Q. I am a 26 year old male and want to lose about 10-15 pounds ... the healthy way. I want to incorporate cardiovascular and strength training. What are your recommendations?

A. Weight control can be quite a challenge and I applaud your effort. Proper, permanent weight loss takes time so be patient. Your best program combines healthy eating with proper exercise. Neither diet nor exercise alone is as effective as when the two are combined in to a one-two punch.

Learn about your foods and beverages by learning to read labels. Keep your fat intake low (not easy because it is hidden everywhere), keep your portions small (not easy in the USA where portions are huge), eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and drink 8 - 8oz. glasses of water a day. Learn to count calories. For every 3500 calories you go into debt, thru proper eating and exercise, you lose 1 pound. If you can drop 500 calories a day, you lose 1 pound a week. Relatively slow but safe. It's about both the quantity and quality of the food and beverages you consume.

For exercise build up to 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise (walking, cycling etc.) 4 or 5 days out of the week. Strength training is essential to fat loss and weight control. Muscle tissue is highly active from a metabolic standpoint and having more muscle or “lean” tissue on your frame helps you burn more calories both during activity and even at rest. 2 or 3 weight training sessions a week, working all major muscle groups, is all you need. Never work the same muscle group two days in a row to allow for recovery and growth.

As you can see, I’m not a big believer of any “fad” diets or extreme diets. Most individuals don’t need them. They are hard to sustain for the long run and this is why so many individuals see great results initially only to fall off the wagon and re-gain all lost pounds, and then some. I prefer sustainable lifestyle changes that you can commit to, for life. It’s like the difference between a lasting marriage and a Hollywood one.

Always check with your doctor before starting any new exercise or diet program especially if you have any medical or orthopaedic issues.