The two big things are eating at a calorie defect and maintaining your blood sugar levels throughout the day. Eating small meals throughout the day that are high in fiber and contain protein and fat will help you feel full and satisfied. For example, half a whole grain english muffin with 2 tablespoons of non-fat cream cheese and 3 ounces of smoked salmon makes a great breakfast. A snack could be an apple and handful of almonds. Lunch could be a mixed green salad with garbonzo beans, beets, cucumber, and light salad dressing. I make a lot of soups as well with light broths, like Vietnamese Pho and black bean soup, and dinners are usually a small portion of meat with vegetables and beans. Cutting out processed foods cuts the most calories, if you do that you can eat quite a bit during the day and you'll find it's easy to lose weight. An hour of exercise focused on resistance training will help you burn more calories, lose more weight, and look more defined. A gym buddy can help show you the best way to lift weights and provide moral support. There are also DVDs like p90 and p90x that focus on weight lifting and even include eating plans and ways to figure out how many calories you use/need in a day.
Hopefully this is helpful, and good luck on your weight loss journey!