Q: I am 21 years old, 5'3, & 134 lbs... I have always been active. I played sports in high school. And I am currently working out again, regularly. I have never seemed to have that perfect body though! I'm not big. I just have really big thighs, but they are mostly muscle except for my inner thighs have fat(cellulite) that I have never been able to get rid of. And I have some stubburn belly fat, too. I just really want that perfect toned body!! Not some much worried about my weight, I just want to look skinny and toned! What should I do? And I don't eat tuna and salmon. So i normally eat baked chicken, fruit, salad, etc. Is that okay? I am a picky eater. But let me know what you think is best for me and how long it should take me to get looking good and possibly loose 10-15 lbs maybe :)

A: I'd need more detail about what exactly you eat every day as well as your exercise program to give specific suggestions, but in general your situation is very common. You are in good share already with BMI of 23-24. Getting further toned means more fat loss. But losing more fat when you are already in good shape is difficult and there is simply no quick or sure way to do so. So you'll need to work hard on keeping a clean diet and a good exercise program.

The foods you mentioned are all fine, but you need to do more than that. Please read my Nutrition article and structure your daily diet following the guidelines outlined there with total daily calories in 1500-1800 range (more calories if you do a lot of cardio, fewer if you do little or no cardio). You'll need several roughly equal meals daily, each one with plenty of protein, moderate healthy fats, and complex carbs (salads are great carbs).

For your exercise program you would ideally do some weight training as well as cardio. Read my Weight Training article to learn the basics of weight training. Men and women can follow essentially the same programs -- only weights lifted need be different. Pick any of the programs in the article. If you are unsure which one, start this. Pick your favorite form of cardio and do it several time a week, up to 30-40 minutes per session at brisk pace. Alternatively you can do HIIT as described in Q&A #1394.

Aim for very slow weight loss of no more than a pound every couple of weeks. Since you are already in good shape you should lose weight as slowly as possible -- fast weight loss will only cause you to lose muscle instead of fat and lower your metabolism. If you find that you are losing weight too quickly, increase your calories slightly. Good luck!