The
internet
is
full
of
weight
loss
methods
―
from

eating
cinnamon
to

fibermaxxing.
And
the
rise
in

GLP-1s
like
Ozempic
has
helped
fuel
a
weight
loss
craze,
with
approximately

1
in
8
American
adults
currently
taking
a
GLP-1
medication.

Weight
is
not
always
a
direct
indicator
of
health,
despite
what
our
ever-present
diet
culture
would
lead
you
to
believe.
That’s
why
it’s
vital
to
talk
to
your
doctor
if
you’re
going
on
any
type
of
weight
loss
journey
―
and
it
could
also
be
useful
to
find
out
the
science
behind
what’s
happening
in
your
body
when
you’re
on
one.

No
matter
how
you
lose
weight,
it’s
usually
not
clear
where
weight
goes
once
it’s
shed.
There’s
some
misinformation
about
what
happens,
including
claims
that

fat
turns
into
muscle,
leaves
our
bodies
as
urine,
or
that

fat
cells
disappear
as
the
number
on
the
scale
decreases.

“Many
myths
surround
where
fat
goes
after
we
lose
weight.
But
it’s
a
way
simpler
answer
than
people
think,”
said

Dr.
Katie
Buckner,
a
family
medicine
and
obesity
medicine
physician
with
Kaiser
Permanente
Southern
California.

HuffPost
talked
to
doctors
to
help
explain
where
weight
actually
goes
once
it’s
no
longer
a
part
of
our
bodies.

Your
body
eliminates
weight
through
bodily
functions
like
breathing
and,
yes,
sometimes
peeing.

Most
of
us
know
that
weight
loss
occurs
when
our
bodies
use
more
calories
through
everyday
movement
and
exercise
vs
what
we
consume
through
food
and
beverages.

To
make
up
the
difference
between
the
calories
we
consume
and
our
energy
output,
our
bodies
tap
into
stored
energy
reserves,
explained

Dr.
Adrian
Dobrowolsky,
director
of
the
Bariatric
Weight
Loss
Program
at
Hoag,
a
healthcare
system
in
Southern
California.
These
energy
reserves
are
primarily
glycogen,
stored
carbohydrates
and
body
fat,
he
said.

However,
“over
time,
fat
becomes
the
primary
fuel
source,”
Dobrowolsky
explained.
“As
fat
is
broken
down,
it
undergoes
a
series
of
chemical
reactions.”

The
byproducts
of
that
conversion
are
carbon
dioxide
and
water,
which
are
then
eliminated
from
the
body
through
normal
bodily
functions.

Where
weight
goes
when
we
lose
it
is
the
same,
no
matter
how
we
create
a
calorie
deficit.
For
example,
“many
people
assume
that
exercise
directly
‘melts’
fat,”
Dobrowolsky
said.
“In
reality,
exercise
increases
the
body’s
energy
demands,
which
can
help
create
the
calorie
deficit
needed
for
fat
loss.
The
actual
process
of
eliminating
fat
still
occurs
through
metabolism,
resulting
in
the
subsequent
release
of
carbon
dioxide
and
water.”

Even
doctors
didn’t
fully
understand
this
process
until
about
a
decade
ago.
It
wasn’t
until
Australian
researchers
published
a

study
about
weight
loss
in
2014
that
we
had
a
definitive
answer
to
this
question.
Before
this
study,
most
doctors
thought
that
fat
left
the
body
by
being
converted
into
energy
or
heat,
turned
into
feces
or
changed
into
muscle
―
none
of
which
is
correct.

What
actually
happens
is
that
approximately
84%
of
fat
lost
is
converted
into
carbon
dioxide,
which
is
exhaled
through
the
lungs.

“Many
people
are
surprised
to
learn
that
the
lungs
are
the
body’s
primary
organ
for
fat
loss”
and
that
we
lose
most
fat
by
breathing
it
out,
Dobrowolsky
said.

Although
most
fat
is
lost
through
respiration,
about
16%
is
turned
into
water.
As
we
lose
weight,
we
primarily
excrete
this
water
through
sweat
and
urine.

“Sweat
contributes
to
the
elimination
of
some
of
the
water
produced
during
fat
metabolism,”
Dobrowolsky
said.

He
noted,
however,
that
losing
weight
by
turning
fat
into
a
small
amount
of
sweat
is
different
from
losing
weight
by
purposefully

inducing
sweat.

“A
person
can
lose
several
pounds
through
sweating
during
a
workout
or
sauna
session,
but
most
of
that
weight
is
water
and
returns
when
fluids
are
replaced,”
which
is
a
completely
different
process
from
fat
loss.

Additionally,
some
of
the
water
our
bodies
produce
during
weight
loss
is
excreted
in
urine.
Dobrowolsky
clarified
that
“the
fat
itself
is
not
converted
directly
into
urine.
Urination
is
simply
one
route
by
which
the
body
removes
water
generated
during
weight
loss.”

There’s
a
big
reason
why
understanding
this
process
matters.

Understanding
the
science
behind
weight
loss
can
help
people
focus
on
what
actually
works
and
avoid
gimmicks
if
they
need
to
lose
weight
for
health
reasons.

Dobrowolsky
hopes
that
by
gaining
a
deeper
understanding
of
where
weight
goes
when
we
lose
it,
his
patients
will
focus
on
building
habits
that
promote
sustainable
weight
loss
and
healthier
behaviors.
This
mindset
“shifts
the
focus
away
from
detoxes,
cleanses
and
other
quick
fixes
toward
sustainable
habits
such
as
healthy
eating,
physical
activity,
adequate
sleep
and
stress
management,”
he
said.