Advertisement

Here's what happens to the fat when you lose weight

Ever wondered where the fat goes when you lose weight? [Photo: Getty]
Ever wondered where the fat goes when you lose weight? [Photo: Getty]

From doctors giving their fail safe tricks, to experts advising the best foods to eat (apples and coffee are the latest weight loss wonder foods), science has many theories when it comes to losing weight.

But have you ever wondered where the fat you lose actually goes?

Does it come out in your sweat? Do fat cells just gradually get smaller until they disappear? Does it magically turn into muscle?

Nope, nope and er, nope.

Apparently fat exits the body as carbon dioxide, according to a new survey by UNSW Australia and reported by Metro.

The research states that: “The correct answer is that most of the mass is breathed out as carbon dioxide. It goes into thin air”.

Researchers explain that “10kg of fat turns into 8.4kg of CO2 and 1.6kg of water.”

We also release the water as bodily fluids like urine, tears and sweat.

Fat exits the body as carbon dioxide [Photo: Pexels]
Fat exits the body as carbon dioxide [Photo: Pexels]

But before you start thinking that you can lose more fat by simply breathing faster, peeing more or sitting in a sweaty sauna, consider the fact that the body needs to go through a process of turning fat into carbon dioxide before it can excrete it. Step forward healthy eating and exercise regime.

So sadly, simply knowing what happens to the fat isn’t going to make it any easier or quicker to lose it.

But you know, knowledge is power and all that.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK.

Read more from Yahoo Style UK:

Woman loses astonishing amount of weight after being told she could die at 40

Low-fat diets could increase your risk of an early death

Woman loses half her body fat to make her dying husband happy