Best beginner program?

30 day shred. i just walk/jog in place when she does things i can't do yet.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BeFit/videos
here's a lot of free vids for you to have a gander at.

Being in pretty much the same boat, I started a month ago with just tracking everything I ate, while trying to stay within my daily calorie goal. And I wear a pedometer religiously since it seems if I have it clipped to my pants I'm more likely to get up and move around more often. I try to shoot for 5000 steps a day which for me equals about two miles, but I'm 5'7 and have a 28" gait it can be more or less depending on your height and gait. On the weekend I shoot for higher numbers as I do things like laundry and grocery shopping. Really what it comes down is to just move as much as possible at the start. My doctor told me to shoot for 10 minutes of continuous movement a day and gradually work up from there. And move into more vigorous exercise once you're used to that extra motion you weren't doing before. Like for me I'm currently contemplating purchasing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD to really put a kick in my day (and it will help me get ready for my vacation at the beach at the end of August so bonus points for the DVD there). Just do what feels comfortable to you without overdoing it too much and don't give up even when you're thinking it's going nowhere.

Starting Strength, NROL, Stronglifts 5x5, Wendler's 3/2/1, you name it. All excellent.

ZUMBA!!! Seriously. I started with the DVDs as home (that I got from the library...so NO cost) and then when I felt comfortable with the moves, I started taking the class at my gym. LOVE it and once you are feeling stronger and you get into other things (running, insanity, P90X, weights, etc.) Zumba is still a great way to switch it up!!! ALL types/levels take the classes so do NOT be afraid! Congrats on beginning your fitness journey!

Just to add to what other recommend, you should also think of activities you enjoy doing. If it's fun for you then you're more likely to keep it as a permanent part of your lifestyle. For me, I love to go bicycling so I bought a bicycle and ride that (though I haven't been able to the past few weeks because of the extreme heat :sad: ). I'm also an archer so my grandfather is helping me get new limbs to make my bow heavier to make it more challenging. It doesn't necessarily need to be things you've done before. There are things like yoga, martial arts, dancing, swimming, wii fit, extreme shopping :laugh: Just throwing ideas, but it's good to build habits now that you know you can stick to in the long run.

10 minute trainer by tony horton

Being in pretty much the same boat, I started a month ago with just tracking everything I ate, while trying to stay within my daily calorie goal. And I wear a pedometer religiously since it seems if I have it clipped to my pants I'm more likely to get up and move around more often. I try to shoot for 5000 steps a day which for me equals about two miles, but I'm 5'7 and have a 28" gait it can be more or less depending on your height and gait. On the weekend I shoot for higher numbers as I do things like laundry and grocery shopping. Really what it comes down is to just move as much as possible at the start. My doctor told me to shoot for 10 minutes of continuous movement a day and gradually work up from there. And move into more vigorous exercise once you're used to that extra motion you weren't doing before. Like for me I'm currently contemplating purchasing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD to really put a kick in my day (and it will help me get ready for my vacation at the beach at the end of August so bonus points for the DVD there). Just do what feels comfortable to you without overdoing it too much and don't give up even when you're thinking it's going nowhere.

THIS ^^^^ Plus you don't have to buy exercise videos - you can try them all out on YouTube. I just did a search for Jillian Michaels 30 Day SHred and there were lots of complete videos so you have a good idea of what you are getting into. Look for the BE FIT page on YouTube. You'll find the entire video just like you bought the DVD.

Whatever you do start slow and build from there. Expect some sore muscles as you go but not to the point that it is crippling. By Day 4 of JM 30 DS I was feeling about normal again.

If you've never exercised before, it may seem daunting and even impossible, but start small and build on it. Just look at all of the success stories! They all started off pretty much the same. Lots of weight to lose and not interested in exercise. If you believe it you can achieve it!

Right now, I'm a fan of Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home DVDs. She splits workouts into "miles," so it's perfect for a beginner...you can start with the warm-up, one mile and the cooldown, then add more miles as you feel comfortable. Leslie herself is upbeat and encouraging, and I love that she uses people of all sizes in her videos. She has some sample videos on her site, or I'm sure you can find full videos elsewhere. http://www.walkathome.com/try-walk-at-home/

I have 30 Day Shred ready for...well, when I'm ready for it, but that's definitely not now. :laugh:

I swim. It's the only exercise I know of where you don't sweat. 30 minutes/day, hard enough to get my heart rate up. At first I took short breaks every 10 minutes, but quickly found that my endurance increased very soon.

Weight training using offset dumbbells. Basically you put a routine together that involves doing bilateral exercises (using both arms at the same time) but with two different weights in each hand. Say a 5 lb in one and a 10 lb in the other. After you finish the routine switch hands and do it all again. Go through the whole routine 4 times, 2 times per side. That was how I started out.