. Exercise routines that increase your heart rate, like high-cardio fitness classes, interval training, and aerobics, are best for burning calories and reducing the size of your subcutaneous fat cells, but remember that some areas will always be genetically resistant to exercise.
Minimally Invasive Fat Removal Procedures
If you’ve tried every workout and diet plan on the market to no avail, a minimally invasive fat removal treatment could give you the results you want. Cosmetic procedures like Belle Medical’s HD Body Sculpting treatment allow both men and women to permanently remove subcutaneous fat tissue, eliminating fat in exercise-resistant problem areas forever. Our treatments involve no cutting, ripping, general anesthesia, stitches, or hospital stays—patients can look forward to a quick recovery and long-lasting results.
Remove Stubborn Fat Deposits with Belle Medical
Belle’s team of expert Provider/s will work with you during a free consultation to determine which areas of your body are best for minimally invasive fat removal. If you’re struggling to achieve your ideal body shape through diet and exercise, schedule a free consultation today and say goodbye to exercise-resistant fat forever.
McKay has a love and passion for health and physical aesthetics. He went to Utah State on a full-ride academic scholarship, majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Exercise Science and Sports Nutrition. McKay is currently the CMO of Belle Medical, a competitive bodybuilder, and a Certified Personal Trainer and Dietitian. When he’s not reading up on the latest breakthroughs in health and fitness research, he’s working hard to set trends of his own. Most importantly, McKay truly believes that with proper eating habits, training, and the right medical interventions (a la Belle Medical), no physique or personal body goal is out of reach for ANYONE.