When you diet and burn calories, how does the fat literally come off of your body?

Question

I have heard that it can come out in sweat and urine, but is that true?

Answer 1

Hi, I've been helping people stay healthy for a bit more than two decades (20 years) and I can tell you that losing weight requires a combination of both exercise and caloric restriction but with a proper nutrition balance.

As for how fat 'comes off' your body, there is a number of ways. The primary way that fat is burned is through metabolism (it is converted to energy and used by your organs, blood, etc.). Although some fat does come out of your body via sweating it's a small, small amount. Urine and fecal matter actually transport a number of fat grams out of your body per day but, again, 60% of the calories you need each day (your total BMR) are used internally.

If you want to lose weight in a healthy manner, keep the following in mind:

1) Check with your physician to be certain that you are physically able to reduce your calories and increase your exercise habits safely.

2) Make certain that the calories you are eating are as balanced as possible. Finding out how much protein, carbs, and fats your body needs on a daily basis can really help keep your energy levels high all day long. The #1 reason my clients tell me that they've stopped dieting or exercising in the past is because of low energy ebbs. Splitting the amount of calories you can have per day into 5 - 6 smaller meals will help tremendously (this keeps your body fueled and ready to go and you also know that your next meal is only a couple of hours away).

Knowing what your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is will certainly help you determine how to be calorie conscious. Also remember that you may need supplements to help things along.

3) While exercising (before, during, and after) be sure to consume enough water. The key is not to be 'thirsty' (overtly) during this time of exercise.

4) Adding weight bearing exercise (i.e., lifting weights) will help to tone your body and the thermogenic (fat burning) effect will last long after you've stopped working out -- even if your workout is simply walking).

5) Remember that you'll probably hit plateaus (times when you'll stop losing weight) several times during your weight loss progress. This is completely normal and is only temporary but it can last for a couple of weeks at a time. It is very important to remember that even if your scale isn't showing progress, your entire body is being positively effected by your efforts.

6) Measure different parts of your body (neck, upper arms, lower arms, chest, abs, waist, belly, butt, thighs, etc.) and do it accurately. Write these measurements down and check them once every 2 weeks. This will help you remember that your body is 'reducing' all over -- not just in one particular area. If you're weight training you may actually notice a slight increase in some areas of your body (don't worry -- if you're a woman you won't start looking like a bodybuilder).

7) Keep focused on your end goal and concentrate on losing maybe 1 pound a week -- sometimes you'll lose more, sometimes less. As long as it's an average, it's okay.

8) Lastly, remember that you're doing a WONDERFUL thing for your body.

Keep up the good work. I've worked with hundreds of people in the past 20 years (mostly women) who have lost (individually) HUNDREDS of pounds safely. Better still, they've kept it off -- Kay lost over 350 pounds and has been at her goal weight for 7 years now.

As for what to take (if anything), that depends entirely on what your body needs. Anyone who suggests that you take something that 'works for everyone' is either confused or deluded. For example, if you had a twin brother or sister your bodies could react completely different to certain supplements or foods on a metabolic level. If you want to learn more about what you might want to take and how to calculate your BMR, you can visit my site (below).

Any questions, don't hesitate to write and ask.

Lonnie Honeycutt, C.N.C.
Your Health Is My Concern
http://www.betterlifetoday.com

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Fat is stored in adipose tissue or "fat cells". Fat in food and fat stored in your body is known as a triglyceride - 3 fatty acids and one glycerol. When you are low on energy, your body releases a hormone which tells the fat cells to give up their triglyceride and burn it for energy (it needs water to break the triglyceride - which is why you hear to drink plenty of water when dieting). The fatty acids have a lot of carbons in them. Eventually, these carbons are combined with oxygen (that you breathe in) and form carbon dioxide and water (that you breathe out). In addition, this reaction wastes a lot of energy as heat, so that's where the rest goes.

Not all cells can burn fat. Muscle burns the most fat (which is why your want to strength train to lose weight), but some cells like the red blood cells, eyes, and the brain can't and prefer carbs (glucose). However, in order to burn fat you need oxygen and carbohydrates. If you eat low carbs, you don't burn fat efficiently so your body makes ketones. Some organs (like the brain) can use ketones, but not all can.

If you eat a normal diet your body will produce little ketones. Urine is mostly water and nitrogen left over from protein metabolism. Weight loss from fat comes from carbon dioxide, water, and heat.

John

Answer 5

When you diet, you reduce your total calorie intake.

When you reduce total intake, you also tend to reduce intakes of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

We'll skip the protein for now, and focus on the other two sources of calories.

When your muscles work, they need fuel. Ideally, you want muscles to burn fat, but it takes a lot of steps for fat to be in a form muscles can use. They want to burn sugars, since sugars are much easier to work with.

Eventually, though, they will burn fat, assuming sufficiently rigorous activity.

You cannot urinate or sweat out fat. Fat does not dissolve in water, so forget that crap. The byproducts of fat metabolism, though, do come out through urine when they are filtered out of the blood through the kidneys.

Answer 6

No that is not true, you have to use the fat as fuel for your body, your
body burns fat just like a car uses gas, but unlike a car your body can also use muscle as a fuel, so if you eat more fuel than your body can use it stores the fuel as fat, so to burn your fat you have take in less food so your body will use your fat as fuel, but if you don't eat enough food and the right kinds you will also use your muscle as fuel, so eat less, eat better, get more active. Lose the fat slowly the same way you gained it

Answer 7

I wish! I think it does "burn off" but your fat cells remain the same. so no matter how many fat cells you have in your body you'll have the same amount with you've "burned off fat" but they will be smaller. You can't get rid of fat cells without lipo. And the worst part is if you get overweight you create nEW fat cells! And they don't ever go away (just get smaller or bigger)

Answer 8

To shed weight you need to use up or perhaps shed 3, 500 calories from fat per single pound

Answer 9

Aim for a 300- in order to 400-calorie meal.

Answer 10

Actually, every moment of your life, cells burn a substance called ATP and release energy - when you work out vigorously, fat gets converted to such burnable fuel and is spent in providing the energy for your muscles to exercise.