Hi, I'm new on this site and haven't really figured much out yet.
I'm 5'5 and weight 161 pounds. I'd like to lose about 40-50 by april and
don't know what to eat and how much excercise I need to lose this much
weight. Please help.

Why the need to lose 40 or 50 lbs by April?

How about making a few small changes right now that will lead to you losing some weight while becoming healthier for the long term?

Check out Diet Central. See if there are any food programs that catch your eye as doable for your lifestyle.

Check out the Exercise area. Try to find an activity that interests you that you'd like to do a few times a week.

Most of us here aren't trying to lose the weight as fast as we can, but rather to keep it off once we've taken it off (regardless of the time). I will only caution that 110 pounds is a little bit on the light side for someone who is about 5'5" or so, and you may want to rethink it as you lose some weight.

In the meantime, you can do a lot to be healthier. Even drinking water in place of many juices or sodas is a start.

Keep asking questions and posting about what you're doing. We do want to help!

I don't think anyone here will be able to answer your question, as most likely no one here would advise you to take such drastic measures, which is what would be needed to lose that much weight given your starting weight, in such a short period of time.

I'm with Faerie, instead of going for speed, how about going for longterm, sustainable weight loss. If you start on a healthy eating plan and add in exercise, you will be well on your way to getting some pounds off come April.

Also it's kinda hard to direct you as to what to eat. What are you currently eating? What are your likes and dislikes. What are you willing to give up? What is non-negotiable? Are you a student, a housewife, work outside of your home? How active are you right now? Do you exercise at all?

At your current weight and height, losing 40-50 pounds by April is not only going to be unattainable and unhealthy...it is most likely going to cause serious health problems.

The larger you are, the faster weight loss happens. As you get smaller it slows down. It would be possible for a woman who weighed 340 pounds, for instance, to lose 40 pounds in 3 months without harm...but someone who is at your weight...well, it isn't going to happen.

Also, there is a big difference between 40 and 50 pounds. Losing 40 pounds total would put you at 121 pounds, which would be an thin but okay weight at your height...but losing 50 total would put you at 111 pounds...which by most charts is too thin/underweight. I wouldn't personally try to aim for the lower weight.