Is this the wrong way to go about it?

Don't start by staying under your goals. Stick to your goals and make healthy choices. Treat yourself once in a while and take it slow. If it is truly a lifestyle change you will not see quick results because the slower you take it the better chance you have of sticking with it forever.

I think that sounds like a good plan – you don't want to fall off the wagon like before if you overdid it.

However a little walking or something wouldn't hurt in the early days, and gets you into the right mindset in terms of calories in vs calories out )

The most important thing is to set REALISTIC goals! Don't set your goals to lose 2 lbs. a week or more, you're only setting yourself up for failure. Take the recommended approach, change things about your lifestyle and eating habits slowly. Don't deprive yourself but decrease your portions. Add exercise a little at a time and increase over time. You can do this!! Good luck!:)

P.S. It took me 2 wks. to start losing weight and at least 10 lbs. to start noticing a difference. Stick with It and it will happen!

That is exactly how I went about it. I started in January just re-learning portion sizes. Once I became comfortable with that I started adding in exercise. Easy stuff at first like walking. Then I added Zumba and bike riding. Finally, I've recently started high intensity cardio and resistance training. I reached my weight goal a couple weeks ago. I'm so used to this lifestyle now that I'm actually having trouble STOPPING losing weight! I've lost 2 more lbs since reaching my goal (not complaining!!!). Oh well! Better than the opposite problem I used to have!
Good luck with your journey. The first few weeks are the most difficult. After awhile it just becomes habit! :flowerforyou:

PS... take measurements. A lot of time when the scale wasn't moving I WAS losing inches around my thighs and stomach.

I think you've got the right idea. First, I would just try to meet my calorie goal, no matter what I was actually eating. Then, I would start to make little changes in my diet and activity level. Maybe it's eating less sodium, making sure you get all your vitamins, eating 5-6 servings of veggies a day, cutting down on added sugars, cutting out pre-packaged food, incorporating cardio and a strength training program into your routine, etc. That's kind of how I approached it and the entire time I haven't felt like I was on a diet. I did things long enough for me to feel normal, then I slowly added things to what I was doing, so it wasn't that drastic of a change.

You will see faster results with some sort of exercise alongside nutritional changes. However, those changes aren't always reflected on the scale. Take your measurements once a week as well. Also, even if the scale and measurements do not change in one week, the exercise also improves your heart musle...you can't "see" that result, but your body will definitely thank you.

Also, remember that building muscle (especially in your lower body) will boost your metabolism...building enough muscle to see a big scale drop from that boost does take time, so do NOT give up - keep your eye ont he prize.

I don't think I've ever been tested so much in my patience as I have when I'm trying to lose weight and change my body. Good luck!

I want this to be a lifestyle change so anything I can do to help myself stick to this is what I want.

Bingo!

But I do need to see some sort of result soon or I will not stick to it.

No bingo, particularly not the way you are going about it. You are saying you want to start slowly, but you wont stick with it unless you see immediate results. You are setting yourself up for failure.

I think going slowly is a GOOD plan. None of us gained weight overnight, none of us are going to lose it overnight. Getting healthy and/or losing weight isnt a sprint, it's more of a marathon. But you have to prepare yourself to stick with it over the long haul and focus on things other than what your eyes (and frequently even the scale) tell you. As for the eyes I mean heck, I cant see a bit of difference in myself now as compared to December when I was over 300 lbs. Nevermind that I'm down to 235 now, that none of my clothes fit anymore and I've had to poke at least 2 new holes in all of my belts (none of which even fit AT ALL when I started this)...I still cant *see* a difference, I dont even see it in pictures. My wife tells me I'm nuts, but that's what I see. So if I was relying on my eyes for motivation, I'd never be able to stick with this.

What I focus on is just how much better I FEEL. In December, I couldnt jog 10 feet without wheezing and having to sit down....now I jog 5 miles every evening after work. I have more energy. I cant SEE the weight loss, but I can TELL I'm not carrying it around all the time. That's what works for me. I wish I could help you find what works for you, but I dont know you well enough...certainly not as well as you know yourself...to give you that answer. I just want to help motivate you to find it.

I think your plan is a great one! It's exactly what I've done here, and for the exact same reasons. In the past I've tried to make a PERFECT LIFE CHANGE - eating perfect, exercising perfect, journaling perfect, etc. This time I kind of eased myself into it. My first goal was just to show up on this site and journal for a few days. Then to stay under my calorie limit. Then to add exercising. Now I'm trying to increase my protein while getting my carbs under goal. Eventually I'll work on things like watching fat & sodium, as well as increasing my cardio and adding strength training. Baby steps!! :happy:

IMO, the best way to go about weight loss is to jump right into it. Set goals for yourself and achieve them. I hadn't been to the gym in 2 months yet still made myself stay there for 60 minutes and knew I wanted to burn a certain amount of calories.