You decide to lose 10 pounds. Before you do anything else, think about your preferences. Do you jog at 6 a.m. every morning, even when the 30 degree weather turns your nose into frost? Or, do you shudder at the thought of getting up early and prefer to wrap yourself in a down comforter?

Your preferences towards exercise determine what you should do to lose weight. Let’s say you spend most of your leisure time sitting on the couch, reading a murder mystery. While you may not call yourself a “coach potato,” you do classify as an inactive person. Simply realizing this fact puts you one step forward to losing 10 pounds.

The next step involves deciding how to exercise, which is part of any good weight loss plan. Sure, going to the gym may be the first option that comes to your mind, but you have more choices. You may breathe a sigh of relief after reading the last line, since the gym may not be comfortable or convenient for you.

Other options to get more exercise can require more creativity, but the process is worth the extra effort. For instance, do you drive to the farmer’s market every weekend? Assuming it’s not too far, you might consider getting a cart and walking the distance.