Heartbreak caused this but now I have a reason to change!

All you need to do is limit the amount you eat of the same foods you are currently eating. Get a food scale and weigh and measure EVERYTHING to the proper serving that is on the package.. Then do what ever exercises you feel comfortable with. As long as you do this you will lose weight. When you log your exercise don't eat back ALL of the calories you burn because MFP tends to over calculate them. Most people eat between half and three quarters of their exercise calories. Good Luck on your journey.

Am sure all the others will tell you, but 20 pounds should be pretty straightforward to lose in that timeframe. Just maintain a consistent deficit and it helps if you support it with some exercise. Theres a great thread on the success page with one ex wife losing all the weight after her husband left her. Its a great story how she deal with it lost the weight and grew as a person. You will hear the same tips all the time so absorb them into whatever plan you have. Good luck.

Here's the MFP bible:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

Don't overcomplicate it. You don't have to stop eating the foods you like. Don't fall for "eat clean, cut out this food, etc"

June is plenty of time to lose 20.....

Get a scale, weigh your food and it will save you weeks of frustration (speaking of experience). I find my fitbit flex also very motivating to move around more, walk longer distances etc. Good luck!

The main thing to remember is that you need to stay under your calorie limit in order to lose weight. Log everything you eat or drink and make sure to weigh or measure everything. You can eat back exercise calories but be careful not to overdo it: keep in mind that MFP and gym machines often overestimate how much was actually burned.

I would suggest doing a 80/20 diet. 80% of foods should fit into the healthy macros (carbs, fat, protein), while 20% can be sweet or salty foods. This way you don't deprive yourself of the foods you like, but you make a sustainable lifestyle change that will allow you to keep the weight off after you reach your goal. As for drinks, I would limit myself to 1-2 cups of non-water each day (this will take some adjusting but once you're used to it, it's fine). Water should be your primary beverage. You don't want to drink your calories because you won't feel full or hit your nutrients macros, and "zero calorie" drinks are often full of chemicals (possible future risk of cancer or other issues).

I like that you're starting now. A lot of people come here and post just a few weeks before a wedding or vacation or other event and then wonder why people say they will not be able to reach their goal in time. Some of them get really upset because they want someone to tell them that it's possible when it isn't. A reasonable pace is between 0.5 lb-2 lbs per week, and you'll easily be able to reach your goal in time starting out early.

you're always welcome to add me for motivation. I might not be the 100% lets exercise everyday, I weight myself all the time type, eat nothing but berries girl - but I am a beer drinking, calorie tracking, runner that's trying up to you sister - we're all human

Welcome to the MFP community!

I was in a similar situation , private life had gone to hell and the weight piled on.
I found the easiest thing ( for me ) was to cut out excess sugar. I stopped eating chocolate and biscuits. Yes I know that's a tall order but if you can do it for 30 days then you won't want them again.
I also started running, nothing major to start, lots of walking and bursts of running.
Try it it does work.
Good luck