When it comes to losing body fat, diets and exercise always comes to our minds, but there are some misconceptions that can make it harder. Burning fat can be impossible unless you know the common myths and the real facts about body fat and how to lose it the right way.
- Read more: Obesity
For most of us, body fat has a bad reputation, but has more functions in the body than we can imagine. Here are 5 important facts about body fat that may surprise you.
- Read more: Weight Loss
White fat stores energy and produces hormones that are then secreted into the bloodstream, but has a low metabolic rate. Basically, it comprises around 90% of all body fat and is calorie storage. In recent studies, scientists have found that lean people tend to have more brown fat than overweight or obese people. Brown fat is darker in colour and when stimulated it can burn calories, as in some animals that burn fat to keep them warm in the winter. Beige fat is somewhere between the first two types, because it is more metabolically active than white. Having big belly or waist is worse than big thighs and buttocks. Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, or deep fat, is more inflammatory and more responsive to the stress hormone cortisol. In other words, when you are stressed extra calories are stored in the belly, wrapping around inner organs and increasing the risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even dementia. Burning calories is not the same as burning fat. Actually, when we burn calories we burn them from everywhere, not only body fat – glycogen and blood sugar, or even muscles and other tissues. In order to burn the stored fat, you need to eat less, and exercise high-intensity interval training. You can also take some weight loss supplements as green coffee bean extract or raspberry ketones. Fat affects mood and emotions. Deep belly fat can increase the production of cortisol and inflammation, which causes various mood disorders. Low-fat dairy products and dark chocolate should calm the inflammation and the stress response. Cellulite is not a problem only for overweight people, but for skinny, too. Cellulite is caused by the so-called subcutaneous fat which is found directly under the skin and can be developed even while losing weight. You may have a low body fat and in the same time orange peel skin and cellulite. It can be removed, or rather masked by several treatments, but the best way is to build muscle tissue when losing weight. While men tend to accumulate fat in the belly, it’s no secret women, store it in their thighs and buttocks. Especially pear-shaped women are protected from metabolic disease compared to big-bellied people, according to studies. So, when you lose weight, what kind of fat do you shed? Most probably white fat, evenly all over your body. You can get rid of the visceral fat in the belly only by adding hard workouts to the calorie reduction.
