Fat loss after 50, or at any age, is perplexing. The loss of fat signals the body to do everything it can to regain fat. The very thing you do to lose fat causes the body to readily store more. Syliva Tara discovered this in her personal journey of fat loss. Her biochemistry background led her to research the science and wrap it up in a book.

In her best-selling book, The Secret Life of Fat, she reveals the complex biology of fat, how it resists loss, and what it means for each of us.

Dr. Tara holds a PhD in biochemistry from the University of California at San Diego and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She was a consultant with McKinsey & Company and has worked at the world's largest biotechnology companies.

Questions we answer on this episode:

1. Why did you decide to write this book?
2. What was the most surprising thing you found out about fat?
3. Why is fat so hard to lose?
4. Why do some people have more difficulty losing weight than others? 
5. What is the role of bacteria and viruses in obesity?
6. Why do women gain weight easier than men?
7. What is the future of obesity treatment? 

 

Sylvia shares discoveries she made through her personal journey that she included in her book on the show:

• The bad side of fat loss
• Ghrelin goes up and leptin goes down [two hormones that “piggy back” off of cortisol]
• Adiponectin[a hormone often addressed in Flipping 50 programs] removes fat from the belly, stores fat more optimally in butt and thighs can be boosted with fasting
• Brown fat burns calories and is stimulated with exercise and cold
• Women have dichotomy thinking making it harder to get back on track when they fall off
• Women need more support and coaching to recover and get back on track (coaching ladies!)
• Fat loss makes your body do everything it can to encourage weight regain
• Fat storage and fat loss tendencies can be due to bacteria and viral causes, as well as genetics

Reach Sylvia:

www.sylviatara.com

www.thesecretlifeoffat.com

The book is available on Amazon.

Follow Sylvia on Facebook and Twitter: @SylviaTaraPhD