Definitely focus on bodyfat loss & not weight loss. The scale is not the valuable way to judge progress - better to pay attention to how your clothes fit - if your training/cardio, diet & rest/recovery are in line, you should see waist getting looser, quad & back getting tighter.
It isn't easy to give a thorough response in 1 post on a muscle forum - for total beginners, I recommend getting a copy of Bill Phillips' Body For Life book - you can usually get it at the library or reasonably cheap on Amazon. I like it because it is an easy read & gives a solid foundation program of diet & training that is totally doable and not extreme. Just requires commitment & consistency to produce results.