There have been probably billions of words written on weight loss so far, so many articles, books, blogs, and vlogs. But where does the lost weight go when you lose it? If you don’t know, let’s find out together.
How do we actually lose weight? I mean, we know how: diet, exercise, meditation and a whole lot of other tricks in our books. But ‘how’ does it actually happen? Does the fat in our midriff simply melt away?  What is the chemical process that leads to lost weight and sometimes a smile on our faces when we see that we’ve dropped a couple of pounds when we weigh ourselves?
Researcher Ruben Meerman, an assistant scientist at University of New South Wales (Australia) and professor Andrew Brown, Head of the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, conducted a survey a few years ago, among 150 doctors, dietitians, and personal trainers. The results were shocking: 98 percent of those did not really know where the lost weight disappears.
According to the two scientists, the common misconception is that fat is converted to energy. But this, they say, is impossible because it violates the laws of physics – more specifically the law of conservation of matter.
Where is your lost weight?
So, if fat doesn’t convert to energy, what happens to it? Does it turn to muscle? No, that’s quite impossible to do. Do you eliminate it through the colon? That’s a negative on this one as well. Not to sound all clickbait-y, but the result might surprise you. I know it has surprised me.
Fat is converted into carbon dioxide and water. So basically, the lost weight vanishes from your body via exhaling, sweating and peeing. Did not see that coming, right? The scientists also tell us exactly how much of the fat becomes carbon dioxide and how much is becomes water. 84 percent of the fat you lose is exhaled, while 16 percent turns into weight.
But Meerman & Brown want you, the reader, to know that just exhaling more is not going to help you lose any extra weight.
Fat, carbs, and protein
Almost everything that you eat basically comes back through the lungs. Carbs you digest, and fats become carbon dioxide and water, like I said. The same thing happens with alcohol. most of the protein is also metabolized and exhaled, except for a small part that turns into urea and other solids. These you get rid off through urine.
So, you might ask yourself, what does make it into your colon? The answer is: dietary fiber.
