It’s happened to nearly everyone—one morning you wake up, put on your bra, and notice that there are rolls of fat sticking out from underneath your undergarments that weren’t there before. If you’re a woman struggling to fight this, don’t fret—an estimated 60 percent of American women struggle with excess body fat, which can manifest as back rolls.1 Women may notice that their back fat is more pronounced than the average man’s because the band of a bra has the tendency to exacerbate this area, making it more noticeable.
The good news is that the solution may be in your kitchen! Ben Claypole2, founder of high-performance gym City Atlantic, revealed that one of the most significant factors that contribute to women developing back fat is overconsumption of carbohydrates and processed sugar.
Why is back fat so stubborn?
Why do we get back fat, and why is it so difficult to get rid of? According to Claypole, carbs are typically the primary culprit. Insulin, the hormone that is responsible for shifting fat to the back area, has its production triggered when we eat carbohydrates. As a result, people who eat too many carbohydrates regularly have their bloodstream flooded with insulin, which converts calories into back fat.
“Back fat tells us if we are resistant to carbs or not. This is a great indicator of how our body is responding to the carbs that we are eating… People with a carbohydrate-heavy diet have to rely on their natural stores of insulin to knock down their blood sugar levels regularly. In turn, the body will store over-consumed carbohydrates in this area – as well as above the hips.”
So, if you have excess fat localized on your back, it’s time to hit the gym and do hundreds of Russian twists…right? Unfortunately, it’s impossible to target fat reduction—the only way to fight back fat is to lose weight overall by cutting down on carbohydrates and increasing your activity levels.
Looking better, feeling better
The benefits of losing weight go far beyond what you see in the mirror. Studies have connected maintaining a healthy weight with decreases in chronic pain, the severity of symptoms related to depression, and combatting systemic inflammation. Working out and taking back control over your health is empowering, and can help you feel more energized and motivated to take on your goals.
Getting started with keto
Do you need to cut down on your consumption of carbohydrates? Getting started with the ketogenic diet, which focuses on consuming filling fats and proteins while limiting carbs, may be able to help you lower your insulin and reduce back fat. For more information on the ketogenic diet, check out So Nourished’s basic guide to keto.
NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
The content on this website should not be taken as medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. We provide nutritional data for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. We use Total Keto Diet app software to calculate the nutrition and we remove fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol, from the total carbohydrate count to get to the net carb count, as they do not affect your blood glucose levels. You should independently calculate nutritional information on your own and not rely on our data. The website or content herein is not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any disease. This website shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on the Website or actions you take as a result. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.
Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.
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- Can Going Low-Carb Fight Back Fat? - December 4, 2018
