When you stop eating food does your body eat muscle or fat first?

I am not a doctor but I do live a very active and healthy lifestyle and I do know this; When you stop eating or if you go on a very low calorie diet your body will store any fat you put in it for an emergency (survival mode) and will start to use other things in your body such as muscle for energy.

Your body does not know that you want it to burn all the extra fat it has, all it knows is that it was used to (for example) 2500 calories/day and now its only getting 1200. So if you do things too drastic like starve yourself or do a super low calorie diet for more than a couple days your body will indeed burn muscle tissue instead of fat tissue for energy. you will also feel weak and have less energy for normal daily activities.

Best advice to anyone wanting to lose weight. Start by cutting calories by no more than 15% of daily intake (if you eat 2000/day cut to no less than 1700) Also clean up your food, no canned or boxed or pre made foods. If you eat 15% less calories and its all whole clean foods you will not only feel better you will start to lose weight and a good pace. Crash diets never work, lifestyle change is the key to long term health and weight success.

Check your RDI based on your height and weight to determine how many cals you should be eating. then take 15% off that to lose weight.