I used to be fat but now I am just slightly overweight. I am lazy and spend way too much time in front of a computer for my job. I hated the way I felt and the way I looked. I went from being 200 to 220 to 240 to 245. I decided I didn't want to have to buy size 40 pants and XXL clothing so I started lifting weights. It took me about 9 months to get to my ideal weight but I was ripped and I kept at it for about another 18 months where I worked out at least 3 times a week with weights. But then I let it go a little at a time. I started lifting only once a week and that worked for awhile but then I started going longer and longer between workouts. I am now about 15 pounds overweight and am seriously considering going back to lifting 3 times a week to get back into shape. It is nothing like I used to be. I was way heavier when I first started working out but it is time to get back into it. I still feel light years better than I did when I was 245 but I would rather feel like I did a year or so ago.
Lifting weights is really easy to do if you have a little spare room. I bought dumbbells from Walmart for $15 for a 2 pack of 25 pound dumbbells. I went back and bought another set and used the heavier weights in place of the smaller ones. A couple months later I went on Craigslist and bought a weight bench and an olympic barbell and 100 pounds of metal weight for $40. I got a steal but I was stalking weight benches on Craigslist for a while and struck quickly on that deal. A few months later I bought a Total weight system off of Craigslist for $75. I popped into a Goodwill store and bought some weights here and there and before I knew it, I had a fully functional gym in my basement at a fraction of the cost of joining a gym. And even though I haven't used them in a while, I know they are down there when I get the motivation to do it again.
TL/DR: I was fat, decided to lose weight by lifting weights, felt great, got lazy, gained a little of it back, will lose it again soon. If you decide to do it, go cheap. Buy 2nd hand and a fully functional set of equipment can be had for the cost of a few months of the gym.