When you lose weight, the fat stored in your body is metabolized and leaves your body primarily as carbon dioxide and water. Here's how the process works:
- Fat cells store energy in the form of triglycerides, which are composed mainly of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.
- When you create a calorie deficit (burn more calories than you consume), your body breaks down these triglycerides into their components.
- The carbon atoms from fat are converted into carbon dioxide (CO2), which you exhale through your lungs.
- The hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen to form water (H2O), which leaves your body through urine, sweat, and exhaled air.
- Specifically, about 84% of the fat mass you lose is exhaled as CO2, and the remaining 16% leaves as water
In summary, most of the fat you lose is breathed out as carbon dioxide, and the rest is expelled as water through bodily fluids. This explains why breathing and metabolic processes are central to fat loss. This process is continuous and happens naturally as your body uses stored fat for energy during daily activities and exercise
