Have you ever had your thyroid checked?
Do you drink many calories?
For instance, squash, sweetened fizzy drinks, fruit juices and beverages, alcohol, full fat milk, lattes or any other cafe confections, milk shakes, sweetened yogurt drinks, smoothies..
The really great news is that you're only 29 and you have time and estrogen on your side. You can do this!
Try having a breakfast every day that includes enough protein to tide you over to lunch. Have a little dark chocolate.
Don't snack between breakfast and lunch.
4-5 hours after breakfast, lunch can be more protein, vegetables, with some carbs. Have some cheese afterwards.
Drink a cup of tea with a little sweet snack in the afternoon - a biscuit or two, a small muffin, small slice of cake. Touch up your makeup, spritz some perfume, file your nails/brush your hair.
Have a lighter dinner before 7pm - big bowl of soup, salad, cheese. Glass of wine perhaps.
No snacking after dinner.
To begin with, this might be hard. Get some small bags of popcorn (about 100 calories each) and have one if you feel you have cravings that are very hard to deal with. No cheesy flavour, just plain salted.
Or have a small glass of skimmed milk.
Focus on nourishing yourself with foods that your body needs for health - protein, calcium, vitamins, fibre, minerals including iron, some carbs. Give yourself a little of what you crave but cut it way down. Don't eat artificially lowered fat or artificially sweetened foods.
Try not to think about your changed diet in terms of taking away quantity, or reducing calories - look on it as adding value.
Plan meals weekly.
Consult lists of healthy foods to make sure you include all the major food groups. You will see there is a wide range of foods that are good for you that you can choose from.
If you WoH, bring a lunch with you - no cafe or restaurant lunches.
Look at your serving sizes. Follow serving size guidelines and proportions of various food groups on each plate of food you serve yourself.
Use smaller plates if you normally use a dinner plate.
Don't be nervous about feeling hungry. You can reassure yourself that you are on the road to health if you take a multivitamin and mineral supplement daily.
Start gradually with exercise.
Could you walk for 20 minutes each day for a week, then increase by ten minutes weekly until you are walking an hour each day?
You can gradually pick up the speed too.
Do some daily affirmations. Maybe take some time to sit with a candle lighting and think positive thoughts - your vision for yourself. Forgive yourself for any stumbles along the way.