When you lose weight, the fat stored in your body is broken down through a metabolic process into two main byproducts: carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The majority of the fat you lose-about 84%-is exhaled as carbon dioxide through your lungs. The remaining 16% is expelled from your body as water through urine, sweat, and other bodily fluids such as vapor in your breath
. Here's a more detailed explanation:
- Fat is stored in your body as triglycerides, which are molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
- When you create a calorie deficit (burn more calories than you consume), your body taps into these fat stores for energy.
- The triglycerides are broken down into glycerol and free fatty acids, which undergo oxidation in your cells.
- This oxidation process converts the fat into energy, carbon dioxide, and water.
- You breathe out the carbon dioxide, and the water leaves your body through urine, sweat, and other fluids
In summary, fat doesn't simply "disappear" or convert into muscle; it is metabolized and leaves your body primarily through your breath as carbon dioxide, with some exiting as water
