Why Belly Fat Is Harder to Lose

Is your belly your problem area? Perhaps you’ve been eating well, exercising, and noticing a difference on the scale. Yet, that difference doesn’t seem to be translating to your abdomen.

This phenomenon can be so discouraging that you might postulate that belly fat is harder to lose – and then laugh at yourself for such a seemingly ludicrous thought.

It’s not ludicrous, though. In fact, research shows that belly fat is unique in its resistance to weight loss.

Causes of Belly Fat

When trying to lose belly fat, one of the most obvious plans of attack is to spend more time moving, cut back on the beer/wine, and replace potato chips with broccoli. A sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption, and an unhealthy diet are three huge contributors to weight gain around the belly.

Unfortunately, some of us are genetically prone to carrying more fat around the abdomen. Then there’s the whole challenge of aging (sound familiar?). The body’s ability to convert food into energy declines. And for women, the added hormonal changes after menopause often shift primary fat storage to the abdomen.

It’s not…. ideal.

Understanding Why Belly Fat Is Harder to Lose

For most of us, subcutaneous fat is the type of fat that’s creating that bulging abdomen. This is the fat that sits beneath the skin but above the muscle. You can pinch it.

Yes, you can lose subcutaneous fat with diet and exercise. But here’s the thing. Fat cells throughout the body have beta receptors that are responsible for lipolysis. This is the metabolic process that breaks down stored fat in the cells and turns it into energy. For some (possibly cruel) reason, abdominal fat cells have fewer beta receptors so they’re slower to process.

Beyond that, there is another type of fat that could be contributing to some of that bulge. And that is visceral fat. Where subcutaneous fat is mostly benign (if not annoying), visceral fat can be dangerous. It accumulates around internal organs within the abdominal cavity and can encase important organs like the liver, pancreas, and intestines. It’s often referred to as “hidden” fat because it exists deeper than subcutaneous fat.

Addressing Belly Fat with Plastic Surgery

If it’s stubborn subcutaneous fat that you can’t seem to eliminate, then liposuction is often the top recommendation. It works by surgically removing those beta receptor-light fat cells.

Through tiny incisions in the areas you’d like to target, a board-certified plastic surgeon inserts a narrow tube called a cannula. The cannula is connected to a surgical vacuum or syringe. The surgeon manipulates the cannula to disrupt fat cells, which are then suctioned out of the incision.

Although it is a surgical procedure, liposuction is a fairly simple way to remove excess fat from the belly. It’s important to note, however, that liposuction cannot remove visceral fat but only the superficial layers of fat tissue. Diet and exercise are the best ways to remove visceral fat.

Another more complex way to approach stubborn belly fat is with an abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck. With this procedure, the ultimate goal is to flatten the lower abdomen. The patient is put under anesthesia and a board-certified plastic surgeon makes an incision about 4-8 inches long in the lower abdomen.

From there, he or she may tighten loose muscle, remove flabby skin, and/or possibly use liposuction to remove excess fat. If there is excess skin, it will be trimmed and laid flat. Depending on where and how much excess skin is in the area, this can potentially remove stretch marks too. Bonus!

Give Up the Battle of the Bulge

If your continued dedication to diet and exercise isn’t giving you the results you want, it’s because belly fat is harder to lose. It’s as simple as that.

So, if you’re ready to consider plastic surgery as an option for ridding yourself of that ‘problem area,’ contact us today.

During your consultation, you’ll have a chance to share your woes with a board-certified plastic surgeon and chart a plan for victory over that bulge!