Does losing weight accelerate the loss of lean tissue?
When losing weight quickly, research demonstrates that 75% of the weight lost on a very low calorie diet is from body-fat stores and 25% lean body mass (Saris H.M. 2001, Very-low-calorie-diets and sustained weight loss. Obesity Research 9: supplement 4, pp295 – 5301). This is likely to be because weight is gained in the ratio of 75% fat to 25% lean tissue (the additional muscle and bone needed to carry the extra fat around). When you lose weight you no longer need the lean tissue gained to support the excess weight, so you’d expect this to be lost. After a few days on a low carbohydrate diet you’ll go into ketosis. While in ketosis, as long as you maintain an adequate intake of protein your body will burn fat for energy. If an adequate level of protein isn’t maintained, your body may break down muscle to provide an energy source. The Key2weight weight loss programme is designed to ensure that adequate levels of protein are maintained so there is no need to worry about this!
