Where does that fat actually go!

Do you know what happens to body fat when you loose weight?

The answer may actually surprise you! I posed this question on social media the other day and most people actually have no idea what happens. Here are some of the fun answers I got:

“It gets burned, like logs in a fire.”- well, sorta.

“The cells shrink.”- Yes! But there is more to it.

“I don’t know, but it never goes too far because it always comes back!”- haha, fair answer!

I wanted to share the true answer here. It is kinda complicated, but to simplify it… You BREATHE, PEE, and SWEAT it out! When you lose weight from being in a caloric deficit, your body turns to fat reserves for energy.  It then disposes of these fat deposits through a series of complicated metabolic pathways. This is where I will spare you science-y details. Just know that the byproducts of fat metabolism leave your body:

  • As water, through your skin (sweat)
  • As water, through your kidneys (urine)
  • And as carbon dioxide through your lungs (breathing out)

Crazy right!? Here is another fun fact about it: If you lost 10 lbs., about 8.4 lbs. would come out through your lungs and the remaining 1.6 turns into water. So moral of the story guys…remember to BREATHE and DRINK YOUR WATER!