Just popping in with some information. It's best to lose 1% of your body weight per week, an average of 1 to 2 pounds. Even though it seems difficult, the slower your loss is the more likely you will be able to keep the weight off.

As for eating 5-6 times a day, this is the best way to increase your metabolism. Think of it like stoking a fire - adding a little food every few hours will keep your metabolism going. It also helps to keep your blood sugar levels even.

I don't know about whether it's good to do cardio first, then strength. Haven't heard about that one, but I'll check with my trainer too. The other day I did a 15 minute warmup on the crosstrainer, an hour of strength training/Pilates with my trainer, and felt so pumped I went back and did another 45 minutes on the crosstrainer!