Hey Palms,
I'm a newbie too, but I'll tell you this is a great place to get organized and supported! Congratulations on your weight loss so far - how did you do it, and can you pinpoint why you gained some of it back? Problem analysis is a great start, and you already realized for yourself that specific programs might not work that well for you. I'm the same way, and I'd second Faerie's suggestion of calorie logging. It's great to get a general idea of your intake and to gather some data of when and what foods you tend to overeat.
I don't know what kinds of food you're eating now, but for me it helped a lot to reduce the amount of processed food and find yummy, nourishing, satisfying alternatives - check out the "superfoods" threads in this forum for some ideas! You don't have to revamp your whole way of living and eating at once, if that makes you uncomfortable - some people need this total change, but others (me included) are better off with small steps.
As for the elliptical: Faerie said it all - see what works for you, and build from there. The important thing is that you stick with it, and for that you have to find out what is doable for you - challenge yourself, but don't overwhelm yourself.
Once, again, welcome and hope to see you around!