I need some advise?

[Csholy]

So my Name is Cody, I'm 21 years old, about 270-300 pounds. I get off work every weekday around 4-6 pm and find myself bored because I don't have much money to go do things (including a gym membership). So I'm reaching out to you guys for advise and guidance. I'm eating healthier, and I only drink loose tea leaves (green, black, oolong, pu-erh, etc.). So does anyone have any advise on pretty much anything, recommended advise which hikes should I do, at what time, for being a beginner, and what will I need to have to have a successful hike. Also if there are any dog hike trails I'd appreciate if that was mentioned as well. I've been looking up hikes for a couple days now on here finally made the commitment to make a profile and get active legitly. I'm thinking the first trail I'll do is Saturday October 26th, 2013 - Pinnacle Peak Park trail.

[garyc57]

Oh, I forgot (senility is catching up!) Save your nickels and dimes and get some good shoes. I choose foolishly, and I paid the price in blisters and sore feet - several times over. (I told you I'm slow!)

Trust me, there's nothing more discouraging than peeling off your socks at the end of a hike, and finding bloody blisters. Not fun!

[satillayakker]

I don't live near you nor do I get to desert hike anymore, but I have to echo what Gary said about shoes! Somehow, some way, save up for some good shoes. This doesn't mean high dollar necessarily, but find "your shoe"! Find the one that fits well, has good lining, a good roll for YOUR foot. I have found that most Propet boots fair well for me. My son favors Columbia, but is trying out a pair of Propet. A friend like "50 peaks" he gets from Wallyworld. (He has spent alot on boots before) Another good friend favors Merrell. (We have all spent much on low cost, high cost and in between) We all have one thing in common, the particular brand, for whatever reason, works well with our foot, stride, build, etc. You can find some well made boots in almost any price range. The catch is, is it "your shoe"?

One thing I learned in the Corps on those forced marches, take care of your "wheels", any and every way you can!!

[Jim]

Consider some alternatives to healthy eating and weight loss, besides the Whole Foods vegetarian route. Unless you are actually interested in that, you probably will not like it, and will fail after some time. I know I would.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2D6NEivti

The website is for the "paleo" lifestyle, but you can more or less pick and choose what you like from it. There are a few success stories from people like you, as well.

[satillayakker]

@Csholy
I am glad Jim brought up the paleo lifestyle. While I don't agree 100% with all of it, I do think it is very beneficial. A friend at work turned me on to it, and I will say, I am hit or miss, but when I am on it atleast partially dedicated for a while, I feel much better and I have less reflux issues. Marks daily apple is a very good read and Mark does make a VERY good and logical case for it. I have somewhat taken to it to the point that I am eating only fish and wild game for my meat, and eating fruits and veggies. Maybe better, maybe not, but it is having a good effect whether its a "placebo effect" or not.
I was in your shoes not too long ago. I let some injuries, though significant, be my excuse for getting lazy and fat. That's just what it was, an excuse. When I was diagnosed with GERD, and high BP, and was told I was on the verge of diabetes, I finally woke up. Here is some advice you didn't ask for, but I will share anyway. "Small decisions and small victories win the war." That was shared with me by a good friend who told me about the Paleo craze. Every small decision you make right is a victory. Use that victory to win the next, and that the next, and so on. If you make a bad decision, ie. eat that candy bar or don't hit the trail that day, let it be the past (shrug it off and charge on) and make the next decision a good one, ie. eat that apple or banana and go get a mile or two.

[autumnstars]

So all that I need to do now is get an exercise plan that is low cost and enjoyable so I can stick with it for the long run.

Well, that sounds like hiking! All you really need are some reasonable shoes (and probably some sunblock ;) ).
It seems like one of the main reason people give up on an exercise plan is because it becomes boring to do the same thing over and over. Fortunately, hiking trails vary widely, so it is easy to have a new adventure every time by where you choose to go. As a bonus, the Phoenix area seems to have lots of in-city parks, so you don't always have to drive or bike far to get to something better than walking on a sidewalk.

I don't know if there is such a book for your area, but there is a "Hiking with Dogs" book for the Las Vegas area. If there's one for your area, there is probably a copy at the library you could check out for free and get some ideas. Actually, I even found a Phoenix Hiking & Dog club via a really quick internet search, so that might be something to check out. As Al_HikesAZ said, definitely check out Traildex here for ideas, where you can sort by difficulty, location, distance, etc.

We are all cheering you on to better health.