Share

This is exactly what happens to fat when you lose weight

accreditation
What actually happens to the fat when you lose weight?
What actually happens to the fat when you lose weight?

Raise your hand if you’re under the assumption that you poo out fat when you lose weight. It’s a fair guess – and it’s not entirely wrong. But it definitely doesn’t tell the whole story.

Recently, an old study has been circulating that found that a lot of the lard you lose is actually breathed out. Kind of trippy, huh?

Read more: 4 fat-melting, body-toning moves all lazy girls will love

In the study, which was originally published in BMJ in 2014, researchers looked at what happened to the atoms in 10kg of fat as they were “lost”.

About eight of those kilograms were exhaled as carbon dioxide through the lungs – and the rest became water, which can be excreted in your pee, poo, sweat, breath, tears and other bodily fluids, according to the research.

It’s easy to read this and think that you’re breathing out chunks of fat when you lose weight, but that’s not how this works, says registered dietitian Sonya Angelone, a spokeswoman for the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Instead, you’re actually breathing out fat metabolic byproducts as carbon dioxide – not fat cells themselves.

Read more: These are the top 3 diets of 2018, according to health experts 

When someone starts losing weight, the size of their fat cells just decreases, says obesity medicine physician Dr Fatima Cody Stanford, but they don’t actually disappear entirely. They really just shrink.

Here’s where it gets tricky: When you lose weight, your body actually tries to regain that weight to get back to the status quo. So you might experience decreases in how full you feel and increases in how hungry you feel, says Dr Stanford.

Read more: 7 ways to make breakfast part of your weight loss plan (even if you hate it)

Luckily, exercise can help prevent those fat cells from getting bigger again, which explains why working out helps keep weight regain in check, Dr Stanford says.

So, when you lose weight, keep in mind that it’s really best to do it slowly in order to allow your body to get used to the new normal. Otherwise, it might go into self-sabotage mode. And those fat cells haven’t really gone anywhere – they’ve just lost weight… just like you.

This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com

Image credit: iStock

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE