where does fat go?

[Kirstyhev]

when you lose weight where does the fat go?

[Ethel]

It doesn't go anywhere - your body uses it up - hence 'burning fat'.

[fine,thanks]

you collect in a jar and fry your chips in it . : )

[4getmenot]

and then you get fat again :-)

[Joe_the_Lion]

Your body is like an engine and needs fuel to work efficently. Carbohydrate (sugars) are the first port of call for the body to fuel itself. Once carbs have been burnt up, the body will eat into "stored" energy in the shape of fat. Fatty deposits will be immobilisied by heat tranfer.

Basically there are about 3500 calories per pound of fat. One calorie is needed to raise one gram of fat one degree centigrade. Until it all melts away.

Like any engine (think how hot cars get) the body needs to heat to burn away the fat. This is known as thermagenics. Hence, the harder you work the hotter you get.

It is all much more complicated that this, but this is the basics.

[Octavius]

As Ethel has said, the fat will be burned off.

Remember it is not about losing weight but fat. Weight could be fat, water or even muscle tissue, whereas fat is fat. Fat is produced by the body when an excess intake of calories in the form of food or drink occurs. When the intake of this food and drink provides the body with more calories than it needs for general maintenance and its current level of physical activity, this excess energy is stored in the form of body fat.

The removal of excess fat is by a reversal of the bodily processes that store excess energy, if an individual burns more energy than he or she is consuming, the extra energy stored in the body will be removed to be broken down for physical activity.

An increase in regular exercise will help to increase your calorie expenditure. The more physical activity you do the more calories you will burn. Thus, if you increase your physical activity, and do not increase your intake of food, you will draw the extra energy needed from your stored body fat.

And lo and behold we have the �diet and exercise� regime that we all love so dearly.