Jayne and Snowtulip (and several others) have said it right:

-keep it simple
-eat good healthy food, enough for fuel
-eat right sized portions (not too big, big enough to satisfy)
-build muscle
-change your exercise frequently (short - medium high intensity intervals drop that extra layer of fat way faster on me than long medium-low intensity workouts....but I do both anyway)
-be satisfied with the quirks of your own body, but continue to work toward your own best you!

You *will* find that once you reach some magic level of fitness, that the weight will mostly stay off if you're reasonably in tune with your body (you don't have to be super careful), that your body will come back from shortish periods of overindulgence or inactivity and a faster rate, and that you'll feel better, your clothes will fit better, and you'll have a more positive attitude and more confidence than ever before.

This doesn't happen overnight. It takes building good habits to take place of the unhealthy ones, and time. But it does happen. I have never been as fit as I am now, and, because I somehow reached that magical level, it doesn't feel like work to stay here! I am careful, I must say, to make sure I do exercise that I find FUN and Interesting, otherwise I'd be too busy behind my camera to get the exercise in at all.

You'll do it! All of you! Yay us!!

Namaste,
~T~