- Subcutaneous vs. Visceral Fat
- What is the difference between subcutaneous fat and visceral fat?
- Exercises
- 4 exercises to lose subcutaneous fat
- Comments
- More
Subcutaneous fat is much more stubborn and harder to lose. Learn about the difference between subcutaneous fat vs. visceral fat
Subcutaneous fat, while not as dangerous as visceral fat, is much more stubborn and harder to lose.
Also called soft fat, subcutaneous is the layer of fat located just under the skin. You can feel it by just pinching your skin.
What is the difference between subcutaneous fat and visceral fat?
Subcutaneous fat
Subcutaneous fat provides energy to your body during high-intensity exercises. It acts as an insulation to protect the body from temperature changes and external trauma.
Subcutaneous fat plays a role in weight loss by producing two hormones, leptin and adiponectin. Leptin acts on the brain to control hunger, while adiponectin improves the sensitivity of fat to insulin and prevents diabetes. However, too much fat disrupts the body’s hormonal balance.
Visceral fat
Visceral fat lies deep within the abdomen and envelops organs, such as the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys, as well as muscles and bones. It cannot be measured as easily as subcutaneous fat. However, a protruding abdomen that is hard to touch and not squishy usually indicates an excess of visceral fat. Though some amount of visceral fat is necessary, too much puts you at the risk of lifestyle disorders, such as high cholesterol levels, hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes.
Visceral fat is typically the first to go away when you start losing weight. You can lose this kind of fat through diet and exercises that help you shed excess pounds. When your calorie intake is less than the number of calories burned, you will lose visceral fat first.
4 exercises to lose subcutaneous fat
If you want to lose subcutaneous fat, you will need to keep doing the activities that help you lose fat regularly. Along with physical activity, calorie restriction is essential.
- Aerobic exercises: These exercises help you lose overall fat, including subcutaneous fat. Examples include brisk walking, running, swimming and jumping rope. To reap the maximum benefits of aerobics, perform these exercises with greater intensity and for a longer duration.
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT): HIIT involves performing short bursts of high-intensity activities followed by a short resting period or low-intensity activities. For example, you can do mountain climbers for one minute followed by one minute of brisk walking. This kind of exercise strategy helps you lose subcutaneous fat quickly.
- Strength training: Exercises that improve muscle strength and muscle mass do not directly contribute to weight loss or fat loss. More muscle mass means that you burn more calories even when you are resting.
- Stress management: Sometimes, you may follow the right diet and right exercises to lose weight and still not get the desired results. This may be because of stress. Chronic stress stimulates the release of the hormone cortisol, which can hamper efforts to lose weight. Managing stress can help you lose stubborn fat.
QUESTION
Weight loss occurs in the belly before anywhere else. See Answer References
Image Source: andriano_cz / Getty Images
El-Zayat SR, Sibaii H, El-Shamy KA. Physiological process of fat loss. Bulletin of the National Research Centre. 2019 Dec;43(1):1-5. https://bnrc.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s42269-019-0238-z
FAQs
Unfortunately, subcutaneous fat is harder to lose. Subcutaneous fat is more visible, but it takes more effort to lose because of the function it serves in your body.
How hard is it to burn subcutaneous fat? ›
Subcutaneous fat, while not as dangerous as visceral fat, is much more stubborn and harder to lose. Also called soft fat, subcutaneous is the layer of fat located just under the skin.
What is the best way to lose subcutaneous belly fat? ›
The best way to lose subcutaneous fat is by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You can lower your subcutaneous fat level by focusing on a fat-burning diet and exercise plan. In addition, getting enough sleep and keeping stress at bay are important for losing subcutaneous fat.
Which fat is hardest to remove? ›
The abdomen is one of the most stubborn areas for fat and can be challenging to reduce. There are many reasons for this. First, abdominal fat tends to be more visceral than subcutaneous (or “belly” fat). This means it's located more profoundly in your body, around internal organs such as your liver and kidneys.
Will walking reduce subcutaneous fat? ›
One of the most effective ways to reduce belly fat is to regularly take part in aerobic exercise, such as walking ( 19 , 20 ). In one small study, women with obesity who walked for 50–70 minutes three times per week for 12 weeks, on average, reduced their waist circumference and their body fat.
Does sweating burn subcutaneous fat? ›
Sweating itself does not burn fat. Fat loss occurs when the body burns stored fat for energy, which happens through a calorie deficit created by consuming fewer calories than the body requires. Sweat is simply a byproduct of the body's thermoregulation process and does not have any direct effect on fat loss.
Does fasting burn subcutaneous fat? ›
Though intermittent fasting may improve weight loss, it is often due to the loss of subcutaneous fat (this also holds for liposuction) and not visceral fat loss. Recent research states that visceral fat often becomes resistant to fat breakdown during intermittent fasting.
Does drinking water help lose subcutaneous fat? ›
Water plays an important part in busting fat so that you can burn it as energy. When you stay hydrated, your body is able to break fat down continually as your body needs more fuel. Limiting your water prevents your body from shedding weight.
How do I know if my belly fat is visceral or subcutaneous? ›
Subcutaneous fat is fat that's stored just beneath your skin. It's the kind that you can pinch between your fingers. Visceral fat is different. Visceral fat is behind your abdominal muscles and can't be seen.
How to get rid of apron belly? ›
To remove the pannus, a doctor may recommend a panniculectomy. This procedure helps remove the excess skin and fat deposits that comprise the pannus. A person may want to combine a panniculectomy with a tummy tuck.
Visceral fat makes chemicals and hormones that can be toxic to the body. Visceral fat produces more of these toxic substances than subcutaneous fat, so it can be more harmful to your health. Because of this, visceral fat carries a range of health risks for everyone.
Which part of the body is the easiest to lose fat? ›
Nevertheless, people's face and neck are the body parts that lose weight first when diet dominates. You will begin to see the reduction in face and neck fat when you are a bouquet of losing weight.
Is loss of subcutaneous fat aging? ›
Loss of subcutaneous fat is a common feature with advancing age (Sepe and others 2011). Although visceral fat is associated with worse metabolic phenotypes in younger individuals, the maintenance of adipose tissue seems to be beneficial in old age, sometimes independently of its location.
