How does fat leave your body when you lose weight?

There are many misconceptions concerning how fat leaves the body when you lose weight. A lot of people believe fat leaves the body by first turning into heat or energy and then breaks into smaller parts which are then excreted. Recent studies alongside calculations now have it that when we eat, the excess food in our stomach (whether protein or carbohydrate) is stored in the body in form of fat as triglyceride molecules and this molecules consists of three kinds of atoms which are carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. And for weight loss to be possible the triglyceride has to be broken into building blocks and this is done through a process called oxidation. When this happens, a lot of molecules of oxygen are consumed in the process as well as producing carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H20) as waste products.  

Therefore, during weight loss some researchers has it that 84 percent of the excess fat which is not needed becomes carbon dioxide and leaves the body through the lungs while the 16 percent fat remaining becomes water, this was stated in a study published on December 16 2014 in a special Christmas issue of the medical journal BMJ. These researchers also said the above proves that the lungs are the major excretory organ for weight loss. The water on the other hand is excreted either through urine, sweat, feces, breath, tears or other bodily fluids and it is easily replenished.

How does fat leave your body when you lose weight?

When you lose weight, bear in mind that the fat cells never disappear, your body holds on to the fat cells which enables a possibility of future weight gain. The fat cells only reduce in size and linger in tissues prepared to increase in size again whenever there is excess food or energy. The main function of the fat cells is hold on to lipids; they help store energy by holding on to them as they drop. So when you lose weight, the liquid fat reserves are drained to fuel the body, but the fat cell doesn’t leave. According to Jensen, fat cells or adipocytes can grow or shrink dramatically. Some studies have proven that adipocytes are prone to regaining fat especially if the fat is lost very quickly and this usually happens during an intense weight-loss program.

WHAT DOES FAT IN URINE LOOKS LIKE

We mentioned earlier that fat leaves the body through urine. This doesn’t necessarily mean you are urinating fat, but it’s more that you are urinating the byproducts that aren’t needed from the breakdown of fat. And you can tell if you are losing weight and the progress you have made through your urine when you spot an oily look in it. When you sight an oily look, it means your body has reached a state when it is burning fat. You might be wondering what urine has to do with weight loss, it is simply hydration. When on a weight loss diet, it is important to be hydrated as dehydration hinders your body from burning fat. When you are dehydrated, you feel tired and lazy which hinders your exercise program.

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY WHEN YOU LOSE WEIGHT

When on a weight loss diet, and you are gradually losing weight, there are some things that happens to your body during this process, for instance, your weight is a stored energy, and when you lose weight, it will shrink and your body shrinks alongside it. Here are some other things that happen:

1. You feel cooler: when you lose weight, your thyroid hormone levels can dip hence making you cooler more often. You might need to buy a cardigan.
2. You might need another facial routine: your face tends to slim down as well when you lose belly weight and weight in your thigh and losing fat under your skin may cause some wrinkles and sagging lines on your face to be visible. So this means that you might need to start eating foods rich in good nutrient like broccoli, Brussels, sprouts etc you might also need to change your creams and use high-quality moisturizers.  
3. You tend to enjoy your meals more than before: this is so because during weight loss there is a change in the way the taste receptors communicate with the brain therefore making your taste buds react to food in a different way. Your food begins to taste better.
4. You will have fewer allergies: An obese individual naturally will have a strain on their adrenal glands and their respiratory system which can cause some allergy symptoms like asthma. For those who have asthma, when they lose weight, they can stay away from their inhaler and reduce their dosage. However, you shouldn’t halt your medication routine without the permission of your doctor.
5. Sex will be more pleasurable: sex becomes more pleasurable when you lose weight; this was revealed after a study was conducted in a Duke University Medical Center Survey involving 1210 of different weights, 25 people who were obese were likely to have reported dissatisfaction than their slim counterparts. Another study shows that losing 10 percent more body weight helps to boost sexual satisfaction. Which means even if you are obese, sex is still pleasurable, but losing that weight will help boost the pleasure.
6. You may find it difficult picking what to wear: when you lose weight you get another body shape and a flat stomach which means your clothes will not fit in anymore. This calls for a wardrobe change, while at the store looking for new clothes, you might be unsure of those that will fit in your new stature. It is important to change your clothes if you have lost up to 20 pounds or more, but if it is less than that, you might necessarily need to buy new clothes, you can give your clothes to your tailor to help amend them and reshape them to a size that will fit you. If you are financially buoyant, and you feel the need to change your clothes, if you are confused as regards what to choose, you can tell the sales associate at the store to guide you through.
7. You will stop snoring: snoring and sleep apnea are usually common in those who have excess weight around the neck. When you lose weight, you will stop snoring too.
8. You will get smarter at games: there is a popular saying, thus: slimmer bod, smarter brain. This saying is true and a study in a journal Neurology says people who weigh more have poorer memories and cognitive skills than their slimmer counterparts.

HOW DOES THE BODY BURN STORED FAT

The process through which the body burn stored fat is metabolism. And metabolism is the chemical reactions that takes place inside the body every minute or seconds which keeps you alive. Food is converted into energy and the energy is burned off just so your hair grows properly and keeps growing, your heart beats continuously, it also keeps your lungs transferring oxygen into your bloodstream and intestines, it helps your liver pump out bile and helps convert Amstel Light into urine.  The body burns the stored fat while you are engaged in some rigorous activities which may include diving into a pool, riding a bike and some others. The brain communicates with the fat cells to release the energy packages (fatty acid molecules) to the bloodstream. Then the lungs, heart and muscles hold on to these fatty acids and breaks them into pieces and use the stored energy in the bonds to carry out their activities. The left over fatty acids are dismissed as part of respiration either as carbon dioxide or urine, rendering the fat cells useless because it becomes empty. This is how the body reduces the amount and size of fat cells in the body. Your body’s ability to burn fat is heightened after you have fasted for about 12 to 14 hours because for the first 12 hours of fasting, your body burns glycogen, according to the Sydney morning herald.

DOES FAT LEAVE THE BODY THROUGH FECES

Yes fat does leave the body through feces and you notice this when you start visiting the toilet too frequently and the stools are loose and smell too much more than they should, it’s a sign that you may have dietary fat in your stools. According to a report by the University of Rochester Medical Center, the presence of too much fat in stool is medically referred to as steatorrhea. This condition implies that the fat in your body isn’t properly digested or metabolized and that food is not properly absorbed by your intestines. This irregularities may be as a result of low bile production by the liver, it also be caused by very few digestive enzymes in which your pancreas releases. The presence of fat in your stool is a quick pointer to celiac disease or enteritis. If you are bothered about this, consult your doctor and he might request that you do a test. You can lose weight through bowel movements and exercise can help contribute to your weight loss as in this case, it will keep your bowel habits regular. You may notice that when you start an exercise routine, you visit the toilet more often. However, you are not to depend on feces to lose weight, you can start a healthy diet that contains a lot of fiber; regular fiber intake can cause you to poop more often.

FAT BURNING PROCESS IN HUMAN BODY

Fat burning process occurs in the human body when fats are freed from the adipocytes into circulation to supply the needed energy. The Adipose tissues (or fat) are a lose connective tissue which is composed of adipocytes. It stores energy in form of fat, but it also cushions and insulates the body. During fat burning, the body needs food to acquire the energy in order to feed its cells as well as to be able to perform internal and external functions. Fat burning supplements are commonly referred to as fat burners which are meant to increase fat metabolism, weaken the absorption of fat, improve weight loss and increase fat oxidation during exercise. Examples of fat burners are; Green tea, Caffeine, Chromium, Carnitine, Conjugated linoleic acid etc. According to Nawrot et al in 2013, these supplements contain herbal ingredients like the Ephedrine, Chitosan, Pyruvate and Yohimbine. Many people do not know that food consumption doesn’t only increase fat in the body, some foods can burn fat once they are consumed. Some of these foods contain a lot of water which helps in the reduction of fat. Drinking plenty of water, consuming thermogenic foods and exercising regularly is a good way to awaken your body’s fat burning abilities.  According to statistics, an average person consumes about 7.8 pounds of food and beverages every day, note that whatever you eat and what you breathe needs to leave your body in some ways if you are on your journey to lose weight. While fat burning is taking place, the body turns fat into usable energy which makes the fat shrink. During this process, heat is generated and it helps to regulate body temperature. Oxygen is converted into byproducts at the same time.  According to Meerman, in order to break down a single triglyceride molecule, many enzymes and biochemical steps are involved. Some of the fat can serve as a usable energy, whereas carbon dioxide and water are released from the fat cell as well during the process. Studies have shown that a large percentage of carbon dioxide is created and released from the body during the fat burning process.

You can improve fat burning by being more active and participating in regular exercise. Engage in more activities rather than sleeping all the time, engage in activities like jogging, running etc which burns out more C02 from the body and increases your chances of weight loss. You can also do the following to improve your metabolic rate:

• Take more walks during the week and stretch during leisure periods.
• During the weekend, be very active; don’t be lazing around on your bed.
• At places where you have the stairs and elevator/escalator, make sure to use the stairs so you can stretch your bones.
• When going to a place that you know it is a trek able distance, trek, do not take bikes.
• If you have kids, take time out to play with them in the compound

HOW DOES FAT LEAVE THE BODY ON KETO

Fat leaves the body in the state of ketosis such that the body uses ketones or organic compounds in place of carbs as energy. Then the body begins to burn fat for energy, and a lot of weight is being lost just because fat takes more energy to be burned. There are rules regarding the keto diet, when on a keto diet, it mostly turns into water, and water can leave the body in different ways either from your sweat, poop, saliva, pee or any bodily fluids and your lungs handle the major part of the weight loss.

A keto or ketogenic diet is a low-fat diet which improves the body’s ability to burn fat. It involves the consumption of low carbohydrate, moderate protein and high fat content. This diet trains the body metabolism to burn fatty acids or ketones bodies. Studies have proven that it improves insulin sensitivity and reduces inflammation, therefore leading to fat metabolism. It helps you lose weight by putting your body in ketosis.  When you eat less carbohydrate, your body produces ketones for energy. Ketones are produced in your liver from fatty acids found in food or your own body fat. So your liver burns the fat to make ketones. When your body gradually burns fat as a fuel source, you begin to lose weight. Staying on a keto diet alone will not allow you lose a lot of fat. You need to engage in a high intensity interval training exercise alongside the keto diet. However, talk to the doctor before you begin any new diet.

WHERE DOES FAT GO WHEN YOU GAIN WEIGHT

The amount of energy your body converts into body fat is dependent on one’s metabolic rate and this is determined by your genetics.  Scientific African says women are more prone to body fat especially areas like the hips, legs etc. there are different ways the body uses the adipose tissue:  Some of the fat goes to the top of your kidneys, some goes to the liver and then a small amount is retained for the protection of skeletal muscle. Fat is needed to survive, it allows our brains to function, it helps protect vital organs, it protects the body from cold, and it also helps us to be able to birth a baby. Please note that too much of the fat aint good.  The amount of fat that will be stored by the body and the process of storage differ from one individual to another. Some people have fat in their hips, while some store it around their stomach. Your DNA sequence will determine where fat will be stored, some hormones are also responsible for fat storage.