Weight Loss Biochemistry

Who's ready for a science lesson? 😉

While weight loss isn’t our main focus here at CCN, I would be lying if I told you that CCN doesn’t support weight loss. We support the whole body and our systems working together to heal what’s broken. While many clients come to us with broken metabolisms, we often target other areas first to heal how we utilize and store fat cells. First, we must ensure we’re not hosting pathogens to feast on our nutrients so we clear out the gut. Then we need to make sure our body is properly removing wastes, such as detoxification. Then, we can start working with the metabolic system and how it fuels and burns. But everything we teach is aligned with long-term success, real results, and if needed, weight loss.

The added weight and scale itself take an emotional toll. However, it's not something we like to focus solely on. Hopefully, weight loss isn’t the only reason you’re here. Hopefully, after living the CCN Way of Life, you’re feeling like your best self and not so hyper-focused on a fleeting number. But if you’re here and still want a deeper dive into weight loss (including its emotional and mental aspects), our weight loss masterclass is a helpful place for additional support!

All that to say, I want to take you down a little road called physiology and biochemistry. The lesson is: where does the weight go once it’s burned?

Giving you all the opportunities to understand the process your body undergoes gives you more love and appreciation for your body. So next time you’re going through something, you can be thankful and proud instead of negative!

The physiological process of weight loss is underappreciated in the world of diet. Fat loss occurs when fats are liberated from adipocytes into circulation to supply the needed energy. When weight loss is a goal, it’s important to realize we are trying to lose body fat, not muscle, and not water.

All fats, whether solid or liquid, exist in chemical form as triglycerides, which consist of a glycerol molecule and three fatty acid chains. Each triglyceride macromolecule resembles the letter “E,” with the glycerol being the vertical line and the fatty acids being the three horizontal lines.

Many of these triglycerides are stored as droplets of oil within the fat cells that make up the fat tissue throughout the body. They represent a fuel source to support bodily activities; think of them like gasoline held in a car's fuel tank.

CCN talks a lot about burning fat as fuel. When we burn fat as fuel, we become more energetic, we have more stable hormones, and we can have sustainable weight loss success. Eating the CCN way alone improves this process, and adding the right amount of weight training/cardio combo fires it up!

When we do this, the enzyme hormone-sensitive lipase in fat cells responds to hormonal messages and disassembles triglycerides into their component glycerol and fatty acids. These components then slip out of the fat cells and into the bloodstream, where they are accessible to tissues throughout the body. The liver preferentially absorbs the glycerol and some of the fatty acids – the remainder of which muscle takes in. This synthesis kicks off the citric acid cycle (or Krebs cycle), a set of chemical reactions that creates usable energy from fat, protein, and carbohydrates. As these mitochondrial activities unfold, they generate carbon dioxide, water, heat, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an energy-carrying molecule that fuels cellular activities.

Carbon dioxide is then expelled from the lungs during exhalation. Water exits the body as urine and perspiration. See how important it is to optimize our entire organ system? What if our lungs are weak and can’t handle expelling this much carbon dioxide? What if our livers are sluggish and backed up and can’t process the glycerol properly? Then, we start to develop diseases and other health-related issues.

The plus side of CCN, besides all the cellular level benefits, is that we target fat cells to burn for fuel so that you can become a more toned, healthier version of yourself!