go to Diabetesnet.com This is a great calculator even if you don't have diabetes. After logging on, go to Nutritional tools & Info. Click on Calorie Estimator. Put in your info. No matter what, choose "very sedintary" & "35%" when filling out the info. This will give you a little chart that tells you how many carbs & calories you can eat in a day with suggestions on how to divide up your eating. Now go to library or buy a little book with foods listed & how many calories & carbs in each. Make yourself a list of EVERY food in that book that you LIKE & how many calories in one column & how many carbs in another column. You will most likely have to give up real soda to do this just like I did.It took me a few weeks to fully realize this. You won't lose any wt. for about two wks. Then all of a sudden,you will!! People always talk about calories & fat when talking diets. BUT it is the CARBS that you are going to be most concerned about, & keeping in the cals recommended. Look for the more Healthy carbs on your list, but without the soda, which is at least 49/soda, you can do alot of other eating. You will be surprised!. I found this out because after 4 major surgeries in 8 months, the last one leaving me disabled, I could no longer work, walking/standing is painful, etc. Because of that & my terrible addiction to real Coca cola, my blood sugar was getting bad & without the ex. I got walking 8 hrs a day at work I gained a lot & I'm 60 so it's harder to keep it off.. It took 3 wks to change over to diet cola (coke zero).Juice is bad. After I got rid of the coke, it felt like the wt. was falling off. I swear I could feel it! I can tell you more about it if you are interested if you want to PM me. But give it a try. My magic carb # is 149 per day at 5" 4". Now 130#lbs & loving it!!!