Fat loss: where from?

Hi,

It is common knowledge that you cannot 'spot-reduce' - that is, burn fat from specific areas by doing resistance training (although in my opinion exercising a specific, fatty area will help because you'll burn the stored glycogen and stop it from turning to more fat).

But I was wondering how your body (or more accurately heart and lungs) decides where to break down fat from when it has no other energy source available.
Many people find that after months of cardio they're losing from some areas more than others and that they're shedding a much higher proportion from their thighs, for example, than their initial targer (e.g. love handles).
Similarly, you often see women at the gym who spend hours on the cross trainer and unforunately are still draggin' a helluva wagon but have since become flat chested (nature's a bitch).

I think we can be sure that the physiological process of fat shedding isn't random, and it certainly doesn't follow the same pattern for everyone, so if anyone could contribute their knowledge on what governs the body's decision, I'd be interested.
 
your heart and lungs don't decide where to burn fat ... they both contribute to metabolic processes, but not fat distribution.

The answer you're looking for is plain and simple (while really complex) ... which is genetics. The same reasons why some people are ectomorphs while others are mesomorphs and others endomorphs ... why some people's bicep cover more of their arm or why everybody has a different shaped chest and millions of other little things.

If you really want to know the in depth knowledge behind it all, you would have to go to university ;) even then i dont think you'll find a 100% answer.
 
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