Q: Please tell me what type of exercise and amount of calories intake I should do in order to lose about 10 to 15 pounds. I am a 50 year old female and my present weight in 152 lbs. I don't have an exercise routine... any suggestions?

A: Even though there are flaws with the premise of counting calories, I can tell you that for permanent and healthy fat loss, where you lose only fat and not muscle and skin tone, you must stay between a 300 to 500 Calorie daily deficit.  This is made extremely easy if you upgrade your fitness and metabolism so that you burn energy and fat no matter what you're doing!  I should also mention that to decrease your caloric intake below 1200 calories is extremely dangerous and unhealthy for women.  Not only that, but you will also slow down and ruin your body's ability to burn fat, likely gaining it back with interest in the future.

There are four things you must consider in your quest for super fitness:  concern for muscle, moderate cardiovascular activity, flexible joints, balanced nutrition, and plenty of rest and relaxation.  I like to recommend to beginners that they should balance their posture, joints, and muscular structures, so they decrease risk of injury and improve their results.  I recommend looking into the Pilates method as a starting point for most people, because it does not unnecessarily strain the body, it creates a long, lean look in the body, strengthens and increases flexibility in joints and muscles, and stimulates the cardiovascular system.  It's also very efficient, and 3 to 4 sessions of 20 minutes can be worth hours of walking!  However, walking 3 to 5 days a week is also recommended because of it's superior ability to improve aerobic fitness, second only to swimming.

The last thing you should remember is to be patient!  Changing your body the healthy way takes time, and because it takes time you should keep track in a journal.  Without someone there telling you what to do, it's the next best way to keep yourself honest.  For more information, especially about the Pilates method, please let me know!