how do I get started

start by cleaning out the cupboards and the fridge of all the unhealthy foods available. Try to stay away from processed carbs. Eat 6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism revved! And get a little exercise--its for the mind and the soul.

Well, you joined this site, so that's your first step. Now you know how many calories to consume each day, start keepin track of everything you eat. Once you see what you are puttin into your mouth every day that should help you out.
Next step: EXERCISE, there I said it. You will need to do cardio and I recommend strenght training.
Third step: Don't stress about the numbers, however, start weighing yourself once a week and keep track of it on here. You may also want to write it on the calendar.
The final step: Don't give up!

lots of good advice. . my advice

don;'t think of this as a diet, think of it as a life style change.

Don't demand perfection, we all fail now and then

Don't deny yourself ANYTHING you love. .. I am a chocoholic. . . and I am not denying myself chocolate each day. .. why? Because if I do, I know I'll fall off that wagon.

And my biggest bit of advice, I find it easier to overdo my calories if I don't utilize this site as I go. . .the day we lost internet at work, I had to go home and do additional exercise (I've been trying to do 30-45 each morning), to make up for the extra calories I ate :P So I leave this website up and if I get the munchies, I look at my calories for the day and usually that turns me off of munching

lots of good advice. . my advice

don;'t think of this as a diet, think of it as a life style change.

Don't demand perfection, we all fail now and then

Don't deny yourself ANYTHING you love. .. I am a chocoholic. . . and I am not denying myself chocolate each day. .. why? Because if I do, I know I'll fall off that wagon.

And my biggest bit of advice, I find it easier to overdo my calories if I don't utilize this site as I go. . .the day we lost internet at work, I had to go home and do additional exercise (I've been trying to do 30-45 each morning), to make up for the extra calories I ate :P So I leave this website up and if I get the munchies, I look at my calories for the day and usually that turns me off of munching

AMEN! So true. This site absolutly keeps me from munching.

I think the one piece of advice I can add is to PLAN. I love to look at recipes and I print out what I want to try along with the nutritional information. Then I enter the recipe on MFP. The more you add information the more usefuld MFP is. Plan what you are going to make and then make your grocery list. Eating healthy does not have to cost more. Please feel free to friend me if you'd like. Good luck and Happy Valentines Day.

First and foremost, it starts with your mentality. You must be absolutely ready to change. And not just "go on a diet", but to change your lifestyle. Diets are meant to be temporary, and they are meant to fail because you will make some small changes, but most likely go back to what got you here in the first place.
Secondly, it's defining your goals. Whether you want to lose 10 or a 100 pounds, it's all about having a plan, and defining it. That way you can outline the path you want to take.
THirdly, stay away from any fad diet. They are like any diet..temporary and meant to fail. You just need to research what is defined as good food. We are lucky we live in an age where we have so much access to information, although it can be overwhelming. But when you tend to see some of the same information given, you can almost always bet it's viable. It took me years to really learn the types of foods I should be fueling my body with and to stay consistent. I also listen to my body. I know when I feed it right, it treats me right. I have so much energy due to the right combinations of food I put into it whereas when I was eating fast food, it just basically punished me...both mentally and physically.

All in all, this site has given me something I did not have a lot of before...support. We live in a society where people want their food to be quick, cheap, and tasty. Hence, why fast food corporations are billionaires and the general public is obese. Nonetheless, it's hard to escape everyone around you to not be that supportive. It makes them look at themselves and the choices they make. I deal with it every day. But I have this site to turn to, and it has been my strength. I know I can rant on here. I know I will get the much needed support I don't get at home, at work, in social situations, etc.

run to the library or bookstore and get a copy of 'The End of Overeating' by Kessler, this book change my life, he discusses the food industry, the brain-fat-sugar-salt connection and why we have been made a nation of chronic compulsive hypereaters,

the book is not a diet book at all, he just outlines our food addiction and points to places like mfp for support and the ability to start to plan our food choices and track ourselves,

what I did is to find those foods that gave me the most bang for my food calorie,

foods that I like, I made a master menu, same breakfast, same lunch, and even some master dinner plans,

this consistency gives a chance to feel what a normal amount of food feels and tastes like,

weigh everything, I had thought that my apple was one serving only to find out that when I weighed it it was really twice the weight of a single serving and of course twice the calories,

google low calorie veg and fruit, high fiber, see if you can get a list with ascending values to make choices from the lower calorie ones, celery over potatoes for example, I try to make choices low in calorie and high in fiber,

if you must cook for your family, you have my sympathy, this is hard enough without such pressure, but then again most of our families can use nutrition help,

do not eat out for the first 3 months, do not cheat with birthdays etc, attend if you must, do not eat, drink water, you will love yourself the next day,

we have been poisoned by the food industry, conned into equating food with fun, love, happiness, food is fuel,

I have lost over 70 pounds without a bit of exercise but if you enjoy it and have the time have at it, personally I do not enjoy it and certainly do not have the time,

like other posters have written, be honest, its your diary, your site, no one but you will see, this is your information, to help you, the addiction you face is the worst, I mean do they tell heroin addicts just to have a smaller amount each day?

the first 10 pounds is water, be happy when it comes off, it means you are not as swollen and will burn fat better without the almost allergic reaction our bodies have to salt/sugar/fat, the next 10 is the easiest, and while the the following pounds come off even slower the appetite starts to soften, making the food war a little easier, but boredom can set in which is why mfp is so important, find new recipes, new foods, new hobbies, new activities,

very best of luck to you, remember this is a marathon not a sprint, give yourself kisses