[IROC]

The "key to it all" is body fat %. You've got to lower your body fat %. The best way to do this is by reducing caloric intake (and eating lower-fat, healthy foods) and exercising. Increasing the amount of lean muscle mass will keep your metabolism from dropping which is what happens when you simply "diet" and why most people yo-yo and gain the weight right back.

My advice - don't deprive yourself. Simply reduce the portion sizes and maybe cut out a couple of things that are really bad (if you have any). For instance, if you're in the habit of drinking 6 Cokes a day or eating a big ol' bowl of ice cream right before you go to bed - cut that out, but don't take all of the "good things" out of your diet. Portion sizes.

Slow, steady weight loss is the way to go. Crash diets that drop the pounds quickly also cause you to lose muscle (slows your metabolism) and then when you reach your target, you slip back into your old eating habits and gain the weight back because your body now needs less calories than it did before just to maintain your weight.