how exactly are calories burned?

cwolfman13 wrote: »

rsm193 wrote: »

I use to think calories were burned by the sweat you produce but i guess i am wrong according to another thread i was reading....so how exactly how calories burn and how do you lose weight burning those calories?

You "burn" calories 24/7...you burn a *kitten* ton of calories by merely existing.

A calorie is just a unit of energy. Your body requires so much energy to function optimally and maintain the status quot. I huge chunk of this energy requisite is you simply existing...these are your BMR calorie requisites. Beyond that, if you're not in a coma you do all kinds of stuff during the day...all that stuff from brushing your teeth to driving your car to typing on your keyboard burns calories. This is called your NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.

In most cases, outside of being an athlete, your BMR + your NEAT is going to make up the bulk of your energy (calorie) requisites. After that you have exercise...and in most cases, energy requisites for exercise pale in comparison to your BMR and NEAT.

So, when you consume more energy than your body requires, that energy is stored as body fat...your energy reserves. When you consume less energy than your body requires, that difference is made up by burning stored energy (body fat). When you consume a balance of energy you maintain the status quo.

evileen99 wrote: »

rsm193 wrote: »

Maybe im just ignorant but dont you pratically breathe in what you breathe out?

Actually, you breathe out a little less than you breathe in. For every 250 ml of oxygen your body takes in, it produces 200 ml of carbon dioxide. So the amount of gas exhaled is slightly less than the amount inhaled.