FITNESS GOALS

I have to admit...I've really struggled to keep weight off since turning thirty. I walk or do some form of exercise almost daily, but the weight keeps increasing. I have a goal to lose 15 pounds by my 32nd birthday in November, but I am finding it difficult to lose even 1 pound. Today, I read about a free weight loss website, http://www.sparkpeople.com/ . I quickly signed up and joined the website because I will try anything if it is free. One of the first tasks was to calculate caloric intake for one day. I almost passed out when today's calories added up to over 2800. How can I eat so much food? No wonder I can't lose weight, even with exercise. One of my first new goals is to try giving up pop/soda and to attempt consuming 8 glasses of water/day. Hopefully, I will see some progress soon. If anyone has any weight loss advice, then please share......