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Can’t shift that stubborn back fat? It might be time to cut down on carbs

That squidgy fat poking over your bra band is probably an indication of how well your body is responding to what you eat

YOU don't really notice back fat until you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, wearing a bra or sleeveless top.

Or perhaps when you look back at those holiday snaps of your swimsuit cutting into your flesh.

 Back fat is directly linked to your consumption of carbs, and how well you metabolise them
Back fat is directly linked to your consumption of carbs, and how well you metabolise themCredit: Getty - Contributor

And it's at times like this that you wonder why on earth you're storing fat in such a seemingly random place, and how to get rid of it.

"Fat on your back is just like any other fat that develops on your body through overconsumption of calories," Ben Claypole, founder of high-end performance gym City Athletic, told The Sun.

"This surplus of calories will produce subcutaneous body fat (the visible fat just under the skin) which then will be stored where your body decides to, due to several hormonal and environmental factors."

While both men and women are prone to storing fat on their backs, Ben explained that it looks more pronounced on women because we wear bras and tops which exaggerate the effect.

 There are things you can do to tone your back up
There are things you can do to tone your back upCredit: Getty - Contributor

Why do we get back fat?

Back fat tell us something very interesting about our diets and how well they work for us - and it could all be down to carbs.

Ben said: "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.

"Some people can have high carb diets and not store fat in this area, however, others are not so lucky. This is also somewhat due to genetics.

"The main hormone that is responsible for shunting fat to the area (over the subscapular - your shoulder blade area) is Insulin.

 Your back fat is largely down to how well you metabolise carbs
Your back fat is largely down to how well you metabolise carbsCredit: Getty - Contributor

"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 (muffin tops)."

If you've ever wondered whether to try a keto programme (high fat, low carb) or not, a good way to see if you'd benefit from it might be from seeing how much you can pinch just above your bra band.

How to combat back fat

Of course, you don't have to do anything about back fat at all; we all have some and it's not as dangerous as, say, belly fat which does genuinely have an impact on your health (by putting stress on your vital organs).

 It's not as dangerous as belly fat but it's still worth being aware of
It's not as dangerous as belly fat but it's still worth being aware ofCredit: Getty - Contributor

But if it is something that stresses you out, or something you don't want, then you can do something about it.

The saying goes: you can't out-train a bad diet - and that's the case here.

"Even as the owner of a gym, my recommendation is that you will have a larger impact on reducing back fat in the kitchen than you will in the gym," said Ben.

"Of course training will assist and speed up the process of fat loss but the impact of a well-balanced macronutrient diet will be greater.

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"Ensure that you are getting plenty of lean protein and a healthy portion of good fats in each meal and then make up the rest of your diet with a small portion of clean carbohydrates. This is the recipe for success on burning that back fat!"

Why it's important to look after your back

Harry Thomas is the owner of No1 Fitness, and he told The Sun that if generally reducing your body fat will see fat sliding off various parts of your body - including your back.

"Just be aware of the foods that you eat and increase your activity levels. Everything to do with fat loss is to do with calories in, calories out."

For many of us who aren't bonafide gym buffs, it can be hard to remember to work out our posterior (back side) muscles as well as our anterior (front) ones.

"These days people spend so much time with selfies and Instagram that their entire focus in the gym is the anterior (front) section of their bodies," Ben concluded.

"However this is neglecting all of the largest muscle groups that we have (glutes, hamstrings, back) that have an enormous effect on fat loss when they are correctly conditioned.

"These muscles are not only amazing at increasing your metabolism (i.e. burning fat) but help improve your posture which has a great effect for body image - not to mention reducing muscular pain."

TL;DR excess body fat is caused by a poor metabolisation of carbs - something that can be cured by small alternations to your diet.
