One thing you really need to watch out for when you begin on a diet program is muscle mass loss. Because your muscle mass is essentially the most metabolically active tissue in the body, it will be what's going to help you maintain your weight well into the future.

Basically, the more muscle mass you have, the more food you can eat and not gain weight.

Sounds like a good set-up to me.

When dieting though, you are at an increased risk for seeing a loss of muscle mass, therefore it will be incredibly important that you take measures in order to prevent this.

Listed below are the four biggest reasons why you might experience a decrease in muscle mass tissue.

Not Enough Protein

Protein is basically the one nutrient that is going to supply your body with the amino acids it needs in order to rebuild the muscle tissues.

Each workout you do, you break down muscle tissue.

If you don't eat protein to compensate for this, you won't rebuild that muscle tissue back up.

A lack of protein is the single biggest dietary mistake you can make.

What's worse is that when you diet, since you are not taking in as many calories as your body would like, it will begin to use what protein you do consume for energy to burn. This means less protein is left for muscle repair.

Again, you can see how this would increase your protein needs.

Too Few Calories

On top of the protein issue, if you take in too few calories, you will also set yourself up to lose muscle mass.

While you definitely do need to take in less, take in too few and your metabolism will try and remove the most energy-costly tissue in the body so it doesn't burn as much just sitting there.

Any guesses what this is? (apart from the vital organs of course -which it cannot get rid of) That's right, your muscles.

Loads of Cardio

On the workout side of the equation, too much cardio will also promote the loss of lean muscle mass.

Think about this for a second. When you're trying to get your body to cover great distances - be it running or otherwise, what's going to make this task easier?

A lighter body weight.

And what weighs more, cubic inch by cubic inch? Muscle does. Therefore, rather than getting rid of fat - your goal, it will get rid of muscle.

Not what you're aiming for.

Lack of Strength Training

Finally, the last reason that can promote the loss of muscle mass loss is a lack of strength training.

Strength training will send a message to the body that says - "I need this muscle mass to perform this task". This then helps you keep that muscle mass, while burning fat mass instead.

If no strength training is done, why does the body really need that tissue?

Again, it burns the most calories so when there is a lack of fuel being sensed, it will be the first to go.

Give your body a reason to keep it - strength training.

So, have a good look at your current approach to fat loss. Are you making any of these errors?