减掉的脂肪都到哪儿去了
This may seem like a silly question, but it's one we've all pondered at least a few times along our weight-loss journeys. Where does the fat go when we lose weight? Do the fat cells burst and flush out? Do we expel it during bathroom breaks? Do little fairies fly in at night and swipe away all that unwanted jiggle? Let's get into the science, dispel some myths, and answer some (fat-)burning questions. First of all, there is a difference between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss is an overall decrease in the number on the scale. This could be from water loss, muscle loss, fat loss, or even getting a drastic haircut (and no, we're not referencing your bangs in high school). Fat loss, however, is the amount of body fat we lose, and this is done when the body burns off more calories than it consumes in a given day. According to certified personal trainer Heather Neff, "To lose fat, you need to rev up your metabolism with plenty of exercise and good nutrition." But you can't live without fat. It's as indispensable to your body as muscle, blood, and bone! Sounds crazy, right? The truth is that fat doesn't make you fat, as many have been led to believe; "it helps to burn fat and aids in so many body processes," Neff said. Fat is the delivery system for hormones. It is essential for brain function, muscle growth, and so much more. Now before you jump for joy on the way to the nearest Dunkin' Donuts, I have the unenviable task of making it clear that we're talking about healthy fats that can be found in foods such as avocados, eggs, lean meats, organic dairy, nuts, seeds, bananas, and others. OK, so you can't exactly cut fat out of your system, but where does fat go when you lose it? The answer to that may surprise you. "The correct answer is that most of the mass is breathed out as carbon dioxide. It goes into thin air," said physicist Ruben Meerman, MD. So the fat doesn't leave your body in the form of urine or feces (well, not completely). |