It kicks in to preserve and store fat for future energy. Research shows that this happens because the human body has evolved to value storing fat and energy and to interpret a shortage of calories as sign of distress.
This phenomenon is called “starvation mode,” and while your body isn't actually starving, it will naturally hold onto whatever calories it receives in an effort to help you maintain your energy balance.
It responds to insulin by converting excess blood sugar to lipids and storing them away for future use. Sex hormones partly determine where fat is deposited in your body.
Both your genetics and environmental factors can affect your body's relationship with fat. Genetics can determine your body shape and how you store fat, while environmental factors like your diet, exercise routine and the amount of stress you're dealing with can also affect the kinds of fat you collect.
You may not be maintaining a calorie deficit or you could be doing too much of one type of exercise. Reach out to a healthcare provider if you are feeling stuck and need help developing a more effective weight loss plan. They can help determine the reason for your plateau and help you get back on track.
If you're asking yourself, “Why am I gaining weight when I barely eat,” several factors may be at play. Your body may be holding onto fat stores if your eating habits are inconsistent or restricted. Or, your weight gain may be the effect of a sedentary lifestyle, medical condition, or long-term stress.
Fat is stored in the body in different compartments. The two main compartments are subcutaneous (under the skin) and visceral or abdominal (around the internal organs). You may also hear the term ectopic fat, which is when fat “overflows” into other tissues, such as the liver, pancreas and muscles.
One reason belly fat is so hard to lose is that it's considered an “active fat.” Unlike some fatty tissue that simply sits “dormant,” belly fat releases hormones that can have an impact on your health — and your ability to lose weight, especially in the waist and abdomen areas.
The first and most important reason why you are not burning fat is because you are eating too many calories. Plain and simple the only way to lose body fat is to be in a caloric deficit. You need to be expending more calories than you take in. A lot of this has to do with calories that you don't notice.
The article highlights five homemade morning drinks that assist in losing belly fat by enhancing metabolism and promoting fat burning. These beverages include honey-infused lemon water, jeera water, buttermilk or chaas, cinnamon tea, and green tea.
Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.
Genetics determine your body shape and how your body stores visceral fat. But environmental factors such as diet and exercise play a key role as well. A poor diet with high intake of fatty foods and carbohydrates (sugars) and an inactive lifestyle provide the building blocks for an increase in visceral fat.
Estrogen is one of the leading hormonal causes of thigh fat because it causes increased levels of fat cells which cause fat deposits to form in and around the thighs. Age can also be a contributing factor because aging results in a slower metabolism, which makes it more difficult to eliminate fat.
Muscle helps keep up the rate at which you burn calories (metabolism). So as you lose weight, your metabolism declines, causing you to burn fewer calories than you did at your heavier weight. Your slower metabolism will slow your weight loss, even if you eat the same number of calories that helped you lose weight.
Reduce Your Health Risks
Obesity increases your risk for many health problems. Losing the extra weight can help eliminate those health problems or lower your odds for them. Weight loss can reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol. It can also slash risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and osteoarthritis.
Regular exercise is especially effective in reducing visceral fat and preventing it from coming back. Even though you cannot change your genetics, hormones or your age, you can reduce your risk of disease by: being physically active for at least 30 minutes most days. eating a healthy diet.
Muscle weighs more than body fat
A pound of lean muscle mass and a pound of body fat tissue might weigh the same, but they take up different amounts of space. This means that muscle and fat may look the same on the scale, but they'll look different on your body.