But you don t want to eat so much that your energy needs are satisfied without having to draw fat from the fat stores. Bulk Provides Brakes . The bulk provided by fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains ensures that you won't eat more carbohydrates than your body can handle. Imagine eating 5 baked potatoes at one sitting. To supply the additional energy, the body draws fat from the fat stores and you lose weight.
Muscle is the tissue in the body that burns fat.
The more muscle you have, the more fat-burning capacity you have. If you don't exercise, the muscle is broken down and not rebuilt. Over the years the loss of muscle can become significant. This doesn't have to be you. By exercising you protect your muscle from being broken down.