Body Fat Loss: Where Do We Lose It From?

I hope by now, we all know that you can not spot-reduce body fat. That is, when you have a net loss of subcutaneous (fat that is under the skin) body fat, it comes from all over the body. Additionally, you will have a loss of visceral fat (fat that is under the abdominal wall, in between abdominal organs). Some studies suggest that with exercise training, especially high-intensity training, there is a greater loss of visceral fat.



I have been tracking the body fat loss of many clients and wanted to share how the body fat changes. This data is from a 47 year-old female client who I have been tracking since January 20th of this year. Here body weight decreased from 146 pounds to 135 pounds. Her body fat decreased from 27.9% to 21.3% (measured by skin-fold thickness). Interestingly, here is how the decrease in body fat was distributed:

Tricep: -23%
Hip: -35%
Thigh: -29%

The measurements confirm that you will not spot reduce, and the loss is equally distributed over the body. We did not measure visceral fat, but it very likely decreased in proportion as well. The net result is less body fat everywhere and more muscle tone!