I went from 195 to 165, but a took like 4 months. What I did was cut out all junk food (chips, dessert, etc), cut down on carbs (not too much) and started eating a salad with every meal. Also, I try to have at least three meals a day consisting of a protein source, carbs, fruits and vegetables. Mind you, this was without cardio, but with weight training. I would start by cutting out soda and junk food, except for maybe a small dessert after dinner, and eventually cutting that out too.