It is NEVER too late and I truly applaud you for aspiring to get healthy. It is very difficult to break old eating habits, but if you stick with it, I assure you it is more than possible. Just remember it took a while to put the weight on and therefore it will take some time before it comes on, but do not give up!My dad is a type 2 diabetic as well and I know it makes dieting harder because your appetite is affected, just snack on protein bars (I like Luna bars...but they do have sugar in them) and fruits and veggies. The more healthy your food, the more of it you can eat. My dad always carries raisins around with him in case of low blood sugar.

As far as how many calories you should consume, please calculate your BMI (body mass index--included a link below) and from there you can calculate how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight. Then from there you can come up with a healthy exercise plan. One pound is generally equal to 3,500 calories so that is why it is healthiest to shoot for a 1-2 pound weightloss per week. In the begining however you will probably shed pounds a lot quicker just by begining to exercise and eat healthy. This may seem daunting, but you will ultimately have changed your life, you'll feel better, have more energy, and most importantly it will help control your diabetes.

From the info you gave, I figured out your body needs about 5,280 calories a day to stay at your current weight. So if you eat 500 calories less per day AND exercise off 250 calories per day then you will lose 1 1/2 pounds per week. You can slowly decrease your calories by more as your body gets used to the changes.