Muscle burns fat.  So, it makes sense that while dieting to lose unwanted body fat, one must  maintain or build muscle.  Typically though, people cut calories without taking serious consideration of what to cut and what not to cut and they generally cut back on sweets, treats, and meats.

While the sweets and treats are correct to eliminate, the meats are not.  Protein is far superior to any other food source at controlling appetite, building and maintaining muscle, and allowing one to lose body fat and keep it off.

This new study concluded that people who ate 30 percent of total calories from protein, including lean sources of pork, in their diet retained more lean body mass while losing weight.

In fact, the higher protein group retained nearly double the amount of lean body mass (losing just 3.3 pounds of lean mass) compared to the women on the normal protein diet (who lost 6.2 pounds of lean mass). 

Keep your protein sources low in fat by choosing cuts of meat with the word "loin" on the label, such as sirloin, pork tenderloin or loin chop.  Other great sources of protein are fish, eggs and egg whites, chicken breasts, and good 'ol canned light tuna.