Jiggly Fat

Someone on LoseIt.com’s forum recently asked the follow question:

Okay so i have been working out and i just recently got back to doing lose it as a serious partner to my work outs. Step aerobics. But lately I have noticed my body fat is turning into a jello form. (if that makes since) Like you know how before your fat is pretty solid, but now its ummm mushy? 

what exactly is that? 

And here was my reply:

It’s funny you mention that because “fat” is kind of like Jello in a way. Jello is not a solid or a liquid but it’s actually *both*. Basically, when gelatin & a liquid are heated then cooled, the gelatin ends up forming many tiny chambers in which the liquid gets trapped and stays suspended. Fat is sort of the same thing. 

As I understand it, body fat is a combination of glycerol and fatty acids (these would be like the liquid in Jello). The fatty acids/glycerol are stored into adipose tissue (the body’s natural fat cells), which is comparable to gelatin in this analogy. 

When the body runs out of carbs to burn for energy, it resorts to using the fatty acids/glycerol that is had stored in your fat cells. As those are burned away, the cells become less taught and more jiggly/can more around more freely.. kind of like emptying water from a water bed or a water balloon… God I love analogies! 

Anyway, that’s my understanding of fat. It also has to do with how healthy your skin is, how much your skin has been stretched from your past weight gain, and a number of other things too. 

I hope all this makes sense!