Ask HN: How did you start exercising after being completely out of shape?

You didn't get overweight by having a good knowledge of your limits, so give up the idea of "maximum results" because you get maximum results by first knowing what you're capable of.

You also didn't put that weight on overnight, and you're not taking it off overnight. So give up on the idea of the quick fix. Either it won't be quick, it won't be a fix, or you'll give up on it soon enough anyway. For example, CrossFit might be a quick fix because it's so intense. But you didn't put on weight because of your taste for intense physical exercise, so you won't stick with CrossFit.

My solution? Go for a walk. If you have a dog and don't walk him for an hour daily, start. Just because the dog doesn't complain about his lack of exercise doesn't mean he wouldn't really enjoy it if you started. Regardless, go for an hour walk. Can't do an hour? Do 30 minutes. Do whatever you can, and most of all: don't overdo it. If fifteen minutes is too easy, you can always crank it up the next day. But if you make yourself so sore that you can barely move for three days, you won't be walking at all tomorrow. And it's very easy to overdo. Shoot for under-doing until you figure out your sweet spot.

Put the phone down, take the headphones out. Look around your neighborhood while you walk, get an idea of where you live. Listen to the birds, watch the flowers bloom in a few months. If you walk with your head down staring at your phone, that's because you've decided that your daily walk is something to be endured, with the entertainment of toots and pictures of lunch to ease the pain. And with that attitude you've already lost. There's lots to see out there, take the time to look.

If you get up to 60 minutes of walking without it being much of a challenge, then start looking at running programs (or whatever exercise suits you) now that you have idea of your stamina, as well as having a good base from which to pursue other forms of exercise.