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Posting this, if only because knowing that other people are aware of it will make it harder to mess up
I'm fat, I need to be less so. I have a plan to make that happen.
Thoughts, advice, abuse?
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My honest advice: Focus on the exercise more than the diet. You might lose some weight on a diet, but you have to stick to it basically forever. If you become more active, you'll lose weight and feel better all the time. And you don't have to worry as much about the foods you eat.
But here's the key: Pick an exercise that you actually ENJOY. If you hate running, don't try to be a runner. You'll just get frustrated and quit.
I happen to like basketball, so that's my exercise of choice. But almost anything will work, as long as you participate frequently and work up a good sweat.
Here are some ideas:
Basketball
Soccer
Tennis (maybe even Ping-Pong, if played vigorously enough?)
Volleyball
Cycling/Mountain Biking
Swimming
Tetherball
Ultimate Frisbee
Batting Cages/Softball
Weights
Breakdancing
Martial Arts
Hiking
I could go on and on. You could probably head to the local community center or Y and sign up for a league, or just play pickup games of your sport of choice. It might be intimidating at first, but there are often leagues based on beginner skill levels and/or non-competitive leagues.
The point is, if you enjoy your exercise, you'll do it all the time without complaint.
Exercise enough, and what you eat becomes less important. Although I'd refrain from putting bacon on your ice cream.
Hope this helps in some way. Good luck!