December 8, 2022

Why Stubborn Fat Can Remain Despite Diet and Exercise

Losing weight can improve your health and reduce your overall body size, but it does not always change every part of your body equally. You may lose several pounds and still notice fullness around the abdomen, waist, back, upper arms, or thighs. Your clothes may fit better in one area while remaining tight or uneven in another.

This does not necessarily mean that your weight-loss efforts have failed. Weight loss and body contouring address different concerns. Understanding the difference can help you determine whether you should continue focusing on overall weight loss or consider treatment for a specific area.

 

Why Does Fat Come Off Unevenly?

• Genetics
• Age
• Hormonal changes
• Biological sex
• Pregnancy
• Previous weight changes
• Baseline body shape
• The amount and location of stored fat

Some people naturally carry more fat around the abdomen and waist, while others retain it around the hips, thighs, upper arms, or back. Even after successful weight loss, these differences in proportion may remain.

 

Can Exercise Target Fat in One Specific Area?

Exercise can strengthen particular muscles, but working one body part does not guarantee that fat will be lost from that same area. Abdominal exercises, for example, may improve core strength without selectively eliminating the layer of fat over the abdomen.

Nutrition, physical activity, adequate sleep, and medical treatment when appropriate can support overall weight reduction. However, the body still determines where stored fat is used.

If you are still working toward a healthier overall weight, a physician-guided medical weight-loss program may be more appropriate than cosmetic body contouring.

 

Why Might Clothes Still Fit Unevenly After Weight Loss?

Clothing fit depends on more than the number on the scale. Two people who weigh the same can have different body proportions and require different clothing sizes.

Clothes may continue to fit or drape unevenly because of:

• Localized fat around the abdomen or waist
• Fullness along the bra line or upper back
• Differences between upper- and lower-body proportions
• Loose skin after weight loss or pregnancy
• Cellulite that creates dimpling or an uneven surface
• Changes in muscle mass
• The sizing and construction of the clothing
• A combination of localized fat, skin laxity, and cellulite

For example, someone may lose weight throughout the body but retain fullness around the upper back. Our guide to bra rolls, back fat, and flank concerns explains why this area can be resistant to overall weight loss.

Before selecting a treatment, it is important to determine what is actually creating the concern. A treatment intended to reduce localized fat will not remove a large amount of loose skin, while skin tightening is not a replacement for overall weight loss.

 

Weight Loss and Body Contouring Are Not the Same

Weight loss is intended to reduce overall body weight and may provide important health benefits. Body contouring is intended to change the appearance or circumference of a particular area.

Non-invasive body-contouring procedures do not treat obesity and should not be expected to produce meaningful weight loss. According to the FDA, these procedures may reduce small amounts of fat, change the circumference of a treated area, or improve the appearance of certain concerns. Results vary, and more than one treatment may be required. FDA guidance on non-invasive body contouring.

Patients who want to lose a substantial amount of weight should generally address that goal before using cosmetic treatment for an isolated area. Patients who are already near a stable weight but have a measurable area of localized fat may be candidates for non-surgical fat-reduction treatment.

 

Is the Concern Localized Fat, Loose Skin, Cellulite, or a Combination?

Body-contouring concerns do not all have the same cause. A change in body shape, skin texture, or clothing fit may involve localized fat, loose skin, cellulite, or a combination.

Localized fat

Localized fat is a concentrated layer or pocket of fatty tissue that remains in a particular area despite changes in overall weight. Depending on its location and thickness, non-surgical fat reduction may be considered.

Loose skin

Loose skin may develop with aging, pregnancy, or significant weight loss. It may appear thin, crepey, folded, or less elastic. When skin laxity is the primary concern, a non-surgical skin-tightening treatment may be more appropriate than fat reduction alone.

Cellulite

Cellulite creates dimpling or an uneven surface, most commonly on the thighs, hips, and buttocks. It develops when connective bands beneath the skin pull downward while underlying tissue pushes upward, creating an uneven appearance.

Cellulite is not the same as excess fat. It can occur at many different body weights, including in people who exercise regularly. Weight loss may change its appearance for some people, but it does not necessarily eliminate it.

Depending on the severity of the dimpling, skin elasticity, and the area involved, treatment may focus on skin tightening, tissue texture, or a combination. Learn more about our cellulite treatments in Indianapolis.

Treatments intended to reduce fat, tighten loose skin, or improve cellulite address different tissue characteristics. Improvement in one concern does not guarantee improvement in the others.

A combination of concerns

Some patients have more than one concern in the same area. For example, the thighs may have localized fatty tissue, reduced skin elasticity, and visible cellulite. A combined treatment plan may be considered, or one concern may need to be prioritized.

A consultation should determine which tissue characteristics are contributing to the area before a treatment recommendation is made.
 

What Non-Surgical Treatments May Be Considered?

The appropriate treatment depends on the location and thickness of the tissue, skin elasticity, medical history, and the degree of improvement the patient expects.

Vanquish ME™ for the abdomen and flanks

Vanquish ME™ non-surgical fat reduction uses radiofrequency energy to treat broader areas of the abdomen and flanks without incisions or anesthesia.

It may be considered when a measurable layer of fat around the waist, abdomen, or love handles is the primary concern. A series of treatments is generally recommended, and improvement develops gradually.

At MD Wellness Center & Med Spa, Vanquish ME may be combined with Z-Wave acoustic-wave treatment as part of a customized body-contouring plan.

Exilis Elite® for localized concerns and skin laxity

Exilis Elite® skin tightening and body contouring uses controlled monopolar radiofrequency energy to heat targeted tissue. It may be considered when skin laxity, localized tissue, or a combination contributes to the concern.

At our practice, it may be combined with Z-Wave acoustic-wave treatment based on the treatment area and the patient’s individualized plan.

How Z-Wave fits into treatment

Z-Wave is a separate treatment that delivers acoustic waves to targeted tissue. At MD Wellness Center & Med Spa, we use it as an adjunct to both Vanquish ME and Exilis Elite treatment plans.

Depending on the patient’s concern, Z-Wave may be incorporated to support the treatment of body contour and uneven skin texture.

The treatment combination should be selected according to whether the area involves localized fat, skin laxity, cellulite, or more than one concern.
 

When Might Non-Surgical Fat Reduction Be Considered?

You may be considered for treatment when:

• Your weight is relatively stable
• You have a measurable layer of localized fat
• The concern is limited to an area that can be treated appropriately
• You prefer to avoid surgery
• You understand that improvement develops gradually
• You have realistic expectations about the degree of change
• You are able to complete the recommended treatment series

Treatment is not a substitute for nutrition, physical activity, medical weight management, surgery.

 

What Results Can You Realistically Expect?

Non-surgical body contouring is generally intended to produce gradual, modest improvement—not surgical-level reshaping.

Depending on the area and treatment selected:

• A series of sessions may be recommended
• Treatment is performed in the office
• You may experience warmth, pressure, or pulsing during treatment
• Most patients can return to their usual activities afterward
• Improvement develops gradually rather than immediately
• Some residual fat or loose skin may remain

The degree of improvement depends on the amount of localized tissue, skin elasticity, treatment plan, and individual response. Not everyone responds in the same way or achieves the result they initially envisioned.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I still have belly fat after losing weight?

Genetics, age, hormones, baseline body shape, and individual fat-distribution patterns can influence where fat remains after weight loss. Continuing to lose weight may reduce the area further, but it is not possible to guarantee where the body will lose fat next.

Can body contouring help me lose weight?

No. Non-surgical body contouring is not a weight-loss treatment. It is intended to address selected areas of localized fat or skin laxity in appropriately selected patients.

Should I lose weight before having body contouring?

If you are planning substantial additional weight loss, it may be better to approach your goal weight first. Later weight changes can alter your proportions, skin elasticity, and the area you want treated. Patients who are already near a stable weight may be evaluated for localized treatment.

Will body contouring make my clothes fit better?

Reducing the circumference of a treated area may affect how some clothing fits, but this result cannot be guaranteed. Clothing fit also depends on body proportions, garment construction, muscle mass, skin laxity, and the amount of improvement achieved.

Does body contouring remove loose skin?

Fat reduction and skin tightening are different treatment goals. Some patients may benefit from skin tightening, fat reduction, or a combination. Significant excess skin may require a surgical evaluation.

 

Find Out What Is Causing Your Concern

If your weight is relatively stable but a particular area has not changed as expected, the first step is determining whether the concern involves localized fat, loose skin, or both.

Explore our non-surgical body-contouring options in Indianapolis or schedule a free consultation at MD Wellness Center & Med Spa. We will evaluate the treatment area, your general health, skin condition, and expectations before recommending a plan.

Call 317-548-4666 or text 646-362-1349 to contact our Indianapolis office.