Flexitarianism! I only learned the term for the diet style a few years ago but I've been eating that way my entire life. I'm your height, 33 years old and weigh 120lbs even after having three children so in my case I've proven it is a sustainable lifestyle diet. The idea is to severely limit your meat consumption and learn to get most of your protein from fresh produce, legumes and whole grains. Whole foods and natural fiber content are big components in this eating style. I feed my family of 5 this way. We are all very slim and active and I spend $300 a month on groceries. It does help that I happen to love fruits and veggies and crave them more than I crave junk. But most people who break the addiction of sugar usually say they feel the same way after a while. I recommend you start doing some heavy reading of the topic by today's leading health specialists. Robert Lustig's "Fat Chance" is about this topic and may be a helpful read for you.
I've been taking a nutrition class and I've learned over the last few weeks how important the balance of eating is. I shifted my calorie allotment to 55% carb, 25% fat and 20% protein which is slightly more protein and less fat than I used to eat. I cannot believe how much more energy I have after a month of this and how great my skin looks.
I track my diet and fitness for free on
www.SparkPeople.com. I do not recommend you use their suggestions for your calorie range and nutrient range but rather use the method nutritionists use.
Convert your weight in pounds to kilograms(1kg=2.2lbs). 235lbs=107kg
To lose weight you eat 20-25 calories per kg.= 2140-2675
55% carbs=1177-1471 calories from carbs or 294-368g
25% fat=535-669 calories from fat or 59-74g
20% calories from protein= 428-535 calories from protein or 107-134g
You will need to recalculate your numbers every time you lose about 5lbs. ;)
And of course, be active! You should aim for at least 20 minutes of fitness activity daily. I personally do a blend of walking, yoga and resistance band strength training at home/in yard/in neighborhood becasue they are all free to me. There are lots of online videos to help with learning fitness at home.
Please do not believe the lie that losing weight in your 30's is so much harder than in your 20's. The difference is minimal. Most research show that muscle mass and basal metabolic rate doesn't really start falling noticeably until the late 30's-mid 40's and even then it is only enough to gain several pounds per decade assuming one makes no other changes in diet and fitness routine.