what happens to calories?

I curious...what exactly happens to a colorie when you 'burn' it? In
other words, where does it go, how and when does it leave your body?
If you burned 3500 colories, say on some exercise machine, and then
went to weigh yourself, would you be a pound lighter than you were
before you exercised?

"alice" wrote in message
oups.com...
I curious...what exactly happens to a colorie when you 'burn' it? In
other words, where does it go, how and when does it leave your body?
If you burned 3500 colories, say on some exercise machine, and then
went to weigh yourself, would you be a pound lighter than you were
before you exercised?


The process is fairly complex. Grab a biology book from a use college book
store and you can see the whole chemical breakdown process....

By definition a "calorie" is a unit of energy, measured as the amount of
energy it takes to raise the temp of 1 gram of water 1 degree celcius. But
the calorie you read on food labels is actually 1 kilocalorie (kcal) which
is the equivilant to 1000 calories, or the amount of energy it takes to
raise 1000 grams of water 1 degree celcius.
Our bodies burn calories through metabolic processes, where enzymes break
the carbohydrates into glucose and other sugars, the fats into glycerol and
fatty acids and the proteins into amino acids. These molecules are then
transported through the bloodstream to the cells, where they are either
absorbed for immediate use or sent on to the final stage of metabolism in
which they are reacted with oxygen to release their stored energy.

When you exercise for a long period of time in order to burn 3500 calories
without replenishing with food (a feat that is very difficult to accomplish
by the way) then your body will turn to its fat (and muscle) stores to begin
metabolizing the "food" for the body to be used by the cells in the body
thru the metabolic process I briefly mentioned above.

But there are other things to consider. In order to burn 3500 calories, it
is going to take time and energy. For instance, I can walk 10 miles and
burn about 1200 calories. So, to burn 3500 calories I'd have to walk 30
miles. That would take me about 7-8 hours to complete. Do you think
someone is going to do that without stopping for some refueling in the way
of food or drink?

Also, when I exercise, I drink water, which although it doesn't add calories
and it does help aid the digestion and elimination of waste from the body
(some of that waste being the byproduct of the above mentioned metabolic
process, thus flushing unused *stuff* out of the system). as the body is
expelling energy, it is requiring extra use of the cells, and the cells will
take on the additional water and fluid and retain that. So I will not expel
all the water I've drunk, which then means that in the end, I'll be
retaining extra water. Its not added weight, but it does appear that way if
you step on the scale.

You see, it is highly unlikely that someone would exercise long enough to
burn 3500 calories without stopping for some sort of replinishment that will
affect the scale as soon as you are done with the exercise.

--
LFM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm walking to save lives. You can help me by donating.
http://www.the3day.org/tampabay07/jford

LFM wrote:
"alice" wrote in message
oups.com...
I curious...what exactly happens to a colorie when you 'burn' it? In
other words, where does it go, how and when does it leave your body?
If you burned 3500 colories, say on some exercise machine, and then
went to weigh yourself, would you be a pound lighter than you were
before you exercised?


The process is fairly complex. Grab a biology book from a use college book
store and you can see the whole chemical breakdown process....

By definition a "calorie" is a unit of energy, measured as the amount of
energy it takes to raise the temp of 1 gram of water 1 degree celcius. But
the calorie you read on food labels is actually 1 kilocalorie (kcal) which
is the equivilant to 1000 calories, or the amount of energy it takes to
raise 1000 grams of water 1 degree celcius.
Our bodies burn calories through metabolic processes, where enzymes break
the carbohydrates into glucose and other sugars, the fats into glycerol and
fatty acids and the proteins into amino acids. These molecules are then
transported through the bloodstream to the cells, where they are either
absorbed for immediate use or sent on to the final stage of metabolism in
which they are reacted with oxygen to release their stored energy.

When you exercise for a long period of time in order to burn 3500 calories
without replenishing with food (a feat that is very difficult to accomplish
by the way) then your body will turn to its fat (and muscle) stores to begin
metabolizing the "food" for the body to be used by the cells in the body
thru the metabolic process I briefly mentioned above.

But there are other things to consider. In order to burn 3500 calories, it
is going to take time and energy. For instance, I can walk 10 miles and
burn about 1200 calories. So, to burn 3500 calories I'd have to walk 30
miles. That would take me about 7-8 hours to complete. Do you think
someone is going to do that without stopping for some refueling in the way
of food or drink?

Also, when I exercise, I drink water, which although it doesn't add calories
and it does help aid the digestion and elimination of waste from the body
(some of that waste being the byproduct of the above mentioned metabolic
process, thus flushing unused *stuff* out of the system). as the body is
expelling energy, it is requiring extra use of the cells, and the cells will
take on the additional water and fluid and retain that. So I will not expel
all the water I've drunk, which then means that in the end, I'll be
retaining extra water. Its not added weight, but it does appear that way if
you step on the scale.

You see, it is highly unlikely that someone would exercise long enough to
burn 3500 calories without stopping for some sort of replinishment that will
affect the scale as soon as you are done with the exercise.



Damn, but that was a good lecture. More of this whenever you have the
time. We are all students and NEED to learn - especially about diet.
Thanx for taking the time to lay it out.

Mal

On Aug 9, 7:18 pm, "LFM" wrote:
"alice" wrote in message

oups.com...

I curious...what exactly happens to a colorie when you 'burn' it? In
other words, where does it go, how and when does it leave your body?
If you burned 3500 colories, say on some exercise machine, and then
went to weigh yourself, would you be a pound lighter than you were
before you exercised?

The process is fairly complex. Grab a biology book from a use college book
store and you can see the whole chemical breakdown process....

By definition a "calorie" is a unit of energy, measured as the amount of
energy it takes to raise the temp of 1 gram of water 1 degree celcius. But
the calorie you read on food labels is actually 1 kilocalorie (kcal) which
is the equivilant to 1000 calories, or the amount of energy it takes to
raise 1000 grams of water 1 degree celcius.
Our bodies burn calories through metabolic processes, where enzymes break
the carbohydrates into glucose and other sugars, the fats into glycerol and
fatty acids and the proteins into amino acids. These molecules are then
transported through the bloodstream to the cells, where they are either
absorbed for immediate use or sent on to the final stage of metabolism in
which they are reacted with oxygen to release their stored energy.

When you exercise for a long period of time in order to burn 3500 calories
without replenishing with food (a feat that is very difficult to accomplish
by the way) then your body will turn to its fat (and muscle) stores to begin
metabolizing the "food" for the body to be used by the cells in the body
thru the metabolic process I briefly mentioned above.

But there are other things to consider. In order to burn 3500 calories, it
is going to take time and energy. For instance, I can walk 10 miles and
burn about 1200 calories. So, to burn 3500 calories I'd have to walk 30
miles. That would take me about 7-8 hours to complete. Do you think
someone is going to do that without stopping for some refueling in the way
of food or drink?

Also, when I exercise, I drink water, which although it doesn't add calories
and it does help aid the digestion and elimination of waste from the body
(some of that waste being the byproduct of the above mentioned metabolic
process, thus flushing unused *stuff* out of the system). as the body is
expelling energy, it is requiring extra use of the cells, and the cells will
take on the additional water and fluid and retain that. So I will not expel
all the water I've drunk, which then means that in the end, I'll be
retaining extra water. Its not added weight, but it does appear that way if
you step on the scale.

You see, it is highly unlikely that someone would exercise long enough to
burn 3500 calories without stopping for some sort of replinishment that will
affect the scale as soon as you are done with the exercise.

--
LFM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm walking to save lives. You can help me by donating.http://www.the3day.org/tampabay07/jford

Thanks, that really is informative. I'm still a bit confused though.
How does "weight" leave the body, is it all through "going to the
bathroom", or does it leave through sweat, or some other seamingly
'invisible' method?

"alice" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Aug 9, 7:18 pm, "LFM" wrote:
"alice" wrote in message

oups.com...

I curious...what exactly happens to a colorie when you 'burn' it? In
other words, where does it go, how and when does it leave your body?
If you burned 3500 colories, say on some exercise machine, and then
went to weigh yourself, would you be a pound lighter than you were
before you exercised?

The process is fairly complex. Grab a biology book from a use college
book
store and you can see the whole chemical breakdown process....

By definition a "calorie" is a unit of energy, measured as the amount of
energy it takes to raise the temp of 1 gram of water 1 degree celcius.
But
the calorie you read on food labels is actually 1 kilocalorie (kcal)
which
is the equivilant to 1000 calories, or the amount of energy it takes to
raise 1000 grams of water 1 degree celcius.
Our bodies burn calories through metabolic processes, where enzymes break
the carbohydrates into glucose and other sugars, the fats into glycerol
and
fatty acids and the proteins into amino acids. These molecules are then
transported through the bloodstream to the cells, where they are either
absorbed for immediate use or sent on to the final stage of metabolism in
which they are reacted with oxygen to release their stored energy.

When you exercise for a long period of time in order to burn 3500
calories
without replenishing with food (a feat that is very difficult to
accomplish
by the way) then your body will turn to its fat (and muscle) stores to
begin
metabolizing the "food" for the body to be used by the cells in the body
thru the metabolic process I briefly mentioned above.

But there are other things to consider. In order to burn 3500 calories,
it
is going to take time and energy. For instance, I can walk 10 miles and
burn about 1200 calories. So, to burn 3500 calories I'd have to walk 30
miles. That would take me about 7-8 hours to complete. Do you think
someone is going to do that without stopping for some refueling in the
way
of food or drink?

Also, when I exercise, I drink water, which although it doesn't add
calories
and it does help aid the digestion and elimination of waste from the body
(some of that waste being the byproduct of the above mentioned metabolic
process, thus flushing unused *stuff* out of the system). as the body is
expelling energy, it is requiring extra use of the cells, and the cells
will
take on the additional water and fluid and retain that. So I will not
expel
all the water I've drunk, which then means that in the end, I'll be
retaining extra water. Its not added weight, but it does appear that way
if
you step on the scale.

You see, it is highly unlikely that someone would exercise long enough to
burn 3500 calories without stopping for some sort of replinishment that
will
affect the scale as soon as you are done with the exercise.

--
LFM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm walking to save lives. You can help me by
donating.http://www.the3day.org/tampabay07/jford

Thanks, that really is informative. I'm still a bit confused though.
How does "weight" leave the body, is it all through "going to the
bathroom", or does it leave through sweat, or some other seamingly
'invisible' method?


Good question.

Think of a wood log on the fire. It burns, and when its done burning - its
smaller. The burning process produces heat - heat = energy - using up the
solid material and turning what's left into ash. Then there is the "waste"
which is the ashes left behind and the gases expelled into the air.

Very similarly, this is a basic analogy to what happens inside the body. So
to answer your question - Yes - when you go to the bathroom, sweat, and
other invisible methods is how your body decreases its weight durning the
calorie burning process. (given that you are not replenishing the body with
more food in excess of what your body is processing).



--
LFM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm walking to save lives. You can help me by donating.
http://www.the3day.org/tampabay07/jford

"alice" wrote in message
ups.com...
Thanks, that really is informative. I'm still a bit confused though.
How does "weight" leave the body, is it all through "going to the
bathroom", or does it leave through sweat, or some other seamingly
'invisible' method?


You sweat. You exhale water vapor and carbon dioxide. You urinate and
defecate. All reduce weight.

alice wrote:

I curious...what exactly happens to a colorie when you 'burn' it? In
other words, where does it go, how and when does it leave your body?

In a very simple sense, nearly the same as when machines burn
fuel - the exhaust has water, carbon dioxide, some pollutants.

If you burned 3500 colories, say on some exercise machine, and then
went to weigh yourself, would you be a pound lighter than you were
before you exercised?

Correct.

Carbs and fat burn to water and carbon dioxide. The CO2 comes out
in the breath. The water is exhaled, sweated, ****ed.

Protein burns to water, carbon dioxide and urea. The urea is ****ed
out.

Carbs and protein yield 4 calories per gram, fat 9 calories per gram.

"Doug Freyburger" wrote in message
ups.com...
alice wrote:

I curious...what exactly happens to a colorie when you 'burn' it? In
other words, where does it go, how and when does it leave your body?

In a very simple sense, nearly the same as when machines burn
fuel - the exhaust has water, carbon dioxide, some pollutants.

If you burned 3500 colories, say on some exercise machine, and then
went to weigh yourself, would you be a pound lighter than you were
before you exercised?

Correct.

doesnt' the burning of the body's glycogen release the water bound to the
sugar, causing the loss of more than 1 pound in the short term, until the
glycogen stores are rebuilt?

Carbs and fat burn to water and carbon dioxide. The CO2 comes out
in the breath. The water is exhaled, sweated, ****ed.

Protein burns to water, carbon dioxide and urea. The urea is ****ed
out.

Carbs and protein yield 4 calories per gram, fat 9 calories per gram.

"Del Cecchi" wrote:
"Doug Freyburger" wrote:
alice wrote:

If you burned 3500 colories, say on some exercise machine, and then
went to weigh yourself, would you be a pound lighter than you were
before you exercised?

Correct.

doesnt' the burning of the body's glycogen release the water bound to the
sugar, causing the loss of more than 1 pound in the short term, until the
glycogen stores are rebuilt?

Thanks for the correction. To lose a pound of fat you'd need to
burn 3500 calories by resting metabolism and/or exercise. But
exercise is far from 100% efficient at burning fat.

I know the conversion from glycogen to energy heat is 4 calories
per gram, but glycogen is stored by dissolving it in water. Pure
glycogen would be 1800 calories per pound of it lost but it is
never pure. I don't know the ratio of water in the solution. Four
to one would be 360 calories per pound of glycogen-plus-solution.
That's very very roughly ten times the loss rate of only fat.