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— a few blocks of walking makes a difference.

Other alternatives have to do with work. Maybe you park close to the building. As a substitute, you can park further away to give yourself a mini-workout before you reach the office. Then, at lunchtime, go for a sight-seeing walk around the neighborhood, perhaps taking a colleague along.

At home, you can continue finding convenient ways to exercise. Do you zap a frozen dinner in the microwave and then sit down to do nothing? As a replacement you can cook a wholesome, delicious meal and get some exercise in the process running around preparing it.

And don't forget about involving your family in exercise as well. Find an indoor playing center, with a playground and various activities. Or, shoot hoops in the backyard with your kids or by yourself. If you don't want to miss a football game on television, tape the game or listen in on the radio.

Since television can be a huge obstacle to exercise, here's another way to work around this problem. The next time you decide to watch a video or a television program, don't sit down. Instead, get up and do aerobics while you watch.

Depending on your preferences, you may want to get a home gym, with an exercise bicycle, treadmill, boxing gear, or an abdominal exerciser. These options give you the ability to workout in the privacy of your home. But, choose equipment that you will actually use.

It comes down to making changes in your lifestyle that you can handle and sticking with this routine. Soon, the "exercise" will become second nature for you, making you 10 pounds lighter and happier.

You might even have enough extra energy for that morning jog.