Weight loss is a simple problem and while it may often seem quite difficult to achieve it is simple math. Burn more than you consume. Determine how many calories you burn daily using a simple internet search and eat substantially less than you need. If you are new to dieting don’t worry about the macro nutrient breakdown just focus on enjoying the feeling of loosing weight. Eat what you want just significantly less. The pounds will fall off. This does take a certain amount of discipline but anyone who is serious about loosing a few pounds should be able to muster the discipline needed for at least a short term drop in weight.
Diet gurus would have you believe that it is an incredibly difficult science to perfect and that if you make a mistake you will send your metabolism into shock or you will loose so much muscle mass that you will wither away to nothing. Nothing of the sort is true. If you eat less than you burn you will loose weight and you will feel and look better. The human body is amazingly adaptable and will conform to prolonged periods of malnutrition without much consequence. I advocate eating at a level that allows you consume adequate amounts of nutrients but I do realize that it can be difficult to take in all the necessary nutrients when dieting down. It is hard on your body and you will loose muscle mass and strength but in a day and age when we are regularly presented with a couple days worth of caloric intake at one meal I don’t see this as a bad thing. One fairly common thread between centurions and other long lived people is that they consumed a low calorie diet.
Set some goals, choose a time when you will be able to achieve a low calorie diet, ie.. not the holidays, throw out all junk food, convince your family to be on your side, and have at it.