I started off just by cutting out soda completely and trying to cut out junk foods. That lost me about 6 lbs or so the first couple of weeks. Then I discovered the MyFitnessPal app and started using that to keep track of my calories. I drank mostly water and some crystal light lemonades and ice teas. Mealwise, I started eating breakfast regularly. Usually a large muffin, or frozen waffles with a little butter and lite syrup, or maybe eggs. Lunch would usually be a PBJ or bologna & cheese sandwich. I also liked to heat up frozen tilapia in a skillet with some uncle ben's ready rice. Dinners I ate mostly at work and those would be Healthy Choice Top Chef meals. When I had calories to spare, I enjoyed candy bars and junk food.
I did not eat salads, nor did I do any type of regular exercise outside of walking. I did some occasional Wii Fit, but not more than 5 or 6 times.
I managed to do it despite a few birthday parties, Easter, mother's day and father's day, and even July 4th. For me, it seems the occasional indulgence was okay. Friday nights recently became a cheat night for me. Last night I enjoyed some Five Guys.
It was tough in the beginning to get used to eating smaller portions of food. But my body has adjusted and I feel fuller on less than I used to.