What happens to the weight we lose?
When we lose weight, the mass that we lose is primarily converted into energy and is released from our body in the form of heat and carbon dioxide (CO2).
As we burn calories through exercise or simply by carrying out our daily activities, our body breaks down stored fat and glycogen (stored glucose) to produce energy. This energy is used to power the various metabolic processes that keep our body functioning.
When fat and glycogen are broken down, they release carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. The hydrogen and some of the carbon atoms are combined with oxygen to form water (H2O), which is then excreted from the body through sweat, urine, and other bodily fluids.
The remaining carbon atoms combine with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO2), which is then expelled from the body through our lungs when we breathe.
So, when we lose weight, the majority of the mass is excreted from our body as carbon dioxide through our lungs, and a smaller amount is excreted as water through urine, sweat, and other bodily fluids.