Like a lot of people, you’ve probably made it a point to start working toward your ideal physique, especially with summer right around the corner. Also like most people, you probably haven’t been seeing any desirable results just yet. If you’re struggling to see any tangible results from your workouts, perhaps it’s time to step back and take a scientific approach to weight loss. A YouTube video uploaded by Life Noggin breaks down the actual science behind losing weight.

Enjoy that sore feeling after the gym, because that little bit of pain means your muscles are about to get bigger. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is soreness that begins to develop 12 to 24 hours after physical activity, as opposed to acute soreness which occurs during a workout. That muscle damage caused by a strenuous workout is the beginning of muscle growth. As the body fuses muscle fiber together, muscle protein strands are formed leading to muscle thickness and growth.

On the other hand, if you’re just looking to lose fat, then it’s best to know how our body gets rid of it. Surprisingly, we actually exhale it. After the body metabolizes fat, it’s left with carbon dioxide, water, and energy. Around 84 percent of the fat we lose is turned into carbon dioxide and exits the body through the lungs. The majority of that remaining 16 percent of fat is turned into water and excreted via urination.