How do you know when your body starts burning muscle tissue for fuel instead of fat?

Question

Wouldnt your body have to be completely tone for this to happen?

Answer 1

No, you can burn muscle even if you have plenty of body fat.

It's not really a matter of BMI, but rather how many calories you take in. If you do a lot of cardio, but don't take in enough calories, you will burn fat AND lose muscle tissue. It's not like you start with one and then go to the other; you lose both at the same time.

In order to avoid this, you have to make sure you're getting enough calories, especially protein. Always eat breakfast and never skip meals. Do resistance training and interval training (sprints).

I've tried a million times cutting calories and exercising more, and it never worked. I could never seem to lose that last 10 pounds. Finally a trainer told me that I wasn't eating enough calories! I was destroying my lean body mass.

Muscle tissue burns more calories. In the end, you will lose more weight from the calories your muscle tissue burns while you are sitting still, than you will lose from the calories you burn during exercise.

Answer 2

If you eat a proper diet this should not happen. If you are starving yourself your body will burn muscle over fat since muscle contains more "fuel" for your body than fat.

Answer 3

Probably when you find you start to lose weight on the scales, but your measurements stay the same. HTH.

Answer 4

to much cadio can do this. read more tips on healthier eating and exercise on this site