As a personal trainer myself, I can say you have gotten a lot of great responses! It really does have to be a lifestyle change. You want to look at the way you have been living your life thus far and start by making small changes to make it healthier. More sleep (8 hours), stress management, working out at least 3 times per week, eating whole foods, eating less processed foods, and drinking mainly water. Also make it a family thing by taking the kids out for bike riding, going to the park to play a sport or going to an festival or a museum or to the city where you can do a lot of walking while seeing the attractions. So here is a list for you starting out:
1. Workout 3 times a week. 20-30 minutes of intense cardio (intense for you) & 20-30 minutes of weight training
2. Take a yoga class. Either as a regular thing or just here and there. It will help you get some great stretching in. Additionally, it is a great way to manage stress. You need to manage stress in order to lose weight. It will help you working on your breathing and just give you perspective.
3. Try to stick to the basics as much as possible. Fruits, veggies, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, chicken, fish, eggs etc. Try to stay away or limit pre-packaged foods, pizza, soda and juice.Losing weight is like being on a budget, so you want to get the most bang for your buck. In other words, you want to save your calorie intake for the most nutrient dense foods. There is a lot more valuable nutrients in a piece of chicken, brown rice and green beans than a couple of slices of pizza and the calories of the pizza is probably more!
4. On the weekends or evening, whatever works with your schedule do something active with your family at least once a week. I listed some suggestions in my intro paragraph.
4. Work with a personal trainer, look into online training or take a fitness class. Safety is the biggest reason I recommend this. You want to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly. An injury can really set you back and delay you from reaching your goal. Get instruction from a professional who can show you exactly how to do different exercises and correct your form. Additionally, having a trainer or taking a class will hold you accountable to sticking with a program. Plus, you'll work harder than you would on your own, it's human nature!
Best wishes! Where there is a will, there is a way!