My tips for eliminating subcutaneous fat

[Article updated on 19/09/2023]

How to eliminate subcutaneous fat? Subcutaneous fat is an energy reserve stored by the body in the event of excessive caloric intake as part of a sedentary lifestyle. Most of the time, it accumulates in the abdomen, chest and buttocks. When a person has excess subcutaneous fat, there is no increased health risk. But this type of fat causes the muscles to remain hidden under the skin. Reducing subcutaneous fat is therefore important for fitness professionals and those who want to achieve a more toned figure.

To eliminate subcutaneous fat effectively, you must first understand the causes of its appearance and exclude them from the list of your daily habits. At the same time, training and sports, while accelerating fat burning, are not as effective as is often believed. In this article I will show you what fat under the skin is and what are the best methods to remove subcutaneous fat.

What is subcutaneous fat?

There are several types of body fat in the body: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat are the largest classes. Each type of fat is associated with a different health risk. Fortunately, subcutaneous fat is the least dangerous. Subcutaneous fat is the type of fat that accumulates under the skin. It is formed from the endocrine system and is under the influence of leptin.

Unlike visceral fat, subcutaneous fat is not linked to some of the classic conditions associated with obesity, such as heart disease, cancer and cerebrovascular disease (stroke). Some studies even suggest that subcutaneous fat may have a protective function. When a person has a high percentage of subcutaneous fat, it is not visible under clothing. But subcutaneous fat is noticeable in a swimsuit. For these reasons, subcutaneous fat can become an aesthetic problem.

Subcutaneous fat: who is affected?

Several factors underlie the formation of subcutaneous fat. Among these are:

• sex,
• age,
• body fat percentage,
• the amount of physical activity practiced,
• increased sensitivity to certain hormones.

The areas most commonly affected by subcutaneous fat vary between the sexes. In men, subcutaneous fat is concentrated in the face, neck, shoulders and especially in the abdomen above the navel. In women, on the other hand, fat mass is concentrated in the hips, buttocks, thighs and abdomen.

Significant physiological changes tend to promote the accumulation of subcutaneous fat. These include, among other things, a drop in estrogen in women and testosterone in men. This type of change causes an increase in insulin resistance.

Why eliminate subcutaneous fat?

From a medical perspective, the presence of a relatively high amount of subcutaneous fat does not represent a significant health risk. Removing fat under the skin is unlikely to have any additional benefits for your body.

Removing fat under the skin is important for those who want to have a muscular and toned body. When body fat percentage is 20-25% in men and 25-35% in women, muscles are not visible.

In contrast, visceral fat is associated with an increased risk of coronary events, heart attacks, and cardiovascular disease. If you want to improve your health, you should focus on eliminating visceral fat, not subcutaneous fat.

Tips for eliminating subcutaneous fat

To eliminate subcutaneous fat, the most important thing is to change your eating habits. This will allow you to quickly eliminate fat under the skin. This will also ensure that your results are maintained over time. Here are 7 tips or tricks to eliminate subcutaneous fat.

#1Limit the consumption of simple carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are sugar and other refined carbohydrates. By consuming them, blood sugar levels rise and make fat burning processes impossible. In addition, they induce hormonal changes that favor the accumulation of this type of fat. Reducing sugar, honey and sugary foods is therefore the first step to eliminate subcutaneous fat.

#2 Eat more vegetables and fiber-rich foods

Eating foods containing plant fiber like vegetables and whole grains lowers the glycemic index of foods. But do you know what that means? Carbohydrates will release your energy gradually and generate a response even with moderate insulin levels. This will allow you to regulate your energy, reduce your appetite and not increase the percentage of subcutaneous fat due to excess food.

#3 Follow a low-carb diet or do intermittent fasting

The low-carbohydrate diet and intermittent fasting are two dietary methods indicated for eliminating subcutaneous fat. The first is to reduce carbohydrates to slightly lower than normal levels. Intermittent fasting is a method that involves restricting eating times. Both rely on the same thing: reducing blood sugar in order to induce lipolysis. Lipolysis allows fat to be used as an energy source.

#4 Do cardio

Although cardio is a good method for eliminating subcutaneous fat, its intensity and duration should not be overestimated. When running at very high speeds or for very long periods of time, if you are not prepared, you can generate a reverse rebound effect. For example, excessive running increases cortisol levels. You will feel very stressed and your body will crave sugary foods, thus spoiling the results. To eliminate fat under the skin, practice moderate sport then gradually increase your performance.

#5 Sleep well

When it comes to losing weight, sleeping well is beneficial but remains overlooked by many. Studies have shown that people who sleep only 6 hours a day tend to have a higher fat percentage than people who sleep 7 to 9 hours a day. If you want to eliminate subcutaneous fat, you need to rest between 7 and 9 hours a day. Otherwise, your brain may try to replenish the missing energy through food.

#6 Do sprinting and functional training

Sprinting or doing functional training at least 3 times a week is ideal for burning subcutaneous fat. These types of workouts not only help you burn significant amounts of calories, but also strengthen your muscles (which are under the skin). If you are a beginner in the sport, be sure to do them under the supervision of a trainer.

#7 Reduce your calories

The central dogma to eliminating any type of body fat is to reduce your calories. If your daily calorie balance is positive, it is very unlikely that you will lose both subcutaneous and visceral fat. So make sure to reduce your consumption of soda, sugar tea and junk food. These are sources of empty calories. They provide almost no nutrients, only energy. When the goal is to eliminate subcutaneous fat, these foods are your enemy. Replace them with foods containing complex carbohydrates or fruits.

How to eliminate subcutaneous fat effectively?

The winning strategies are those that involve losing both types of fat. Before embarking on any diet or sporting activity, it is important to consult your doctor. A program that can eliminate this much hated fat and help us lose weight should include at least a low-calorie diet.

Ensure the quality of food consumed

A low-calorie diet must have a good dose of protein (20% minimum). As is often pointed out, it is not only the quantity, but also the quality of the foods that we introduce with the diet that determines whether we lose weight or not. Protein contributes to achieving a faster feeling of satiety while an excess of carbohydrates promotes the appearance of metabolic syndrome, diabetes as well as the accumulation of visceral, abdominal and subcutaneous fat.

Choose and practice the right physical exercises

You will need to choose adequate physical exercises. Aerobic and cardio fitness exercises are preferred. These are exercises such as running, swimming and climbing that also work the heart. The more intense the workout, the better the results. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a way to increase aerobic exercise to burn fat. It includes short periods of physical activity followed by periods of minor activity.

For example, a HIIT routine might include running for 1 minute, followed by 2 minutes of walking, then 2 more minutes of running or another high-intensity exercise, such as jumping rope and weight training. Strength-based exercises such as weightlifting burn little or no fat. But muscles burn calories, so building muscle is one way to boost metabolism. People with more muscle (lean body mass) burn more calories, even at rest.

Keep stress away

Chronic stress causes the continuous release of a hormone called cortisol. This hormone is capable of slowing down metabolism and compromising weight loss. Additionally, those experiencing severe stress often tend to seek out sugary foods high in carbohydrates to ease anxiety. But this undoes all previous efforts.