You have been working out and eating the right foods, but there is still this stubborn fat in a particular area of your body that has refused to come off no matter what you do. Considering all things, there is a physiological difference between stubborn fat and regular fat. This is a complicated subject. But don’t sweat it, here’s a quick explanation of the stubborn fat ‘thingy’ and how to get rid of it.
THE SCIENCE OF STUBBORN BELLY FAT
The fat cells of your body have various kinds of receptors for various purposes. You can look at each receptor as a lock, with the keys being hormones and neurotransmitters. A certain reaction takes place when a key is fit into a lock. In the same way, a certain reaction occurs when hormones and neurotransmitters interact with these receptors.
The 2 types of receptors you should be concerned with at the moment are the alpha-2 receptor and the beta-2 receptor.
The alpha-2 receptors are the bad guys - hinder the burning of fat, while the beta-2 receptors on the other hand accelerate the burning of fat. The fat cells of your body have both of these receptors and their ratio will determine the fat-burning rate of your body.
If your body has more alpha-2 receptors than beta-2 receptors, then the more difficult it will be for your body to burn fat. On the other hand, the more beta-2 receptors you have, the easier it will be for your body to burn fat.
So, what’s with the stubborn fat regions? It’s because they have more alpha-2 receptors than beta-2 receptors. More still, you can’t just convert alpha-2 receptors to beta-2 receptors because you’re born with a certain distribution of these receptors. As you probably know, the stubborn fat areas seem to be the butt, thighs and hips of women, and the love handles for men.
HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THIS STUBBORN FAT?
When it comes to burning off stubborn fat, the best thing to do will be to restrain the alpha-2 receptors, as you activate the beta-2 receptors. However, the problem is that both the alpha-2 receptors and beta-2 receptors make use of the same key. The “key” in this scenario is the hormone catecholamines. Catecholamines consist of the fight-or-flight hormones, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Your body in response to any type of stress produces these hormones. However, for this article, we are only interested in the type of stress you can induce yourself, which is exercise.
Technically, every type of exercise produces catecholamines. But short intensive exercises are the most effective at producing this hormone.
The question you’re probably asking right now is how to inhibit alpha-2 receptors, while still making sure the beta-2 receptors are active. The answer is simple – low insulin. This shouldn’t be surprising, as insulin has been known to play a major role in everything involving weight gain or loss. One thing to remember here is that this is a very sensitive process. Even the slightest rise in insulin level can negate the whole process and hinder you from burning off any stubborn fat.
By sticking to a low-carb diet or intermittent fasting, you can attain low insulin levels (as regards burning fat). If you choose to take on a low-carb diet plan, then your daily carb intake ought to be less than 20% of your total daily calorie intake for at least 4 days, before you can start burning off stubborn fat effectively. If you prefer the intermittent fasting route, some experts advise that anywhere between 12 -18 hours is best for burning off stubborn fat.
Blood flow is another important factor that affects the burning of stubborn fat. Generally, the flow of blood to the stubborn fat regions is on the low side, and without proper blood flow, you won’t be able to get the required hormones (catecholamines) into the stubborn fat regions to mobilize the fat. So, how do you increase the blood flow into these regions? Exercise can help, however, your 2 best bets are intermittent fasting and using a waist trimmer like the Shred Belt.
Finally, the one aspect that many individuals looking to get rid of stubborn fat overlook is what they need to do after mobilizing the stubborn fat. You don’t want to go through all the trouble of mobilizing your stubborn fat only for it to be restored to those areas. What you need is exercise. Exercise will keep your blood flowing, thereby moving the fat out of your bloodstream for good. You don’t have to exercise hard at this point – all you need is just a little sweat to keep your blood flowing.
IN SUMMARY
To get rid of stubborn fat, you have to inhibit your alpha-2 receptors by keeping your insulin level low. You can do this by taking on a low-carb diet plan or intermittent fasting, whichever suits you best.
Catecholamines are what bind your fat cells to the alpha-2 receptors and beta-2 receptors. You have to perform high-intensity exercises to stimulate your catecholamines.
Stubborn fat tends to have poor blood flow and this is what prevents the necessary hormones from getting to the receptors on fat cells. Low carb diet, intermittent fasting and the Shred Belt will help increase the blood flow into these areas.
You have to exercise at moderate levels to prevent your mobilized fat from getting back into stubborn fat regions. The exercise will help keep your blood flowing, so you can be able to move the fat out of your bloodstream.
That’s just about it what stubbornness is and how to effectively get rid of it. However, remember that several other factors can contribute to your stubborn fat such as; stress, not getting enough sleep, lifestyle type and exposure to environmental pollutants and toxins.
REFERENCES
- Camps, et al. Weight loss, weight maintenance, and adaptive thermogenesis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2013;97(5):990-994. PUBMED
- Ibrahim, et al. Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue: structural and functional differences. Obesity Reviews. January 2010;11(1):11-18. PUBMED
- Silva, et al. Thyroid-adrenergic interactions: physiological and clinical implications. Thyroid. February 2008;18(2):157-165. PUBMED
- Reckless, et al. Alpha-adrenergic receptor activity, cyclic AMP and lipolysis in adipose tissue of hypothyroid man and rat. The Journal Of Endocrinology. March 1976;68(3):419-430. PUBMED
- Gormsen, et al. Estradiol acutely inhibits whole body lipid oxidation and attenuates lipolysis in subcutaneous adipose tissue: a randomized, placebo-controlled study in postmenopausal women. October 2012;167(4):543-551. PUBMED
- Pedersen, et al. Estrogen controls lipolysis by up-regulating alpha2A-adrenergic receptors directly in human adipose tissue through the estrogen receptor alpha. Implications for the female fat distribution. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. April 2004;89(4):1869-1878. PUBMED
- Lafontan, et al. Adrenergic regulation of adipocyte metabolism. October 1997;12(s1):6-20. PUBMED
