Once Fat...Forever Fat

The title of this article sounds really bad, I know. Especially if you just started a diet to drop those few extra pounds, hearing such a statement is not very promising.
But there’s some truth in it, so it’s better to be aware of it and take the necessary steps.
Let’s start by saying that there’s evidence that “Once Fat...Forever Fat”  it’s both truth on a physiological and psychological level...

Fat cells never disappear...

Have you ever wondered what fat is? When a person gets fat what is actually happening inside the person's body? What are "fat cells" and how do they work?
Fat is found in several places in your body. Generally, fat is found underneath your skin. There's also some on top of each of your kidneys. In addition to fat tissue, some fat is stored in the liver, and an even smaller amount in muscle.

Fat cells are formed in the developing fetus during the third trimester of pregnancy, and later at the onset of puberty, when the sex hormones kicks in.
Fat cells generally do not generate after puberty and as your body stores more fat, the number of fat cells remains the same.
Each fat cell simply gets bigger! This means that when you get fatter is because you store fat in the cells that already exists, increasing their volume (hypertrophy) rather increasing the cell number (hyperplasia).
You can think of a fat cell as a tiny plastic bag that holds a drop of fat.
This has been supported by a recent research conducted by a group of scientists of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory of the University of California. In said study the scientists applied carbon dating to DNA to discover that the number of fat cells stays constant in adulthood in lean and obese individuals, even after marked weight loss, indicating that the number of fat cells is set during childhood and adolescence. “Fat cells change in size but no one had ever measured fat cell turnover. An increase in cell size means it can hold more mass.” the research concluded.
In another study of 687 adults, the researchers found that number of fat cells increases in childhood and adolescence, but levels off and remains constant in adulthood.
The group looked at whether the number of fat cells changes under extreme conditions such as drastic weight loss by radical reduction in caloric intake, such as through bariatric surgery.
The treatment resulted in a significant decrease in BMI and fat cell volume; however, it did not reduce the number of fat cells two years after the surgery.
Similarly, significant weight gain (from 15 to 25 percent) over several months in non-obese adult men resulted in significant increase in body fat volume but no change in number. Subsequent weight loss back to baseline resulted in a decrease in fat cell volume but no change in the number of fat cells.“If you are overweight and you lose weight, you still have the capacity to store lipids because you still have the same number of fat cells. That may be why it’s so hard to keep the weight off,”
This is one of the reason why of the title of this article: “Once Fat ...Forever Fat”. Because a person who has been fat will have the tendency of storing fat much more easily than a thin person.
But don’t you despair, fat cells are pretty static, they don't turn over all that often. So if you loose weight and maintain a healthy weight then you are keeping the cell volumes at a more suitable size.

How you see yourself in the mirror?

Looking at ourselves in the mirror is a pretty difficult task, because we are always striving to look better, to lose weight and the like. And we never take the time to appreciate what we have already got.
We look into the mirror and focus on wrinkles, grey hairs, loose skin and so on. And when it comes to fat we are even more hard on ourselves. Even if we are in perfect shape we always feel fat and sometimes we even create flaws in our mind, choosing to see problem areas which nobody else would ever notice.
And let me tell you this happen from the skinniest fashion model to the world-class ironman, we are never satisfied with our weight and we always complain that we could drop those few extra inches of fat around the belly, in the thighs and so on...

Individuals that have been fat in the past will forever look in the mirror and still see a fat person in it.
A recent research showed that no matter how much weight an overweight person would lose, they will look in the mirror and see a fat person for the remainder of their life “And there’s almost no way to redress this” the study concluded.
This happens because Western society seems to be characterised by an obsession with the self individuals seem to care more about what society has to offer them than what they can offer society. A fixation on personal appearance is part of this obsession that people have with themselves. This applies not only to women, but increasingly men as well.
Yet, it would appear that nobody is happy with their bodies, no matter how successful they are; even those who fit into the conventionally attractive mould.

Considerations

The aim of TheIronYou is to help people improve their lifestyle. We do believe that an healthier individual is a happier individual not only because of better appearance but mainly because he’ll able to lead a more balanced and possibly disease-free life.
We are pretty aware that millions of people are fighting everyday against the fat stored in their body and with this article we just wanted to point out why some people have to fight harder then others. With better knowledge anyone can reach their Iron You.
Remember you are all you got, thus you should love yourself for what you are. Be kind with yourself and thankful for all you have.
But that’s your starting point, everyday you can improve and become even better. As one of my yoga teachers told me one time “Be compassionate but with angry determination!” and you’ll get one step closer to TheIronYou!

The Iron You