i've been cutting for almost 2 months now, i've seen both physical and psychological changes (not that im crazy but i fell better, more confident). i know i am slowly losing fat because i am maintianing most muscle and my jeans are begining to feel a but loose. But the question i had was, that i am aware that the body takes fat deposits from all-over the body thus why some get upset when they dont see a difference, but i wanted to know why is it that the fat located around the stomach (on males) is the hardest place to actually begin to see a change?

i've been cutting for almost 2 months now, i've seen both physical and psychological changes (not that im crazy but i fell better, more confident). i know i am slowly losing fat because i am maintianing most muscle and my jeans are begining to feel a but loose. But the question i had was, that i am aware that the body takes fat deposits from all-over the body thus why some get upset when they dont see a difference, but i wanted to know why is it that the fat located around the stomach (on males) is the hardest place to actually begin to see a change?

Don't worry about it, you can't change it. It is a first on last off story. And think about it, you might have 2 inchs of fat on arm and 5 inches on leg, but many have 10-16 inches on waist.

No one knows for certain - it is a built-in genetic code. What research has shown is that when you cut calories from food, you mainly empty fat stores from visceral (internal) fat - the fat inside your muscle and surrounding organs. When you increase calories from exercise, you mainly empty fat stores from subcutaneous (beneath the skin) fat. This is why a combination of cutting calories and exercise is optimal for losing fat ... people who just diet and don't exercise still have what they claim is loose skin but it's really skin with a lot of fat underneath it.

I have a theory that hasn't been proven, but is based on observation from coaching obese and overweight clients for years now. I believe that fat stores are more related to center of gravity, and that the last fat to go is closest to your center of gravity. This is why women, who are more top-heavy than men, tend to store lower (i.e. saddlebags) because their center of gravity shifts from men, who store it closer to the love handles. If you see short people, or people with genetically larger legs, for example, you'll find the fat clusters at different places.

Another thing I've noticed is how you put on the fat makes a difference. When I put on fat from eating junk food, drinking heavily, and not exercising, it started below my chest and came all the way down to my love handles. In other words, I had a belly that started right below my chest.

When I've gained fat from eating clean and exercising but simply overeating, it's been uniform - barely noticeable. When I gain fat from stress, it is all centered around my love handles. I look like almost like an exclamation mark - I can have veins on my arms, striations showing, etc, even see the top part of my abs, but then there is the huge inner tube around my navel.

Jeremy

i've been cutting for almost 2 months now, i've seen both physical and psychological changes (not that im crazy but i fell better, more confident). i know i am slowly losing fat because i am maintianing most muscle and my jeans are begining to feel a but loose. But the question i had was, that i am aware that the body takes fat deposits from all-over the body thus why some get upset when they dont see a difference, but i wanted to know why is it that the fat located around the stomach (on males) is the hardest place to actually begin to see a change?

Another thing I've noticed is how you put on the fat makes a difference. When I put on fat from eating junk food, drinking heavily, and not exercising, it started below my chest and came all the way down to my love handles. In other words, I had a belly that started right below my chest. When I've gained fat from eating clean and exercising but simply overeating, it's been uniform - barely noticeable.

Wow... so it seems that fat gain differs in different ways... So when you gain fat by eating clean (bulking), you don't really realize you're getting fat because it's overall and not in one place?

I have a theory that hasn't been proven, but is based on observation from coaching obese and overweight clients for years now. I believe that fat stores are more related to center of gravity, and that the last fat to go is closest to your center of gravity. This is why women, who are more top-heavy than men, tend to store lower (i.e. saddlebags) because their center of gravity shifts from men, who store it closer to the love handles. If you see short people, or people with genetically larger legs, for example, you'll find the fat clusters at different places.

Another thing I've noticed is how you put on the fat makes a difference. When I put on fat from eating junk food, drinking heavily, and not exercising, it started below my chest and came all the way down to my love handles. In other words, I had a belly that started right below my chest.

When I've gained fat from eating clean and exercising but simply overeating, it's been uniform - barely noticeable. When I gain fat from stress, it is all centered around my love handles. I look like almost like an exclamation mark - I can have veins on my arms, striations showing, etc, even see the top part of my abs, but then there is the huge inner tube around my navel.

Jeremy

Without any real experience this makes complete sense with my observations. What I have also noticed is that the shapes of moderately fat people (say 30% BF) are dramatically different between people in different countries. At first I thought genetics, but after spending a bit more time in various places I conclude it is diet.

Here in the US in particular, moderately large women have a completely different shape than in Europe, and even within European countries there are noticable trends.

When I gain fat from stress, it is all centered around my love handles.

i remember reading this somewhere, that stress releases some kind of chemical within the body that produces fat..or some kind of process that works that way...

This is why women, who are more top-heavy than men, tend to store lower (i.e. saddlebags) because their center of gravity shifts from men, who store it closer to the love handles.

Women are more top-heavy than men? I think a woman's CoG is actually lower than a man's.

I have a theory that hasn't been proven, but is based on observation from coaching obese and overweight clients for years now. I believe that fat stores are more related to center of gravity, and that the last fat to go is closest to your center of gravity. This is why women, who are more top-heavy than men, tend to store lower (i.e. saddlebags) because their center of gravity shifts from men, who store it closer to the love handles. If you see short people, or people with genetically larger legs, for example, you'll find the fat clusters at different places.Very possible, and it makes sense too!What I have also noticed is that the shapes of moderately fat people (say 30% BF) are dramatically different between people in different countries. Using only two people as a subject pool I've found the same. I know two guys from India who are skinny but have bellies on them! Most north americans I know with a belly of that size would be considerably larger. These guys essentially have put all of their fat just into their bellies.

Women are more top-heavy than men? I think a woman's CoG is actually lower than a man's.


Thats what he meant - since women have more wieght higher on the body (eg: breasts) - they're center of gravity is lower and the fat tends to be stored in the hips and thighs.

Belly fat due to visceral fat has also been linked to insulin resistance, diabetes, etc. Some good article links (pointing to commercial science-type mags) are here:

http://qualitycounts.com/fppotbellies.htm

Thats what he meant - since women have more wieght higher on the body (eg: breasts) - they're center of gravity is lower and the fat tends to be stored in the hips and thighs.

More weight higher up moves your CoG lower?

1) Being "top-heavy" would move your CoG higher, not lower.
2) I don't think mosts women's breasts are as heavy as you've given them credit for.
3) Women's CoG is lower because of the different hip structure.

2) I don't think mosts women's breasts are as heavy as you've given them credit for.


I dunno - I've had a sister-in-law go through reduction surgery because the weight was reaking havoc on her lower back.....

Maybe I just surround myself with the larger ladies given my height. :whistle:


3) Women's CoG is lower because of the different hip structure.

I'll buy that. I guess it doesn't matter why - but I think we all agree the COG in ladies appears to be lower.

I wish I could figure out how to make my COG my chest instead of the tube around my midsection. lol :cool:

Let's talk about diet, since this seems to make the difference between fat people... Is there any food that when eaten in excess makes you store fat in a specific area? Can you list some of them? I've heard and read that alcohol makes you store more fat in the abdomen, true or false?

Fat loss can be weird.
I have noticed on myself that my legs and seem to be getting quite lean while my upper body seems like a smaller version of its former self.
I sorta remember how I got fatter, by looking at some old photo's.
First the fat went onto my midsection,love handles, then my chest, then butt, then the rest of my body.
And now losing it, it seems to go in the reverse order that it was put on.
im 99% sure that the fat around the midection will be the last to go.

I dunno - I've had a sister-in-law go through reduction surgery because the weight was reaking havoc on her lower back.....

Maybe I just surround myself with the larger ladies given my height. :whistle:



I'll buy that. I guess it doesn't matter why - but I think we all agree the COG in ladies appears to be lower.

I wish I could figure out how to make my COG my chest instead of the tube around my midsection. lol :cool:

I won't comment on exactly how heavy a woman's upper body is compared to their lower body, but just wanted to comment on the definitions that seem to be mixed up here (as I am an engineer).

The term "center of gravity" is equivalent to the term "center of mass". It is the point about which a body would rotate if some torque was applied to it. Basically, it is saying if you have an object, and try to balance it on a point, the point where it balances perfectly without falling in any direction is its "center of gravity/mass." So if a person is "top heavy", that is, having more mass higher up in the body, then it would shift their "center of gravity/mass" higher.

It is like having a stick that you balance on your finger. If the stick is perfectly uniform, then it would balance right in the middle. If you then tied a 10-pound weight to one end of the stick, you would have to have your finger much closer to the end with the weight on it in order to get it to balance, hence you have shifted the center of gravity/mass towards the heavier end.

So all that was just to say why a person who is "top-heavy" would have a higher center of gravity than a person who is "bottom-heavy." So if women tend to have a lower center of gravity then men (assuming equal height), then it would mean that they have more weight below their midsection than above it.

I hope my explanation was clear enough. If not, please feel free to ask for a better explanation.

And to make your wish come true about having your center of gravity being up at your chest instead of in your midsection, just wear a steel helmet all the time. (Or have solid steel plates implanted in your skull. I hear those are great in airports. ;) )

I've heard and read that alcohol makes you store more fat in the abdomen, true or false?

I'm not sure about where certain fats go, but I have witnessed serious "beer gut". Some heavy drinkers seem to be able to be very thin everwhere but right at their stomach.

I'm not sure about where certain fats go, but I have witnessed serious "beer gut". Some heavy drinkers seem to be able to be very thin everwhere but right at their stomach.

Just want to add here... I also realize that eating junk food, like chips and other stuff makes you gain noticable amount of fat in the mid-section area... :p

I'm not sure about where certain fats go, but I have witnessed serious "beer gut". Some heavy drinkers seem to be able to be very thin everwhere but right at their stomach.

This is why i hate my roomates, i have 3, they can all drink alot and eat pizza, and they wont lose thier pack..if they do all they do is intense ab workouts for a week and then thier ripped again...i hate them so

I'm not sure about where certain fats go, but I have witnessed serious "beer gut". Some heavy drinkers seem to be able to be very thin everwhere but right at their stomach.


The "beer gut" isn't all fat. I used to think it was that way as well, but my personal nurse (fiancee) told me it actually relates to alcoholism and liver function. I forget the technical terms, but it is a side effect of the poisoning of drinking, not just extra fat storage. The beer gut is often hard and not flabby.

This is why i hate my roomates, i have 3, they can all drink alot and eat pizza, and they wont lose thier pack..if they do all they do is intense ab workouts for a week and then thier ripped again...i hate them so

Check in on them in five years.

It all catches up with you eventually.

I had heard a theory on the Discovery Channel that it was a built in genetic code too. Males deposited their fat around the midsection to keep it out of the way of their arms and legs to they could perform their "task" of hunting better.
Women, on the other hand, stored fat around their thighs and hips to perform their "task" of reproducing better. I guess to better insulate the child they were having.
Like I said, it was just a theory and I found it to be interesting. :)

Check in on them in five years.

It all catches up with you eventually.

Yup... everything you do will eventually come back to you... But hey, look at the bright side, 5 years from now I bet they'll be wondering, "How to lose this gut?" while you in the other hand, had no such problem because of the knowledge you've obtain today... It's just a matter of time :tucool:

Yup... everything you do will eventually come back to you... But hey, look at the bright side, 5 years from now I bet they'll be wondering, "How to lose this gut?" while you in the other hand, had no such problem because of the knowledge you've obtain today... It's just a matter of time :tucool:

yeah i bet your right...ha its fun schememing against my roomates :whistle:

I don't think there's too much hard scientific evidence on the matter. But various studies suggest that alcohol, trans fats, and sugary + refined carbohydrates all promote fat storage around the abdomen (to a greater extent than other foods) as opposed to a more even distribution. I don't know to what extent they do this, but as a practical matter, I've seen some truth to this in my own life.

Let's talk about diet, since this seems to make the difference between fat people... Is here any food that when eaten in excess makes you store fat in a specific area? Can you list some of them? I've heard and read that alcohol makes you store more fat in the abdomen, true or false?