I can't let a "get into shape" thread pass me by without recommending a visit to
http://marksdailyapple and/or
http://robbwolf.com. For most people, diet is about 80% of weight loss, and I can't recommend the paleo diet / primal blueprint diet enough. I got serious about getting into shape last year about this time, and as of today I've lost 102 lbs. I've still got a pretty long way to go to get to an optimal weight range, but I've been honestly stunned at how easy it's been so far.
It's probably been easier for me than it would be for a sugar addict - I love sweets, but my true weakness has always been salty/savory. And since on the paleo diet you get a lot of protein and fat, I never really feel like I've been deprived of anything. (Plus, I "supplement" regularly with dark chocolate! :)
I had to get serious because a) I found out I was gluten intolerant, and that 90% of my heartburn/stomach issues came from eating wheat, and b) because my knees and ankles had started to fail. Cutting out gluten (and other grains) has made all the difference in my quality of life - no acid reflux, no indigestion, no stomach rumbling. I used to be afraid to eat before going into a meeting - that's how loud my stomach could get.
Without grains and with very little sugar it was like weight just fell off me the first few months. I never lost any strength or muscle. I also had great blood work after 6 months - lowered triglycerides, higher HDL, lower LDL. And my blood sugar dropped from a pre-diabetic HbA1c of 6.3 to a normal 5.1. I do about half an hour of fairly slow stationary-biking in front of the TV on any night that I don't commute to work (3.2 miles round trip) - that's all the exercise I do.
My knees and ankles still give me trouble, but not nearly as much. I have at least 100 more to go; I suspect I'll see some serious improvement in that area over the next year.
Sorry if I come off like a missionary - I feel like I am one! Everyone has a diet that works best for them, and paleo/primal may not be right for everybody, but it seems to work for a lot of people. And a lot of people don't know it's out there.