I'm going to chime in with my own progress I've made over the last few months, and it shows a slightly different path than what the author took.<p>I started at 220 pounds.  I am currently 220 pounds.  The difference?  My body fat percent has gone down 5 or 6% (from high twenties to low twenties), I have muscles where there were none before.<p>In the end, my goal weight is still below where I am, but if I had just cut my diet, I would have not made the same kind of progress I have with exercise.  (specifically, with a trainer who pushes me harder, with appointments that force me to show up).<p>To be fair, I still have a gut, and that'll be lost by diet, but the huge progress I've made is entirely attributable to exercise.