Dieting? - Don't waste away!

Muscle wasting can result from a poor dietary plan. Both excessive cutting of calories and limiting your protein intake can result in the loss of lean muscle tissue. While you will lose weight, you will also lose strength and your metabolism will slow down. Dieting should leave you healthier, not

weaker.

You require protein for muscle maintenance. Your protein needs to be increased if you are exercising, so if you begin an exercise program and cut your protein intake, you are working at counter-purposes.

Very low-calorie diets cause muscle wasting and slow your metabolism. Very low-calories also reduce your hormone function, which makes it even harder to burn fat and maintain lean muscle mass.

A decrease in your basal metabolic speed over time makes it more difficult for you to lose body fat. To avoid this, you must get enough protein and avoid extremely low calorie diets. Failing to do so can undermine your dietary efforts.