Dear MusicMama,

40 pounds? Wow! Great job. It sounds like you are doing lots of things right already.

For protein, I like to get 1 gram per pound of lean mass per day. Active bodybuilder types take in 1 gram per pound of total mass per day. In active folks might only need .8 or .9 grams per pound of lean mass. For example. If I weight 140 pounds with 100 pounds of Lean Mass (muscle and bone) and a moderate activity level, I should do fine with 100 grams of protein per day. For more information, get the "Protein Power" book.

For exercise, you might just start walking 3-5 minutes per day. After a week of that, add 1 minute per week. It might be more fun to make these additional minutes half walk and half a fast walk or jog. Work up to 15-20 minutes, then take a week off and start over.

For weight lifting, get the book "Power to the People." My body loves deadlifts and heavy weight and short sets. My workout is done in my living room and only takes 10 minutes but really really helps me.

Good luck.