You have to understand two things:
- A lot of people think fat "spot" reduction can be done, which is false
- The places where you Start "adding/removing" fat from first are genetically defined. Each person is different, some people start with their abdominal, other with their thighs...etc... so the place you "put" fat first is the last place from where fat will be removed. And fat is removed from the whole body, just as we said, where it starts/goes to, is genetically defined.
UPDATE (6/20/2012):
Based on requests on this site, to add scientific evidence, there is an article about this topic:
Source: Yale scientific magazine:Targeted Fat Loss: Myth or Reality?
The article mentions that Targeted fat loss is a myth and that fat is lost from overall body as i mentioned above. The magazine talks about two researches made by the University of Connecticut one in 1971 with tennis players and One in 2007 with:
104 participants completing a twelve-week supervised resistance-training program in which their non-dominant arm was selectively exercised.
Concerning the 1971 study, the scientific magazine states:
Targeted fat loss, also known as “spot reduction,” is a popular idea partly because it appeals to our intuition. After all, it seems perfectly reasonable to assume that the fat you burn while exercising comes from the area around the muscles you are using. Yet a 1971 study conducted by the University of California, Irvine on tennis players found that this is not actually the case. Tennis players constitute a population whose right and left arms have been consistently subjected to very different amounts of exercise over several years. Consequently, if spot reduction were a valid concept, one would expect the players’ dominant arms to have thinner layers of subcutaneous fat compared to their non-dominant arms. When the researchers measured the thickness of subcutaneous fat at specific points along the players’ arms, however, they found no statistically significant difference between right and left arms.
Concerning the 2007 study, the scientific magazine states:
More recently, in a 2007 study led by the University of Connecticut, 104 participants completed a twelve-week supervised resistance-training program in which their non-dominant arm was selectively exercised. MRI assessments of subcutaneous fat before and after the program revealed that fat loss tended to be generalized, rather than only occurring in the trained arm.
An important paragrah explaining fat loss:
The fat contained in fat cells exists in a form known as triglycerides. Muscle cells, however, cannot directly use triglycerides as fuel; it would be analogous to trying to run a car on crude oil. Instead, the fat must be broken down into glycerol and free fatty acids, which then enter the bloodstream. As a result, the fat broken down to be used as fuel during prolonged exercise can come from anywhere in your body, not just the part that is being worked the most.
The 2007 research's official publication (which yale's scientific magazine mentioned) mentions in their abstract's conclusion:
CONCLUSION:
Skinfold findings indicate that spot reduction occurred in men but not in women. In contrast, MRI found a generalized subcutaneous fat loss independent of gender, supporting the notion that spot reduction does not occur as a result of resistance training.
which means, MRI, a very accurate technique, found that fat loss is overall from the body and not targeted (spots).
PERSONAL experience:
Beside scientific researches, it is always good to share personal experience about a topic (sometimes it is more efficient than a research).
6 years ago i gained huge amounts of fat and then i went back to gym and diet to lose them.
I had to lose around 60 pounds to get back in shape. Most of the fat i had was belly fat.
While my dieting and gym techniques were very efficient, i noticed that i was loosing fat from everywhere except my belly (very little from the belly).
- At some phases i had very skiny legs, fat upper body.
- Then skiny legs and arms but fat back and abs.
- Then only fat abs.
Until two summers ago where i got rid of 90% of my belly fat and now am back in shape.
From my personal experience, fat loss is genetically defined, but as i am not a doctor i cannot claim this is a general rule. But however the scientific researches i mentioned approve what i am saying.