Why I think the body might burn muscle for fuel

[vgbblife]

First off I wrote some of this at the end of another post http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=108570421

but I feel like it is off-topic and I want to give it its own post.

I came to the theory that the body burns muscle only if the body is in a state of creating its own fuel for a long period of time. I don't feel that it is how much calories the body is in need of, but for how long.
This is how I got to the conclusion..

Body gets fuel from 3 sources, 1. the immediate food you just ate, the carbs for the most part if not all, 2. The body's fat stores, 3. The body's muscle.

To lose weight, there needs to be a time when there is not enough available immediate sources of energy so the body can burn fat for fuel. It seems to me that our current method of loosing weight is that the body can't be in a state of creating its own fuel for a long time, because too much and then it might start to burn muscle.

I asked myself when the body requires burning muscle for energy. It doesn't make sense to me that, depending on how much fuel the body has to create, the body suddenly requires muscles to burn for fuel. Because then, what is stopping the body from just using muscle for energy in the first place?

Then it hit me. Maybe the body only starts burning muscle for energy if the body is creating its own fuel for extended periods of time. Like, the body will start to burn fat for fuel first. But if the body has to keep burning the fat for fuel for a long time, it starts to burn muscle.

I think I'm on the money because then you look at how having a high metabolism and eating 6 meals a day is the best way to burn fat and keep muscle. Because one of the many advantages is that your body is using its fat stores when needed, but eventually a new meal comes and the need to start burning muscles isn't there. Anyone feel free to share your facts/opinions, I'm no expert, just trying to figure out why, when, our body needs to burn muscle for energy instead of fat.

If I'm wrong, then its really a matter of how many calories the body needs at a certain moment before it starts to want to burn muscle. For some people, could this mean burning muscle for energy first?

Does maybe the act of burning muscle for fuel be something that could allow our muscle to grow? Sort of like how we destroy cells when we work out?