Hi Dena...Wow...it's nice to see you posting here again!
OK...so I don't think you asked for advice, but I'll step in and give you my thoughts and opinions. You can totally take them or leave them...but it's the same advice I give to my clients when they are struggling a bit.
In terms of a "diet"...or program...those such as South Beach will offer quick and dramatic results. Unfortunately the truth behind these diets is that they are very hard to maintain over the long term and the weight tends to come back on more quickly than it left. What needs to happen, IMO, is a total lifestyle change that you can stick with over the long term. Of course, that's so much easier said than done. My suggestion is to start with small changes...something really easy to achieve. The results will come more slowly, but it's not a shock to the system. Here's an example....
Week 1:
Take one thing away, Add one thing,. (an example would be take Sweet Tea out of your diet and replace it with non-sweetened iced green tea w/lemon or mint.
Add a mid-afternoon snack of any veggie.
That would be it...the only change you need to make for week one. Of course...the things you change have to be pretty meaningful. Quitting cola, sweet tea, pop-tarts, McDonald's cheeseburger etc. And what you quit gets replaced with a healthy option. Then add an additional healthy option such as a fruit or veggie snack or maybe additional water, or smaller portion at dinner etc.
Make a plan for yourself...create a calendar. On the calendar write in the healthy eating changes per week AND fill in your excercise per day. Try to stay true to the calender...BUT if you fall off the wagon for a day, just cross that day off like any other and start fresh the very next day. No looking back, just simply continue to move forward doing the best you can.
As for an exercise plan, the best plans tend to offer a lot of variety to combat boredom. So maybe do your runs 3 times per week, add some core/yoga/pilates 2-3 times per week and maybe 1-2 days per week of additional XT. Yep...that's 7 days per week. One day should be a break from cardio...on that "rest" day you can do yoga, pilates video, anything non-cardio. I find that if I stick to a plan where I'm doing "something" each day of the week, I tend to not fall of the exercise wagon so easily. If vacations are planned, you can modify the schedule but still try to include exercise as part of your daily routine. At Disney I'll run around the resort, maybe bring an exercise band and do arm work and core work a few days per week, etc.
Today is a new day. Don't wait until next week or next month. Start today. Make a few small changes...then build on those changes each week so they become part of your life. Don't follow somebody else's plan...make a plan that works for YOU and your lifestyle. The hardest part with diet books and diet gurus is that they aren't one size fits all. You know the changes that you need to make. One week you might say...no more fast-food. done. That's what you're taking away. Or switch from fast-food to subway. Make it work for YOU and what you know you are capable of maintaining in the long run.
One final piece of advice...when you're making tough changes, it's always nice to allow yourself one day when you can be rewarded. So say your favorite thing in the whole world is sweet tea. Fine...every Sunday after you complete your final run of the week...get yourself a sweet tea. Not the biggest size...but definitely a treat. It may be ice-cream one day per week...a small bowl perhaps. Don't deny yourself of every food joy...that will lead to over-indulgence in the long run.
OK...so that's my philosophy. I know it's so much harder than I made it sound. But hopefully it will offer you a starting point
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GOOD LUCK Dena!!!
Thanks for sending the message it gave me the motivation to get back on here and post. You're such a sweetheart! 
I want to cancel my appt and just do it on my own. 
As you can see from my ticker...we're heading down to WDW this weekend. I'm so nervous about the weather and storms. 
