Where Do You Lose Weight First? Doctors Explain The Factors At Play, Including Genetics

Gender and age also contribute to where people tend to hold on to pounds.

The scale doesn't indicate which part of your body lost weight when you lost it. However, you might have noticed that your t-shirts fit a little differently or that your jeans feel looser around the hips. However, where do you start to lose weight in reality? In a nutshell, it's complicated and somewhat personal.

There isn’t a universal solution for weight gain or loss. Some people gain or lose weight in their thighs, hips, or belly first; others may experience a linear shift in weight to or from the chest. Alternatively, you can feel a sudden release of weight from your face and neck. But the truth is that you can't always control where fat loss occurs, even if you try to target certain areas for weight loss with so-called belly fat-busting or butt and thigh workouts.

◾Factors That Impact Where You Lose Weight First

⦁Genetics

Dina Peralta-Reich, MD, an expert in obesity medicine and the founder of New York Weight Wellness Medicine, asserts that genetics have a major influence on obesity and weight loss. "Several genes linked to a genetic predisposition for obesity have been identified by doctors, and family history supports this idea as obesity patterns frequently occur in parents, siblings, and even extended family members like aunts and uncles," the doctor adds. Research indicates that the distribution of fat in your body is primarily determined by your genes and environmental variables. Therefore, you might have a similar inclination to your mother if she likes to lose weight in her arms and chest first.

⦁Age

According to Dr. Peralta-Reich, fat distribution corresponds with reproductive requirements when women approach the childbearing age (in their 20s and 30s) and frequently stays around the hips and butt. Then, she continues, women experience perimenopause or menopause when they approach their 40s and 50s, which lowers their estrogen levels. She continues, "This decline in estrogen is also accompanied by an increase in fat accumulation, with the fat accumulating mostly in the arms, breasts, and abdomen."

⦁Biological Sex

Based on the types of fat they contain and circumstances related to childbearing, men and women tend to lose weight differently, according to endocrinologist and Vous Vitamin co-founder Romy Block, MD. For instance, compared to men, women often have higher levels of subcutaneous fat, or fat that deposits directly beneath the skin. According to Dr. (  Let's lose weight in 7 days) Block, women usually lose weight overall but hang onto it in their thighs and hips, whereas males usually lose weight initially in their stomachs. Because they don't have the same hormonal fluctuations as women, men usually lose weight more quickly, according to Dr. Peralta-Reich.

◾What’s the difference between visceral and subcutaneous fat?

Dr. Peralta-Reich explains that fat can be divided into two different categories: visceral and subcutaneous. "Visceral fat is located deep within the abdominal cavity and envelops essential organs, carrying substantial health implications," the author notes. "A variety of health problems, such as high blood pressure, elevated blood lipid levels, heart diseases, elevated blood sugar, fatty liver conditions, stroke susceptibility, and an increased risk of some malignancies, have been associated with its accumulation.”

According to Dr. Peralta-Reich, subcutaneous fat, on the other hand, is located directly beneath the skin and contributes to the look of the abdomen area.(  Let's lose weight in 7 days) She says, "This kind of fat can be reduced with regular exercise and the adoption of a health-conscious lifestyle." Nevertheless, she notes that subcutaneous fat is a normal part of the body and that having some quantity of it is quite normal.