im 40 yr old poz for 5 years great appetite, my md says i could stand to lose 20 lbs its mostly in my stomach and pectoral area i walk alot but thats all the exercise i get or should i just limit my portions of food i do live in new orleans and this is very hard here with all the great food we have what would you suggest?

You should definitely do what your doctor says. I know how hard it is to follow a diet in New Orleans, where the food is so tasty and so full of calories! I live in Houston and we have tex mex and cajun as our main foods.

Try to fill yourself with fruits and vegetables, nuts, lean meats, lots of water, and exercise four times a week with 30 minutes of cardio (you need to sweat) and 45 minutes of machines/weights. Have your doctor also check your hormones to make sure you are ok.

Appetite is a hard thing to control at night, so make sure you are not snacking too much with calorie rich products. Fill your fridge with healthy foods and do not have any sweets in your house. Alcohol can also add many calories, so cut down on that is that is an issue.

You may want to review the answers I have given people on this common question in this column.

Let me know how your life style changes go!

Nelson