Page 69 - Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon PDF Program

both resistance training must be occurring at some point for your muscle mass to be
preserved in the face of a caloric deficit.

While long term caloric restriction on its own can cause you to lose muscle mass

(such is the case with hospital patients who are on a low-calorie diet and confined to
bed rest), the combination of caloric restriction with resistance exercises has been
proven to be very effective at preserving your muscle mass.

Research published in 1999 found that when men and women followed a 12 week diet
consisting of only 800 calories and around 80 grams of protein per day, they were able

to maintain their muscle mass as long as they were exercising with weights three
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times per week.

In another study published in 1999, obese men restricted their caloric intake by

eating 1,000 calories less per day than they normally ate for 16 weeks. They took part
in a weight-training program three days a week and were able to maintain all of their
muscle mass while losing over 20 pounds of body fat!
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In yet another study, 38 obese women undertaking a reduced-calorie diet for 16 weeks
were also able to maintain their muscle mass by training with weights three times per

week.
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As long as you are using your muscles, they will not waste away during short periods
of dieting. From my experience in the sports supplement industry, I can tell you that

drug-free bodybuilders and fitness athletes constantly undergo 16- to 20-week periods
of very-low-calorie diets while maintaining all of their muscle mass as they prepare for
bodybuilding contests.

The muscle preserving effects of exercise are even evident in older populations. When
29 men and women between the ages of 60 and 75 dieted for 4 months, the group that

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