Where Does All the Weight We Lose Go?

When we were high school students, we all heard that energy is not destroyed, but transformed. So where does the weight we lose go? To fully understand this process, we need to know the different compartments on which a person’s weight loss depends. Because its location will help us achieve the desired objective.

What are the body stores?

To answer the question “where does the weight we lose go?” we need to know the different body stores. Actually, losing weight does not necessarily mean losing fat. Human beings have several compartments. The decrease or increase of one of them can be the cause of a change in weight.

Water
If we weigh ourselves before and after drinking a liter of water, we will notice that our body weight has increased by at least half a kilo. It is an amount that would decrease again after going to the bathroom. That is, an alteration in the level of hydration directly affects a person’s weight.

Proteins
Proteins are located in another of the body’s stores. When we generate a caloric deficit, the body uses this substrate to balance this lack of energy. A reason for weight loss can be derived from a loss of muscle mass, which should be avoided by increasing protein consumption.

Fat
Energy can also be stored as fat. This compartment served during the evolution of the human being to have energy reserves in times of food scarcity. Another reason we lose weight is due to a decrease in fat storage through diet.

Glycogen
A lower than normal glycogen index can lead to the sudden weight change. When we do sports and we are on a diet, the glycogen compartment is emptied, which also means that a large part of the water is lost. However, this weight loss is not real, since everything will return to normal when we eat and drink again.

Where does the weight we lose go?

The truth is that until now there have been many theories that have tried to answer the question of where does the weight we lose go? Many dieticians, doctors and trainers have considered various answers throughout this time. Some claimed that the lost weight was converted into muscle, which is impossible. Others claimed that the lost kilos were transformed into heat, a fact that directly violates the laws of conservation of matter. Finally, there were those who argued that the weight we lose is eliminated through feces; it is not like that, either.

What is the correct answer then?

The exhalation; that is, the fat that we eliminate is converted into carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O). What is more, experts say that part of what we eat goes back out through the lungs transformed into CO₂ and H₂O that is expelled through urine and sweat. Now that we know the different stores of the body, as well as the process of eliminating fat, we can conclude that it is not correct to say that we lose weight, since it can be a loss of water or muscle mass. Losing weight correctly means losing fat reserves. For this reason, along with training, we always seek to cause a caloric deficit in the body. By the way, the only food that reaches the colon intact and is expelled in the bathroom is dietary fiber from foods such as corn, wheat, etc.

Is the key to losing fat to exhale more?

Unfortunately, it is not. Breathing more will only make you dizzy due to a process called hyperventilation. The only way to consciously mobilize more carbon dioxide in the body is through exercise.

Once again, sport is the key to losing fat and achieving the desired body in a healthy way. Other things you can do to increase your metabolic rate are cleaning the house, dancing, sitting down and getting up more often, etc. Become more active and you will reach your goal. To do this, we invite you to locate your nearest Eurofitness club for safe sports practicing, fully adapted to your needs.