Gaining

Forming new fat cells

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Finickyfeedee   United States
Joined 4 years
Does anyone know how much weight gain it takes for the body to create new fat cells? Personally, I’ve found that a 20 pound gain was what it took to alter my body’s set point (before that, I’d always just lose all the weight as soon as I stopped actively trying to gain, but now I naturally stay at my heavier weight even when I’m not trying), so I’m assuming that created some new fat cells, but I’d love to know more, either hard data or other people’s personal experiences. I’m attempting another gain now, and the hottest thing about it is knowing I could cross that line again.
4 years

Forming new fat cells

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Thick Lad   United States
Joined 4 years
There haven’t been too many studies on this but this is a pretty solid theory on how this works. Take your ideal body fat percentage times the average weight for your height and that will give you your base body fat. Your fat cells can get to about two times their average size so multiply the weight of your base fat by two and that should be about when your fat cells split in half. When these cells split they require a lot of energy to do so which is why some may hit a plateau or even lose weight when this happens.
4 years

Forming new fat cells

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Thick Lad   United States
Joined 4 years
It is also worth noting that when you lose weight fat cells shrink they do not die.
4 years

Forming new fat cells

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Finickyfeedee   United States
Joined 4 years
Thank you for the tips, folks.

Thick Lad:
It is also worth noting that when you lose weight fat cells shrink they do not die.


This is exactly why I’m wanting to know how much I need to gain to hit the point where my fat cells duplicate. Even if I am getting tired of eating so much and feel like I want a break, I want to keep on gaining at least until my fat cells multiply so that the weight is more likely to stick.
4 years

Forming new fat cells

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Thick Lad   United States
Joined 4 years
Thick Lad:
There haven’t been too many studies on this but this is a pretty solid theory on how this works. Take your ideal body fat percentage times the average weight for your height and that will give you your base body fat. Your fat cells can get to about two times their average size so multiply the weight of your base fat by two and that should be about when your fat cells split in half. When these cells split they require a lot of energy to do so which is why some may hit a plateau or even lose weight when this happens.

becomingoverweight:
Adipocytes don't divide, preadipocytes divide and some differentiate into adipocytes as needed. This doesn't happen all at once like some kind of phase change as you suggest but gradually as one gets fatter. One's amount of subcutaneous adipocytes will increase if their subcutaneous fat deposit gets fatter than its former fattest. Since visceral fat expands mainly through hypertrophy, it'll have to get significantly fatter before it gets more adipocytes.


Yeah I didn’t know for sure how it all worked so thank you for your input.
4 years

Forming new fat cells

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LilRascl   United Kingdom
Joined 10 years
I love how smart FF is nowadays 😊
4 years

Forming new fat cells

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Jiggle Junkie   United States
Joined 4 years
LilRascl:
I love how smart FF is nowadays 😊

Josephine2U:
Right?! I was reading this like "this is way above my paygrde but I cant stop reading" 😭😭


becomingoverweight’s informative posts are true treasures for the fat gain/maintain community. Minutes ago over on Dimensions i responded to someone asking the How should my wife proceed to gain subcutaneous fat? question, to which i felt compelled to gently point (link to the post here) the poster to yesterday’s edition of one of the many times becomingoverweight has answered this same question.

Maximum kudos to becomingoverweight, and everyone else here contributing to the fat gain/maintain knowledge base!
4 years