I’m not pregnant 28(F)

Hello, this is my first post here but I’m sick of how my life has been these last years. I won’t go on a long rant but I’ll just say that since the pandemic I’ve gain about 100 pounds. I use to weigh about 135 but now I am 205 pounds and the weight is mostly in my stomach. I’ve noticed the weight gain and moved to wearing baggy clothing to hid it. Today while at work I had a female coworker (50+)asked me if I was pregnant. I was wearing a loss sweater shirt at the time and immediately felt like crying. I told her no and that I guess it was holiday weight. We both laughed and she apologized for asking but now I just feel like a fucking whale. I came here because I really want to lose this weight. Today’s incident isn’t the only reason for my decision. I guess it was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. Do you all have any advice for losing fat in the stomach area? I know I need to cut things out of my diet and I don’t expect to be an overnight success. I just want to start my weight loss journey off right and not make too many mistakes that could cause me to give up. Any advice is welcomed, please..