Lifting weights while im obese

Don’t wait to lift. It’s easier to preserve muscle than it is to gain it.

My knees are not the best, either, so I sympathize. Over time, I figured out what exercises my knees will usually tolerate (and how often and how strenuously to do particular exercises). That keeps things within a reasonable range of tolerance, most of the time.

If you have an actual knee problem (for example, I have a torn meniscus and some osteoarthritis), you may be able to get a physical therapy referral from your doctor (maybe you can get one just because of obesity + knee pain, even). Physical therapists are great at things like helping us determine if muscle imbalances, tightness in some areas, or movement patterns are aggravating the problem, and designing an approach (exercise we can do) to improve the situation. (This is a different thing than what fitness trainers/personal trainers may do, though they can also be helpful, if well-qualified.)

Personally - and this may not be appropriate for all - I've found that it helps me to ice my knees briefly after any strenuous workout that uses them lots, and to do that routinely (even between flare-ups of pain). I use these great gel packs with a velcro strap that I can keep in my freezer (most big drugstores have these), and put them on my knees for a few minutes after workouts.

It may also help to work at being sure your training form is correct (not creating excess knee stress). Personal trainers are good for that, and YouTube technique videos by qualified professionals (credentialed trainers or physical therapists) can be a help if you can't afford a trainer.

I agree with others that it's very useful to begin strength training while still obese, even if you find your knee issues limit you to do only certain exercises. Perhaps surprisingly, most obese people have more muscle than an otherwise similar, equally (in)active slim person, just from carrying our extra weight around. Keeping as much of that muscle as possible will help us in the long run, and weight training can help accomplish that.

Also, for a beginner, especially an obese one, it can even be possible to add a small amount of muscle mass (with a good strength training program, adequate protein, and a not-too-aggressive calorie deficit). Even if that doesn't happen, strength gains happen quite rapidly (from neuromuscular adaptation, basically recruiting and using our current muscle fibers more efficiently). Increased strength is useful in daily life!

I'd hate to see you injure yourself, definitely don't want you to risk that, but I hope you can find a way to integrate some manageable strength training into your routine, while still working on losing weight!

I'm going to chime in and reinforce what everyone has already said. You will benefit in so many ways, and it may not always be visible. It will help your balance, posture, and self-esteem along with all the physical benefits mentioned above. Do it! You will have to modify for your knee pain. I do. I don't like to modify, but I have to. I intend to keep lifting whatever weight I can for as long as I can.

I kind of went against the grain here and specifically didn't exercise when I first started out for a number of reasons

1. I wasn't getting any benefit. When I first started to manage my weight I was so heavy that I wasn't able to exercise effectively. I'd bust my backside for weeks on end but since I was too heavy to really workout in a practical fashion I saw no progress. This was, as you can imagine crazy demoralising.
2. I HATED it. Exercising at the weight I was sucked more than anything sucked in the history of sucking. I would absolutely dread having to do it before hand. I would loathe doing it while I was doing it and I'd feel like garbage afterwards. Often hurt, always miserable. It was just an ordeal that made me want to give up trying to lose weight.
3. It did more harm than good. I'd finish my workout/session/whatnot and would be RAVENOUS! I wouldn't even make hit home before I was diving face first into the nearest food source and consequently ended up eating back the calories I'd just burned and then some.

In short exercising at first (for me) was counter productive and once I realised this I was able to focus specifically on getting my calorie deficit under control and getting down to a weight where the above issues ceased to be a problem.

So in short. If you can safely exercise, you enjoy it and can see a progress/benefits from it then 100% do it as your health and fitness will thank you. BUT if you can't then there is no shame in addressing your weight issues in the kitchen until you feel confident enough, comfortable enough and capable enough beginning to a fitness regime.