To exercise or not to exercise

I've read many, many conflicting perspectives on here about exercise. What I feel is true is that most of weight loss is done in the kitchen, and exercise is not necessary to achieve weight loss; however, exercise can support weight loss/speed up the process, as well as help tone your body. Another reason I appreciate exercise is because mentally it helps promote healthier choices for me. So I guess I conclude that exercise does promote weight loss.

What are people's thoughts on exercise? Have you found it necessary to your success? Do you find it more beneficial to go hard at the gym, say, 3-4x a week, or to simply get in 10k steps a day? What does exercise look like for you? I'm interested in hearing your experiences/thoughts!

Edit: I have read various research studies conducted by NIH, AMA, etc. I'm mostly asking this just to hear individual's personal experiences!