Hello Steemians! Haven't you ever wonder where fats go when we lose weight? We all know the world is obsessed with diets and weight loss, however, a few of us know how 1 kilo of fat really disappears from the scale.
The most common thought is that fat becomes muscle, others may think that it becomes energy, and others assume that it escapes through the colon, and all of these options seem like the right answer right? Maybe it exits from our body when we defecate, no.
Then if it doesn't become energy, muscle or goes to the W.C, where does fat go?
The correct answer is that the fat is converted into carbon dioxide and water. Exhale the carbon dioxide and the water mixes in your circulation until it is lost as urine or sweat.
If you lose 4.53 kilos of fat, 3.81 kilos leave through your lungs and the remaining 0.72 kilos turn into water. In other words, almost all the weight we lose is exhaled.
This surprises almost everyone, but in reality, almost everything we eat comes out through the lungs. Every carbohydrate you digest and almost all fats are converted into carbon dioxide and water. The same goes for alcohol.
The protein shares the same fate, except for the small part that is converted into urea and other solids, which is excreted in the form of urine.
In food, the only thing that reaches the undigested and intact colon is dietary fiber. Everything else you ingest is absorbed into the bloodstream and organs and, after that, does not go anywhere until you have vaporized it.
We all learn in school that "the energy that comes in is equal to the energy that comes out", that is, the total amount of energy never changes. But energy is a confusing concept, even for health professionals and scientists who study obesity.
The reason why we gain or lose weight is much less mysterious if we track all kilograms, not just those enigmatic kilojoules or calories.
According to the latest government figures, Americans consume 3.55 kg of food and beverages every day. Of that, 430 grams are solid macronutrients, 17 grams are fiber and the remaining 3.11 kg are water.
What is not reported is that we also inhale more than 660 grams of oxygen, and this figure is equally important for your waistline.
If your body receives 3.55 kg of food and water, plus 660 grams of oxygen, then 4.2 kg must go back out, or you will gain weight. If you expect to lose some weight, you have to leave more than 4.1 kg.
The 430 grams of carbohydrates, fats, protein and alcohol that most Americans consume every day will produce exactly 770 grams of carbon dioxide plus 290 grams of water (plus or minus one cup) and approximately 31 grams of urea and other solids excreted as urine.
The resting metabolic rate (that is, the rate at which the body uses energy when inactive) of a 75-kg person produces approximately 590 grams of carbon dioxide per day. No pill or miraculous potion will increase that number, despite the publicity you've heard.
The good news is that you exhale 200 grams of carbon dioxide while you are deeply asleep every night, so you have exhaled a quarter of your daily goal before getting out of bed.
