Why Stubborn Fat Accumulates on Your Belly, Thighs, and Buttocks

It seems like no matter how much you exercise or what diet you’re on, the stubborn fat on your belly, thighs, and buttocks just won’t go away. Genetics most likely dictates where most of your fat accumulates, although women tend to store fat in the hips and thighs, in addition to the belly and buttocks.

At Tahoe Women’s Care, we know how frustrating stubborn fat can be, and we’re here to help you understand some of the things that cause it and what you can do to eliminate pockets of stubborn fat for good.

Menopause can cause stubborn fat

The stubborn fat found on your hips, abdomen, and buttocks can result from the drop in estrogen that occurs during perimenopause and menopause. As your body ceases its child-bearing years, it redistributes the fat stores to your midsection, creating what is often referred to as a muffin top.

An unhealthy diet can result in extra fat

When you eat a diet filled with processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugary drinks, it results in stubborn fat on your abdomen, hips, and buttocks. These types of foods lead to insulin resistance, which leads to increased fat storage, ending in fat that’s hard to lose.

Refined carbohydrates, especially sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, can lead to stubborn fat, and there’s a direct link between eating these sweets and developing belly fat. Be aware of drinking sweet beverages -- including sodas, bottled iced tea, and flavored coffees that are high in sugar and high-fructose corn syrup -- lowers your body’s ability to burn fat and decreases your metabolic rate.

Eating trans fats may also lead to an increase in abdominal fat deposits. Sometimes called partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats are artificial fats that food companies use to enhance flavor and longevity of prepackaged foods.

Chronic stress can lead to stubborn fat

When your stress levels are high, your body releases the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol prepares the body to deal with the stressor by inciting the flight-or-fight response. But when you’re under chronic stress, cortisol levels build up in the blood, leading to the development of visceral belly fat, the kind of fat that forms around the midsection and creates an apple shape.

Yo-yo dieting can lead to more fat

Yo-yo dieting refers to the process of losing weight while dieting and then gaining it back again. When you lose weight, you lose some muscle along with the fat, especially if your protein intake on the diet isn’t adequate. But when you regain the weight, unless you’re also strength training, the weight you put on is mostly fat. In this way, you end up with a higher body fat percentage, whether it’s in your belly, thighs, buttocks or elsewhere.

CoolSculpting eliminates pockets of stubborn fat for good

While losing stubborn fat feels impossible, we offer an easy solution at Tahoe Women’s Care. At our office, you can get CoolSculptingⓇ treatments to get rid of your stubborn fat permanently.

With cutting-edge fat-freezing technology, we use cold temperature to target unwanted fat on your belly, thighs, and buttocks -- and other areas -- destroying it. As the fat cells die, your body removes them via your lymphatic system over time, leaving you with smoother curves, a slimmer profile, and less fat.

Since CoolSculpting permanently destroys fat cells, and then your body removes them, the cells don’t regenerate and you’re left with less fat. As long as your weight doesn’t fluctuate, your results remain permanent. If you do gain weight, however, the remaining fat cells can become larger.

When you’re tired of the constant struggle to lose stubborn fat that just won’t go away, consider CoolSculpting. We’ve seen amazing results and happy patients who love the way their bodies look. Give our office a call or use the convenient online booking tool.