My first week complete

Hello everyone! my name is Rebecca. I am 32 years old. I have been struggling to lose those last 10lbs forever, but this last year instead of losing weight i have gained weight and I am more active than i have ever been since high school. I am 5'2 and weigh 146. I would like to be around 120. This week i have been watching what i eat, but just learned that I am not eating enough through out the day. The analogy that my Zumba instructor used is think of it like a fire. In the morning you need to get it going and fuel it the right way, and then to keep the fire going (metabolism) you need to keep fueling that fire. So i go between meals usually without snacks and that puts my body in starvation mode, so my body hangs on to all of the fat, due to it not working constantly all day. I'm hoping with this new frame of mind, that I am able to do this and get these pounds off. I'm trying to stay motivated but it's getting difficult. I know it takes time, but it seems like the weight came on just like that and I want it to come off that way too. Just going to take alot of hard work and dedication in exercise, and making sure i'm keeping my body fueled throughout the day with the right foods.