[zippy]

First off, I'm not looking for advice on how to lose weight.

Last night I just started wondering, when you lose weight, how does it get off of your body? It's not like you walk around and chunks of you start to fall off. So where does the weight go? Do you pee it out? Do you poop it out? I roughly understand the whole calorie/energy thing, but does that mean that calories/energy actually have weight? And when you burn them, do you just breath out the extra weight? I'm confused.

I did a quick Google and couldn't find anything and then it dawned on me that this would be a good place to ask because there are a couple of smart people here, and a bunch more who think they are.

[Wyatt]

I don't know. My ass fell off once.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by zippy Last night I just started wondering, when you lose weight, how does it get off of your body? It's not like you walk around and chunks of you start to fall off. So where does the weight go? Do you pee it out? Do you poop it out?

Both, and sweating, and breathing out (exhaling).

Basically, all four kinds of excretion (peeing: urination; sweating: perspiration; pooping: defecation; exhaling: respiration). As you exercise your body, the energy you gained from eating gets put into use at a faster pace, and the superfluous components are excreted through the above four methods more quickly as well.

[Bryson]

I roughly understand the whole calorie/energy thing, but does that mean that calories/energy actually have weight?

E = mC squared.

So, yes. Just not much.

[709]

Originally Posted by fcgriz I don't know. My ass fell off once.

[Brad]

Keep in mind that fat is just another fuel source. When you "lose weight", your body is actually breaking down the fat molecules in a process called lipolysis and reusing the constituent parts: fatty acids and glycerol. These chemicals simply travel through your blood to your liver to be used in other metabolic ("energy-producing") processes.

Eventually, as the molecules are broken apart and reused in other ways, they will make their way out of your body through excretion as chucker explained. It's not an immediate transfer from fat to feces, though.

[kscherer]

I have a feeling that this one is going to die very quickly, kinda like that other silly thread.

However, when you excercise, your body burns fuel which is converted into solid and liquid wastes that are given off as you know what. The burn process also converts fuel into energy which is given off as heat. The body removes this through sweating to cool the body.

[turbulentfurball]

Originally Posted by zippy So where does the weight go?

Kirsty Alley.

[blakbyrd]

Originally Posted by turbulentfurball Kirsty Alley.

Nice.

[zippy]

Originally Posted by kscherer I have a feeling that this one is going to die very quickly, kinda like that other silly thread.

FUNSUCKER!



But really, this whole notion intrigued me, and I think it's a valid question so thanks to everyone for all the info.

Now if only those smart people I mentioned in the OP would show up and chime in.....

[billybobsky]

metabolism.

Fat and glycogen get metabolized to the same products that burning wood gets converted into -- CO2 and H2O, we literally breathe out and piss most of our fat and glycogen away.

Proteins get broken down into various amine containing compounds which we piss away.

The body has ways of converting the energy content of fat, glycogen and muscle into more useful forms WHILE breaking it down -- i could go more in depth but it would require quite a bit more background in chemistry than most people have.

I seriously cannot believe that people don't know this.

[julesstoop]

The process is somewhat comparable to the way a log of wood looses weight when burning. Only much more complex.
The fire itsself is comparable to the energy you spend when exercising; the gasses leaving the chimney to the CO2-rich air you exhale and the ashes left behind by the wood to excrement and urine.

Beaten by bb

[zippy]

Originally Posted by chucker Both, and sweating, and breathing out (exhaling). Basically, all four kinds of excretion (peeing: urination; sweating: perspiration; pooping: defecation; exhaling: respiration). As you exercise your body, the energy you gained from eating gets put into use at a faster pace, and the superfluous components are excreted through the above four methods more quickly as well.

Originally Posted by Bryson E = mC squared. So, yes. Just not much.

Originally Posted by Brad Keep in mind that fat is just another fuel source. When you "lose weight", your body is actually breaking down the fat molecules in a process called lipolysis and reusing the constituent parts: fatty acids and glycerol. These chemicals simply travel through your blood to your liver to be used in other metabolic ("energy-producing") processes. Eventually, as the molecules are broken apart and reused in other ways, they will make their way out of your body through excretion as chucker explained. It's not an immediate transfer from fat to feces, though.

Originally Posted by kscherer However, when you excercise, your body burns fuel which is converted into solid and liquid wastes that are given off as you know what. The burn process also converts fuel into energy which is given off as heat. The body removes this through sweating to cool the body.

Thanks. What amazes me, is that I can actually see a difference in weight between when I go to bed, and when I wake up. Now, on most nights, I don't pee the bed, so this weight must be leaving in my breath.

I suppose breath has more weight via. moisture than I realized at first, so that makes sense. Of course, some of this weight re-collects on my teeth, but that's easy enough to get rid of.

Originally Posted by billybobsky I seriously cannot believe that people don't know this.

Sorry, chem just isn't my thing.

I never thought of the burning log scenario. But then again, I can actually see chunks of the log floating off while it burns, but I can't see chunks of energy in my breath - unless it's cold out.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by zippy I never thought of the burning log scenario. But then again, I can actually see chunks of the log floating off while it burns, but I can't see chunks of energy in my breath - unless it's cold out.

You usually see the chunks after a hard night of drinking.

[billybobsky]

Originally Posted by zippy I never thought of the burning log scenario. But then again, I can actually see chunks of the log floating off while it burns, but I can't see chunks of energy in my breath - unless it's cold out.

Can you really? Most of the log's weight is lost in formation of CO2 and H2O.... you really cannot *see* that...

[709]

Originally Posted by zippy But then again, I can actually see chunks of the log floating off while it burns, but I can't see chunks of energy in my breath - unless it's cold out.

Like this?

[alcimedes]

The coolest thing about fat cells is that you never lose them. They grow and shrink in size, but never naturally leave your body.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by alcimedes The coolest thing about fat cells is that you never lose them. They grow and shrink in size, but never naturally leave your body.

Unless you get lyposuction!

[Banana]

My god.

What a bunch of noobies.

This is so not how you lose weight.

You would lose weight in those following ways:

1) Jump off the building
2) Take the elevator down
3) Ride a rollercoaster with loops
4) Go swimming
5) Orbit Earth as astronauts do.

I expected more from you guys. Surely you know what weight is? right?

[turbulentfurball]

Originally Posted by Banana My god. What a bunch of noobies. This is so not how you lose weight. You would lose weight in those following ways: 1) Jump off the building 2) Take the elevator down 3) Ride a rollercoaster with loops 4) Go swimming 5) Orbit Earth as astronauts do. I expected more from you guys. Surely you know what weight is? right?

weight!= mass

weight= mass * acceleration, if my I remember my high school physics well enough. That was about 8 years ago though

[zippy]

Originally Posted by billybobsky Can you really? Most of the log's weight is lost in formation of CO2 and H2O.... you really cannot *see* that...

Sure, smoke is filled with tiny particles of ash, and I can see that. And you usually have larger chunks of ash floating away and burning out too. OK, so I may not be seeing the CO2 and H2O specifically, but I can see bits and pieces.

[Banana]

Originally Posted by turbulentfurball weight!= mass weight= mass * acceleration, if my I remember my high school physics well enough. That was about 8 years ago though

And the OP asked us how to lose weight, didn't he?

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by Banana And the OP asked us how to lose weight, didn't he?

Slow down?

[murbot]

Buncha fuckin' geeks. Like anyone would ever say "I'm tring to lose a little mass."

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by murbot …"I'm tring to lose a little mass."

No! He said he's trying to lose a little "ass", not "mass".

[Banana]

Originally Posted by kscherer Slow down?

Not really. Weight = Mass * Gravity (as opposed to acceleration though gravity itself is accerlation, but only in a particular direction) so slowing down the car wouldn't affect your weight at all. OTOH, if you drove it over the cliff...

Originally Posted by murbot Buncha fuckin' geeks. Like anyone would ever say "I'm tring to lose a little mass."

Oh? So I suppose it's completely cool to go around and use wrong terms for everything else? Hey, get me bread, you know that sticky purple stuff? Yeah that bread.

[Mugge]

How about loosing weight though breathing?

In goes O=O out comes O=C=O, that's a carbon atom less in your body mass!

[kscherer]

If you want to lose weight, go to the moon! But this thread is about what happens to that weight.

The discussion really is more about "mass" rather than weight, as mass is a measure of the amount of material within a given object. Weight is the measure of gravity's affect on mass. Fat cells are not very dense (as compared to muscle) and thus contain less mass, but they make up for it in quantity.

[Banana]

In other words, a person with mass of 100 kilogram would weigh 981 Newtons. Alternatively, a person weighing 100 pounds would have a mass of 3.11 slugs.

[Mugge]

Originally Posted by Banana In other words, a person with mass of 100 kilogram would weigh 981 Newtons. Alternatively, a person weighing 100 pounds would have a mass of 3.11 slugs.

That's some f***ing huge slugs there!



Must be them python-slugs.