I was wondering if your body gets whatever is considers the “low hanging fruit” first and would remove visceral fat last.

If so are there targeted diets for that specific fat?

  • spiffy_spaceman@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    No. You cannot target areas to lean out. This also holds for exercise: doing sit-ups will not burn the fat off your abs. The fat will also not necessarily come off evenly. Sometimes it does, sometimes the saddlebags stay until the bitter end even when your ribs are clearly visible. Genetics does play a role, but it can be dealt with.

    (I’m a trainer and physiologist and helping people to lose fat is something I do.)

    • angrystego@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      It’s true that doing sit-ups won’t help you target your belly fat, but it does make your abdominal muscles stronger and more able to keep your belly from protruding, so in effect it can make your belly look much flatter even without losing the fat.

      • spiffy_spaceman@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Agree: for most people, the beer gut is more pronounced because of the laxity of the front abs (also causing a hyper extended spine which causes back pain), it’s not all just fat. So, proper training and strengthening of the abs will help pull those things back in line, but won’t do much for burning off fat.

        • RedAggroBest@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          also causing a hyper extended spine which causes back pain

          I’m a massage therapist for context. If I had a dollar for every client I’ve had that I wish I could tell “Your back would feel better if you had any strength in your abs and something more than a Hank Hill ass” I’d be able to afford a very long vacation

    • otp@sh.itjust.works
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      10 months ago

      It’s so confusing when the OP puts opposite questions in their title and their post.

      I just read the title, then saw your comment, and was confused why you said “No” then explained how the answer is “yes”. Then I read the post to see OP mixed things up, lol

        • Exocrinous@lemm.ee
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          10 months ago

          Estrogen causes distribution of fat to move from visceral to subcutaneous. That’s the reason “beer bellies” are usually seen on men, and why women usually have a “softer” or curvier physique. For overweight trans people, fat distribution can be a source of dysphoria. A lot of trans women are upset to have big bellies, and a lot of trans men are upset to be curvy. Hormones will change a person’s fat distribution in a couple of years. The matter of where under the skin subcutaneous fat settles, though, isn’t changeable by hormones.

          • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
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            10 months ago

            Interesting. Is there a specific estrogen that causes that? I know that I used to get Arimidex (an aromatase inhibitor) from my doctor along with my weekly testosterone cypionate shot to block the aromatization into estradiol.

            I know that excess estradiol levels can do other weird things in men too, like gynecomastia.

          • RBWells@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            Plenty of women put on belly fat too though. Most of us aren’t the hourglass type. I do understand what you are saying though, thanks.

            • Exocrinous@lemm.ee
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              10 months ago

              Belly fat is a combination of visceral and subcutaneous. Even if you mostly have subcutaneous fat, a lot of that can still be on the belly. The difference is that visceral fat is among the organs and contributes to organ failure risk. It’s also below the tummy muscles. Subcutaneous belly fat is above the tummy muscles. This is why a man’s belly is more likely to be hard, while a woman’s belly is more likely to be soft.