for the diet end, try eating better foods instead of dropping calorie intake. you'll eat less calories naturally. you will need calories to sustain quality exercise, if you eat 1500 calories of crap you won't be able to get a good workout. another good recomendation for diet is to just eat less each time you eat, eat the same stuff, just a little less. over time your capacity will drop, this happens faster than you might think. also, spread out your eating, eat little snacks every few hours instead of a high calorie meal all at once. i think maintaining exercise is key. i lost about 25 pounds in a few months from just walking/jogging 3 miles a day. i would have to stop and walk a lot when i started, but now i can easily jog 3 miles without stopping. so focus on exercising, i know it isn't easy like gimmicky crap like no carb diet.
