Obese friendly beginner tips?

Many people like swimming or aquafit or even just water walking.
Exercise has many health benefits but is not necessary to exercise to lose weight. You need a calorie deficit to lose weight. Set up your MFP profile, get a food scale to Weigh your food , and log everything in MFP. Set your goal to .5 or 1 lb per week so you keep a manageable deficit.

Excellent question! Deciding to do it, and actually starting, are hard. Don't make it harder than it has to be. Be gentle and kind to yourself. That's a hard lesson for all of us, especially those of us (like myself) who started out with an attitude that, if it wasn't uncomfortable, then I must not be working hard enough. That's just crazy talk. You can do the right thing for your health, make steady progress, and still enjoy your life.

Choose a calorie level you can live with. Eat foods you enjoy, just a bit less. Use a food scale to take the guesswork out of eating the right amount. Eating for weight loss and eating for optimal nutrition are two different things. So first get your calories sorted out. Some people find it easier to lower their calories if they eat foods higher in protein, fat, or fiber, so play around and see what works for you. Some people also find it easier to eat 100 calories less than their target on weekdays, so they can have a little extra for a weekend splurge.

On the nutrition side, if you don't think your food is nutritionally dense enough for long-term health, you can make some changes there too, but always remember that even "healthy" food can be calorie-dense, so your first look should always be the calorie count. Then, if you want, look at vitamins and such. I try to follow the 80/20 rule: 80% whole, nutritionally dense foods; 20% whatever the heck I want.

Do exercise you enjoy. Walking for short periods, swimming any amount, and seated exercises like chair yoga or seated arm exercises -- it all adds up and means you can do even more next time. Exercise is important for long-term health, and it can help you comfortably meet your calorie deficit. For example, my usual calorie goal (to lose 1 lb per week at my height and current weight) is 1450. But I earned 300 extra calories today with exercise, so I can eat 1750. That means I can have two hot dogs for dinner, not just one. Or maybe two beers. Party time!

Repeat to yourself: "Progress, not perfection." It's a long-term quest you're on, so slow and steady wins the race.

And good luck!

Hey I’m right there with ya. Started my journey at 383and I’m at 358 now after 3 months. The key is modifying your diet first and then incorporating elements of exercise. If you’re as big as I am/was, everything hurts. Forget running - tying my shoes was a creaky experience.

Start out by changing your diet. If you cut out all refined carbohydrates, breads sugars sweeteners beverages and grains, you’ll find that you can actually eat more while keeping calories low. Meats and vegetables are low calorie. Changing what you put into you will instantly make a difference. Try doing that for two weeks. Don’t change anything else but your intake. Build a habit and stick to it. If you cut out all of the junk, expect a few days of withdrawal but if you can make it, you’ll find the other side is begging you to eat as much as possible - meats, eggs, vegetables (just not starches like potatoes) and you’ll be changing yourself and dropping weight quick.

Best of luck!!