Everyone who has tried to lose weight eventually hits a plateau. When it comes to dropping pounds, progress is far from being linear. 3 lbs down, 1 lb up, 2 lbs down and 1 lb up. That is why I tell my clients to weigh themselves once a month so they won’t be disappointed. And you will get a much more accurate feel for your progress. Don’t become one of those daily first-thing-in-the-morning scale steppers. That is a bipolar disorder waiting to happen.

If you’ve hit a snag and can’t seem to drop any more weight, you either need to eat a little less or burn more calories. For arguments sake, we will assume the latter. I am guessing you have cut back plenty on your daily intake. Besides, moving around and being active is a lot more enjoyable than further depriving yourself of food.

One of the simplest ways to burn more calories is to move more. Not exercise more, but move more. The human body is not designed to sit slouched over in a chair, day in and day out. Just making some small changes in your daily routine can have a great impact on your daily caloric expenditure. By implementing these small changes you can burn an extra couple of hundred calories daily. Over days, weeks and months that can add up to a lot of weight. Give some of these a try:

1. Park at the far end of the parking lot so you are as far away as possible from the building entrance at work.
2. Remove the word “elevator” from your vocabulary. It no longer exists. The stairs are your new mode of transportation.
3. Lose the chair and stand up at your desk instead. Tell your boss you’d like to try out a stand up desk. Here are some examples.
4. Dance. Find a bar where they have a live band. There is always a dance floor. Leave the bar stools to the barflys.
5. Go on active vacations. Ski, snorkel or walk around all day and explore a new city. I have never seen anyone come back from Europe heavier than before they left.
6. Have more sex.
7. Walk to and from the supermarket. The weight of the groceries on the way back will require you to expend more energy.
8. Go on active dates: walk around the city, go bowling, mini golfing.
9. When you choose to attend a sporting event, go standing room only.
10. Hit the mall. Go shopping and feel free to spend as much time there as you like. That’s hours on your feet.