Where do you start?

I agree. If you want to lose weight, you have to cut calories. Cutting carbs would be for other reasons (like if your doctor has recommended it or if you find that carbs trigger cravings for you). I find it helpful to increase my protein, not because it aids in my weight loss by itself, but it helps fend off the HANGRY feelings when I have more protein. In general, "whole" foods (cooked and eaten closer to their natural state) are also much more filling than more processed foods. For example, eating a potato is generally much more filling than eating the same amount of calories in potato chips. Likewise, eating a pork chop is generally more filling than eating the same amount of calories in hot dogs. You don't need to cut carbs to lose weight, but you might find it easier to stick to your calorie goals if you limit the more processed carbs, simply for the fact that they can be less filling. Good luck!

Boy, does that sound familiar! It was the prospect of diabetes that finally woke me up too. Imagine: wrecking your own ability to metabolize sugar? Holy smokes! How embarrassing! How dumb would that be!

You want to work up a program of intelligently-balanced nutrition, whose daily caloric contribution is less than your daily caloric expenditure. Log everything... conscientiously. If you exercise -- of course you exercise -- pop for a Fitbit or Apple watch or something to estimate calories burned. Keep the MFP equation in convenient view all the time.