Where does body fat go when you lose weight?
What happens to body fat when you shed pounds — do you sweat it out, pee it out or breathe it out? The answer is yes, yes and yes.
How on earth does this happen? “It helps to understand that our bodies are designed to store excess energy in fat cells,” says endocrinologist Bartolome Burguera, MD, PhD.
If you’re carrying extra pounds, it means you’re taking in more energy (calories are units of energy) than you’re using.
“The extra energy is stored in adipose tissue all around your body in the form of triglycerides,” says Dr. Burguera. Smaller amounts of energy are stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen.
How does your body use energy? In more ways than you’d think:
- When you’re resting. Your heart needs energy to pump, your lungs to breathe and your brain to think. (That’s your basal metabolism.)
- When you’re active. Your muscles need energy whether you’re only getting up from a chair or running a marathon.
- When you’re eating. Your digestive system needs energy to break down and store food.
What happens to body fat when you diet?
When you diet, you take in fewer calories than your body needs. Because of this deficit, your body turns to fat reserves for energy.
Your body must dispose of fat deposits through a series of complicated metabolic pathways.
The byproducts of fat metabolism leave your body:
- As water, through your skin (when you sweat) and your kidneys (when you urinate).
- As carbon dioxide, through your lungs (when you breathe out).
“Meanwhile, fat breakdown liberates energy for biological functions and physical activity,” he says. “It also generates heat, which keeps body temperatures normal.”
What happens to body fat when you exercise?
Your muscles first burn through stored glycogen for energy. “After about 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise, your body starts burning mainly fat,” says Dr. Burguera. (If you’re exercising moderately, this takes about an hour.)
Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of cardio two to three times a week.
They also recommend weightlifting and resistance training. Increasing muscle mass may help you burn more calories and raise your basic metabolic rate.
Exercise also increases your respiratory rate, so more CO2 leaves your body when you work out.
About exercise and weight loss
“Exercise is key to weight loss and to maintaining that weight loss,” says Dr. Burguera.
But it may take time to move the number on your scale, so be patient.
Everyone’s response to exercise varies: Some people lose weight, others maintain it, and a few may even gain a few pounds.
“Generally, however, people who successfully lose weight and keep it off tend to be physically active — up to an hour per day,” he says. “Engaging in some form of exercise three times per week is highly recommended.”
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
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RECIPE: The Best Shredded Kale Salad
Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free by TRUE FOODS
Ingredients – For the salad and dressing:
2 medium bunches de-stemmed kale, finely chopped (8 to 9 cups/300 to 340 g chopped)
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice
3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (just eyeball it)
1/4 to 1/2 cup (35 to 70 g) dried sweetened cranberries, for garnish
For the pecan Parmesan:
1 cup (120 g) pecan halves, toasted
1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 pinches fine sea salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread the pecans onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
Remove the stems from the kale and discard. (You can save them for smoothies if you are hardcore!) Finely chop the kale leaves (the smaller, the better).
Wash the kale and spin dry. Place dried kale into a large bowl.
For the dressing: In a mini food processor, process the garlic until minced. Now add the lemon, oil, salt, and pepper and process until combined. Adjust to taste, if desired. Pour the dressing onto the kale and mix it into the kale with your hands or toss with spoons. Keep mixing for about 1 minute to ensure everything is coated perfectly.
For the Pecan Parmesan: Rinse out the mini processor and pat dry. Add the pecans into the processor and process until the pecans are the size of peas or a bit larger. Now add in the nutritional yeast, oil, and salt and process again until it has a coarse crumb texture. Be sure not to over-process—we still want a nice crunchy texture here, not powder.
Sprinkle the Pecan Parmesan all over the salad. Toss on a handful or two of dried cranberries. Wrap and place in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes to soften, or you can simply enjoy it right away. In the past, I’ve tried letting this salad sit overnight in the fridge and I greatly prefer the flavor of the salad served the day of, so I don’t recommend making this salad the day before and letting it sit in the fridge overnight.
Tips: Instead of a mini processor, you can chop/whisk the dressing and pecan “Parmesan” by hand.
For a nut-free version, try using breadcrumbs instead of pecans.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW/PRINT RECIPE
MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL:
This SPECIAL includes 4 Services/Products:
1- Two Months – Unlimited Multi-Level Bootcamp Training
2- One 30-Minute Personal Training Session
3- One 30-Minute Nutrition Session to get you on track for success
4- In-Body Scale Assessment –This hospital-grade piece of equipment is 98% accurate, and it doesn’t just measure your “weight” but more importantly it measures your BODY COMPOSITION (lean muscle and body fat, in addition to hydration and more)! And you receive a comprehensive print-out with all the data from your In-Body weigh-in, so we can use it to create a game plan for outlining your health and fitness goals based on your results!
So with this special, you get two months of training plus a 30-minute one-on-one session, a nutrition session (including In-Body Assessment) $275 (You SAVE over $125 and this will completely set you up for success as you SET and REACH your fitness goals in 2021!) THIS MAKES A GREAT MOTHER’S DAY PRESENT AND WE HAVE GIFT CERTIFICATES! Whether this special mom is an active fitness enthusiast or just a beginner, we will help her reach her health and fitness goals. And you can get a Gift Certificate for ANY of our services, including this special. So just give us a call and we can take your order over the phone or you can stop in to see us. We accept cash, checks, VISA/MC/Discover/Amex. Call Sean at 908-240-5560.
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND SCHEDULE – Group Training & Bootcamp:
Friday, May 28th: Regular schedule
Sunday, May 30th: CLOSED
Saturday, May 29th: Regular schedule
Monday, May 31st: We will be open for ONE group session on Monday/Memorial Day with our Holiday Bootcamp at 9:00 a.m. Personal Training clients: Please confirm your appointments for that weekend with your trainer directly.
COLLEGE SPECIAL: Most colleges finish up for the year in May, and students go back to school sometime in August (depending on whether or not they play a sport). So we are offering a special! YAY! Rather than paying our regular Student Rate of $99 per month for Unlimited Bootcamp Training, college students can train with us from May 13th through August 31st for only $199!!! Save BIG and feel great going back to school in the fall. Our Small Group Training pricing is $275 per month, but for our clients coming home from college, the small group training is discounted at $200 per month.
SPORTS TEAM TRAINING: We are so appreciative that we have become the go-to training facility for many local sports teams – AND also for athletes from the same team who arrange discounted private training sessions. In today’s world we have to be much more proactive with our kids’ training so they keep that competitive edge and go on to the next level of play. So whether your kids or teens just miss exercise and training, or they are part of a sports team who is interested in working on strength, speed, agility and overall conditioning, give us a call! 908-428-7978. We will customize a program just for them!
SMALL GROUP TRAINING: This is a new service for !MPACT, as Sean Fagan brought this style of training with him when he joined our team. These are specific workouts designed by one of our trainers, and are posted on our huge white boards. And there is always a Personal Trainer guiding you through each of these workouts, so you are never alone. These Small Group Training Sessions have a limited number of participants are great for both fat-burning and for building lean muscle . . . And our trainers will PUSH you so you are using challenging weights and other equipment, but of course, safe for your fitness level. If you are interested in signing up for this monthly service, or you would like more information on the days and times we offer our Small Group Training (or pricing), please call Sean at 908-240-5660.
VERTIMAX TRAINING: If you are an elite athlete or have a child or teen who is an athlete, you may want to consider Vertimax Training with one of our Personal Trainers. This is a special piece of equipment is designed to help an athlete become faster, stronger and more explosive. Give us a call to set up and appointment! 908-428-7978.
!MPACT OFFERS ½ HOUR PERSONAL TRAINING SESSIONS IN ADDITION TO OUR 50-MINUTE SESSIONS: Some people are pressed for time, others juggling finances . . . but one thing for sure, many of you are making fitness a priority for yourself or your kids. You now have the option to come for a full, 50-minute personal training session — OR come for a 30-minute personal training session. Either way, we will CUSTOMIZE your training! We will help you set some goals AND then take action! During this 30-minute session, you will perform a quick & effective warm-up, work all your major muscle groups, stimulate your core, build lean muscle, and burn calories and fat. These sessions are customized to meet your needs, and you can also do it with a friend! And maybe you have a young athlete who you think could benefit from some one-on-one training. Thirty-minute sessions are extremely affordable. Call us today to find out pricing for these sessions . . . You can pay as you come or purchase a discounted 10-Pack or 20-pack of 30-Minute or 50-Minute Sessions. No excuses . . . you can do it now!
FREE IN-BODY SERVICE AT !MPACT!! This is a service that many local gyms and fitness facilities charge $40 per tracking session . . .and we are offering it for FREE at !MPACT Training to ALL of our clients! This hospital-grade piece of equipment is 98% accurate, and it doesn’t just measure your “weight” but more importantly it measures your BODY COMPOSITION (lean muscle and body fat, in addition to hydration and more)! And you receive a comprehensive print-out with all the data from your In-Body weigh-in, so we can use it to create a game plan for outlining your health and fitness goals based on your results . . . And who couldn’t use another layer of accountability? It’s also exciting to track your progress after just a few weeks to see those numbers improve! If you are interested in setting up an appointment, please give Sean a call: 908-240-5560.
NEW !MPACT REFERRAL BONUS: As a way to reward our present loyal clients (in addition to welcoming new clients), we are offering a brand NEW referral program. If you refer a client who purchases a Discount 10-Pack of 50-Minute Personal Training sessions, YOU will receive a $50 credit towards your own training! So spread the word and save on training. Our goal is to help as many community members as we can to get healthy and FIT!!
DO YOU NEED A PUSH? . . . DO YOU NEED AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER? Please give us a call so we can give you a complimentary consultation to discuss your fitness goals — whether that be weight-loss, improved sports performance, improved strength and muscle tone, etc. Our discounted Personal Training programs (10-Packs and 20-Packs available at a discounted rate – rather than pay-as-you-go) are the BEST way to stay accountable to your trainer and YOURSELF! Also, we have started using our new In-Body weight and body composition tracking equipment at the start of your training, and we help you set your goals so you are healthier AND happier than you’ve ever been. Let 2021 be YOUR year to become the best version of yourself! Or maybe you have a youth or teen athlete that needs to get stronger or more conditioned for their sport of choice. And we have plenty of Covid19 safety protocols in place to provide a safe and effective workout. Come to !MPACT . . . We got your back, and we will help you set AND reach your fitness goals! Call Mike 908-403-7605 or Sean 908-240-5660 and we will get you going!
WHAT ARE OUR !MPACT UNLIMITED BOOTCAMPS ALL ABOUT? They are a great workout, no matter your age or fitness level AND it’s true . . . We are a community, a lifestyle, a culture, a family. We offer bootcamps for adults and teens (ages 13+), and we offer variations to the exercises so that we meet you WHERE YOU ARE. Injury prevention is our top priority, and we have a darn good time at our bootcamps too! The groups are not large, and everyone is spaced out with a cone (10 ft. apart). Each participant sets up their station with the dumbbells and other equipment the trainer outlines for the group. Then the fun begins . . . the trainer demonstrates each exercise, with a variation for those who need it. The workout is 45-minutes long, and we also offer Virtual Unlimited Bootcamps for those who prefer to do them at home via Zoom. Below you will see the Unlimited Bootcamp Schedule – and give us a call if you are interested in a FREE TRIAL! Call Mike 908-403-7605 or Sean 908-240-5660 and we will get you on track for success! We gotta get moving! #summerbodiesaremadeinthewinter
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A COPY OF OUR UNLIMITED BOOTCAMP SCHEDULE – and please call us for one-on-one, partner, semi-private training, and small group training — as those are booked by appointment only.
CLICK HERE FOR PRICING – UNLIMITED BOOTCAMP TRAINING
Have a healthy day!
Hillarie & Michael Scannelli, Sean Fagan
& our !MPACT Team (Glenn & Christian)
(and of course, Nico & Roscoe included J)