Diet or workout??

If your goal is to lose weight, I'd say diet first. Weight loss is about 80% diet and 20% exercise, so you'll see faster results changing your diet first. Once you get used to eating healthily, you can start trying to work that exercise in.

I'm not sure that's true. When I first joined MFP I stuck with a calorie deficit and my regular level of activity. I didn't lose any weight until I started exercising three months later., and then I was losing up to a pound a week!

I'm not dieting at all, but I have been following MFP and exercising and I've lost 4 lbs in 8 days

I choose exercise

You are right to overwhelming and stressful to do it all at once.

I started with diet and even did that in small incremental changes.

--I tracked with out worring about losing at first.
--Then I saw where I could make small changes that would hurt the least.
--Then every couple of weeks I see where I can make another couple of small changes.
If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress. (and who doesn't have stress)
If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort.
sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves.

--Then I started slowly adding activities my Ex made fun of me for counting every step in staircases.
BUT I was moving and kept adding more bit by bit, when I started going to the gym, I got myself there by saying "I'll go for 10 minutes"... once I got there I'd usually get into it and do more... but if I didn't get into it I wouldn't force myself , because I didn't want to associate the gym with suffering.

I'm doing well if I make it 2x a week, I'm not where I want to be yet, but my workouts got longer and longer to the point where my boss yelled at me for taking too long of a lunch.

For me, working out has always been first. I would rather build strength and stamina and stay the same weight than to lose weight and not be able to do a damn thing.

Get in the habit of moving and doing something everyday and then work out your diet.

I started with exercise first, I just started to feel so much better and loved what I was achieving so then I started to change my eating habits as well since I wanted to be healthy and love just how it feels getting healthier and healthier. You could always just pick a small goal at first with either diet or exercise and build from there.

I have read that Michael Phelps eats total garbage but trains like a machine. Diet, exercise or both doesn't really matter in the scope of weight loss. Change what you are capable of controlling. If it would be easier for you to start exercising than to cut out the Cheetos, then hit the gym. If you have a hard time getting up and about, work on getting the diet straightened out. Then, after you have gained some mobility thru weight loss, think about hitting the gym.

For some of us, doing a complete over haul of our daily life by changing diet plus exersise regimen is a daunting task, so if a person were to take on one before the other, just to get used to one before adding the other, which would you suggest? I can see the pros and cons of either, but would just like some of you guys input.

The elements of a successful program include cardio and resistant exercises as well as addressing food intake .
I am not trying to be unkind, but for those unmotivated to take the proper action, failure is assured.

Don't even bother.

I like how you stated that Max

For me, I found I didn't really have the energy to tackle the gym until I'd sorted out my eating. Once I was getting more fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, low fat dairy, etc, then I had the extra spring in my step I needed to get me to the gym after class rather than just going home and crashing.

It's 80% diet 20% exercise. Go for diet but try to start exercising at least mildly like taking short walks.

Lifestyle change.....change the way you eat, add exercise.