Need to stay on track

The way I started wasn't by cutting calories initially. Instead, I began tracking everything I was eating. I had no idea how many calories were in my normal everyday things. Once I learned, it was really easy to make substitutions for calorie-bombs. This meant that I was able to still feel satiated AND cut calories since I didn't really cut anything out - I just substituted lower-calorie things to bring my normal diet calorie level down to something that meant I'd be able to lose. I used to weigh well over 200 pounds (I"m a 5'4" female). Now I weigh 138. I've kept the weight off for 5 years... though I'm starting to creep back up a bit, so I probably need to buckle down again.

I like @JustSomeEm 's suggestion to track for a week before making changes. In the long term, a week is nothing and will provide a lot of insight into what about your way of eating is easiest to change. In my case, not just foods but places and situations which led to bad decisions had to change for me to be successful.

As far as food prep, I like to prep ingredients rather than whole meals. Once a week I prep things which take a long time to cook, such as a whole pork loin, roast chicken, and whole grains. Then I can quickly make meals by adding quick-cooking vegetables or using the meat for salads or sandwiches. I also prep five days worth of steel cut oats made with milk, with apples, blueberries, and cinnamon. Add Greek yogurt or cottage cheese and I have a balanced, filling breakfast I don't have to stress about.

I also like to have at least one day a week when I don't have to worry about it - I order healthy and low calorie Italian delivery - spaghetti with meat sauce and spinach, and a chicken pesto wrap. If you have delivery or take out options which suit your goals, it can really help to learn what those are. In your case with little time, one of the food services may be a good option for you.

If you have activities you enjoy, exercise will preserve your muscle and help earn a few extra calories. Doesn't have to be all day at the gym, even ten minutes is better than nothing!

You can definitely do this! I'm down 125 lbs now, in a year and a half. That may sound like a long time but it's not, compared to the rest of your life!

You must log food and drink otherwise you will defiantly under estimate what you are eating, plus it will help you to see where you need to make changes. Good luck