to wonder where fat goes

[WhatsTheBuzz]

when you 'burn it off'? Does it actually melt while you work out? Does anyone know?

I always thought it dissolved and you pee it out. No idea why I thought that though. Probably complete rubbish!

You use it as energy to keep your body going, heat beating etc....you only burn it off if you use less calories than you need to stay alive.

I think.

Can you tell I'm not a medical person.

It gets metabolised in to energy and your filled fat cells shrink.
If you have less fat cells, you can only fill less of them. One of the many (rather complex) reasons why skinny children often turn in to slim adults.

I'll try and find you a more eloquent explanation, hang on a mo'...

Water + CO2.

Here is the science - well, Wikipedia. You did ask...

I was thinking along the same lines as betty. I sort of wish you could see it all happening, might act as a good incentive!

ha thank-you pacific

It gets excreted with normal "elimination" functions, kidneys/liver, urine faeces etc (the by products anyway)

I've often wondered the same. I know the science behind it but I still ponder, where DOES it go! I also wonder the same thing about where snot comes from

Basically the fat is chopped up into smaller pieces that can be used by the body's cells to make energy- think large wood logs being chopped into smaller chunks that can be burnt on a fire.

Snot is just mucous produced by the cells up your nose. They release the mucous all the time but when you have a cold for example, they start making it in larger quantities and it is often thicker and has colour. This is due to the infection fighting cells that it contains.

you can feel it happen. as you excercise you get warm = your body 'burns' sugar and fat.

Fats are made up of a molecule called glycerol bound to 3 fatty acids. These are all made up of the elements hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. Each of these a joined by 100s of chemical bonds. As a bond is broken a small amount of energy is released and the process of respiration in your muscles cells use this energy to make ATP which is used for muscle contraction.

Muscles use glucose in your blood (blood sugar) as its first energy supply but if you use more calories then you eat then your body will use fat from its supplies.
The carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules are then put back together to make carbon dioxide and water.

It oozes from your hair follicles and that is why your hair gets greasy, it's actually fat. Kinda like one of those 80s play dough spaghetti head things.

So if you are on a diet you get greasy hair?

Your body uses mainly glycogen when you exercise -burning fat for instant energy is not easy for the body. If you go long enough to run out of glucogen- 20-22 mile run you will start to burn fat directly to keep going. This what is known as 'hitting the wall' during a marathon. It's around 8 x less efficient than buring glycogen and you feel like someones jumped on your back and poured concrete in your shoes!

I'm still right.