Understanding Visceral Fat Loss and Muscle Protection

People often talk about losing weight to live a healthier life and look better, but did you know that losing the right kind of weight makes a huge difference? The type of fat you carry, in addition to where it’s found in your body, are key factors in metabolic health:

• Visceral fat is stored around the abdomen and organs. It’s dangerous because it’s metabolically active, can interfere with organ function, and often leads to the impairment of vital metabolic processes by causing inflammation, insulin resistance, lipotoxicity, and hormone imbalances throughout the body.
• Subcutaneous fat is stored just beneath the skin, usually around the hips, thighs, and upper arms. This type of fat is generally considered harmless unless it is excessive.

While being overweight or obese puts you at a higher risk for developing serious health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and metabolic syndrome, it’s important to understand the difference between simply dropping numbers on a scale and losing unhealthy weight that specifically comes from visceral fat. 

For example, the prevalence of obesity (the CDC reports that 40.3% of U.S. adults were classified as obese between August 2021 and August 2023) is likely one of the reasons we’ve seen such a growing interest in pharmaceutical solutions like GLP-1s such as Ozempic and Wegovy. However, despite being effective for losing overall body weight, these “quick-fix” options usually come with problematic side effects, including loss of muscle mass, as well as high recurring costs and strict adherence requirements that make them a less viable long-term solution. The good news is that there’s another way to approach effective, long-term weight loss that’s also more beneficial for your overall metabolic health: weight care.

Why Focusing On “Weight Care” Is A More Effective Approach

Prioritizing weight loss methods that specifically target visceral fat, while still protecting muscle mass, is an effective approach known as “weight care.” A primary goal of weight care is to reduce visceral fat specifically, which has been clinically linked to several serious metabolic health conditions like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, among others. GLP-1s, on the other hand, do not discriminate between types of body weight, and as a result, up to 40% of the weight loss they affect is often lean tissue like muscle mass - which is detrimental for many reasons; in fact, studies show that muscle mass, independent of fat mass and cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, is inversely associated with mortality risk in older adults.

Weight care aims to protect muscle mass, a driving factor for long-term weight management and optimal metabolic health. Muscle mass is key for healthy weight management because it: 

• Facilitates optimal blood glucose regulation and promotes insulin sensitivity.
• Increases metabolism and burns more calories than fat, even at rest.
• Helps maintain adequate energy levels, immunity, and wound-healing.

Knowing this, it is easier to understand that not only do GLP-1s put your body at risk of losing vital muscle mass that supports metabolic health and longevity, they can also induce gastrointestinal side effects, nutritional deficiencies, and even the potential to develop pancreatitis and gallbladder disease. Adverse reactions like these only make it more difficult for your body to achieve optimal metabolic health.

How L-Nutra Health Programs Support Sustainable Weight Care

L-Nutra Health programs promote weight care through our 6-month Metabolic Program and 12-month Diabetes Remission and Regression Program. Both programs are specifically designed to target visceral fat loss while preserving muscle mass, ensuring a healthier and more sustainable approach to long-term well-being.These comprehensive programs include dietician guidance, lab monitoring, stress management techniques, exercise protocols, and multiple cycles of a low-glycemic, 5-day Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD). Over time, L-Nutra Health programs have been shown to:

• Aid in better blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity
• Reduce visceral fat and hip-to-waist circumference ratio
• Protect lean muscle mass
• Enhance overall cellular rejuvenation 

When it comes to healthy and metabolically supportive weight care, it’s important to prioritize long-term, sustainable solutions that target visceral fat, protect muscle, and provide valuable nutrition to encourage cellular processes to function at their optimal levels. 

To learn more about L-Nutra Health programs, and how they might support your own weight care journey, reach out to our team for a complimentary consultation call today.