Hi all!! I need your help!!

Hi all I am 5' 2.5" female and weigh 164 lbs. I have been on a steady weight gain since my teens. as a kid I was skinny but since pre-teen been putting on kilos each year with exception of only couple of years. I have tried on and off to lose weight but never in a committed manner.

Concrete (read conscious) step was when I joined gym last year, though I left it after a month. I could not do treadmill on more than 6mph speed for more than 5 mins at a stretch. 5 mins were also very tough for me. My biggest trouble was that I would work up a breathe and it would strain my lungs so much that I found it unbearable. And I have seen heavier ladies than me doing alright at higher speeds. Also gym left me so burned out that I found it hard to pick my self up next morning and get anything else done.

My biggest trouble is that I am a foodie. I was not as a kid but home rule of not leaving leftover on plate and finishing up whatever was given did contribute towards acquiring a bigger appetite. And it went severely downhill in college. I binged on junk food. Rice and noodles have been my weakness and it is hard to wire my brain to consider rice as a 'in moderate quantity only' food. My family eats a lot of potatoes too. My love for my food made me feel helpless against my fat suit. But after reading success stories here for first time I am feeling I can actually do something about it! I am realizing its mainly about attitude change towards your food and lifestyle. Eat what you like but in moderation.

Now I am trying to formulate a diet plan for me that maintains 1200 calorie intake per day and still have balance food nutrition wise. My goal is to lose at least 50lbs. Besides emotional impact of excess weight I am facing trouble with my body also...like hair loss, lethargy and weak eye muscles. I do not want to compromise on nutrients and perhaps induce more of them than I actually did before. I realize most of what I eat at present is mainly carbohydrates, sugars or fat. I have already introduced more raw foods like carrots, apples and cucumber into my diet on daily basis, thanks to MFP.

I am vegetarian and don't consume any sort of meat, egg or seafood. Though I am not vegan, I have milk and milk products. It is hard to find ideas for vegetarian dietary needs that include some variety and taste but are low calorie. I need your help here. Any ideas or suggestions for recipes and tips etc. are welcome For example a 100 or so calorie vegetarian snack idea would be great (besides salads)!

Typical meal for me consists of (before MFP):
1) 1-2 chapatis (flat breads made from wheat dough-trying to keep it without ghee/butter)
2) One curry vegetable dish (1to 1/2 cup)
and/or
One legume curry dish (1to 1/2 cup)
3) 1 yogurt based dish (1to 1/2 cup)
4) salad (1/2 cup)

Also if you have similar dietary needs like mine and would like to join me for motivation and sharing tips please feel free to add me in your friends. Even if you are on a different dietary need type than mine than also you are welcome to add me, I can do with all the support I can get . I am still new to this site (been only 3-4 days) and still trying to learn the ropes and my way around here!