New Year, New Self

So this year I did the stereotypical thing of wanting to do better for myself as far as improving my body. the last couple of years I've been eating terribly, I have felt terrible. Well this year, I received a pair of pants from my mom and I stood there and about cried when I tried pulling them on. I couldn't get them past my mid thighs.. So I guess the meaning of this post is this: any advice for starting out and improving myself? Any tips?