I am 5'6" and weigh 130 pounds. So, you probably are looking at losing 30 pounds. However, if you can only lose say 10 pounds, just think of how much weight that really is. Try carrying that amount of weight around for a day in a bag and ask yourself how you ever managed to carry that on your body. Diet should consist of fruits, vegetables, and meats along with a bit of carbs if your body can take it. Stay away from processed products and eat simple natural and tasty things. Remember, you are much more likely to stick to a diet that has you eating things that taste good to you. As for exersise I always suggenst that you just do as much as possible without overdoing it. If you can only get a little exersise in thats better than nothing. Walking briskly is a good place to start. This may shock you but I am confident that you can lose weight eating 1900+ calories a day and this is tyhe healthiest and most permenent way of doing it, so long as you get those calories from the right places. Let me know how this goes.