There is already a treasure trove of info in the comments. So let me try not to repeat and give only what I have learned recently. I had lost weight sometime b

There is already a treasure trove of info in the comments. So let me try not to repeat and give only what I have learned recently. I had lost weight sometime back (around 40 pounds, give to take). Life got in the way and got a bit lazy. A few years flash by and I am climbing back to where I was previously. My lifestyle had been slowly slipping back to old unhealthy ways. So I had to relearn all the habits again. I am 2 months into the change. I am logging my learnings here as much for me as for the OP. * One can't outrun a bad diet. So exercise by itself cannot help you lose weight. * But, just calorific restriction makes me terribly miserable, obsessive and depressed. * Exercise can boost your endorphins, make you feel good. It has a start and stop time. So everyday, you can feel satisfied that you have done atleast one thing that is healthy. It also helps preserve your muscles as you lose fat. * So I hit upon a plan. Exercise is just for me to not feel depressed. While diet and calorie restriction can take care of the weight loss. * With that in mind, I could choose the exercise that I like the most, walking. (Previously, I was more focused on the ones that will aid weight loss the most.) * Walking (or any exercise) also helped regulate the sleep patterns. Then slowly I started weeding out foods that might not be helpful for me. * A few weeks in, I added some strength exercises and HIIT. * The scale is not moving as fast as I would have liked but I do see some changes in the mirror and everyday I could run a bit longer, feel a bit stronger and hopefully, the habits are getting ingrained enough to not fall off the wagon again.