As exercise and weight loss goals go, most of us have never entertained the goal of preventing weight gain. Somehow, saying "I want to prevent weight gain," just doesn't have the same resonance as, "I want to lose weight!"

But, for some of us, that's exactly the goal we need to have.

Think about the difference in these goals for a moment and the amount of work required for each:

• Preventing weight gain requires about 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. That could be a 10 minute walk in the morning and a 15 minute walk later in the day, a basic strength program a couple of times each week or some combination of that. And, keep in mind, that's all without changing your diet at all (providing you don't eat more than you're currently eating).
• Losing weight requires about 30-60 minutes of exercise most days of the week, working at a more vigorous intensity and with a combination of strength training and cardio workouts. Again, this is without changing your diet at all, so keep in mind that eating fewer calories does increase your weight loss chances.

The difference between these two goals is pretty big - With the weight loss goal, we get to lose weight and losing weight makes us happy. The problem? We often have a hard time doing the amount of exercise required to lose that weight so we end up giving up and, sometimes, gaining even more weight in the process.

With the weight gain prevention goal, we get to avoid gaining more weight. That? Doesn't sound like much fun, does it? Maybe preventing weight gain isn't as sexy as losing weight but here's something to think about if you're struggling to lose weight: Finding a way to stop gaining more weight puts you in a powerful position to start losing it for good.

The truth is, it's hard to lose weight. Every pound you put on is twice as hard to get off, our bodies are just made that way. So, every time you gain a pound, that's a pound on top of what you already want to lose. You've just made it harder on yourself and, if you're already struggling, you've compounded the problem.

So, what's easier? To follow an exercise program we can't stick to or choose a more accessible route that, if nothing else, keeps us moving and keeps our weight in check as we practice this whole healthy lifestyle process?

That's a question to ask yourself if you're on the weight loss roller coaster. Is there another way? What do you think? Is it a good idea to rethink weight loss goals if they aren't working for you? Is preventing weight gain a worthy goal to have? Leave a comment and tell us what you think.

As I was working on this blog topic, I went to some of my friends and clients to ask: What's your favorite workout? This question elicited a number of facial expressions, depending on the person asked. Most of my exerciser friends became thoughtful, complete with furrowed brows and faraway looks as they flipped through a mental list of workouts they've tried in search of their favorite.

For my struggling-to-exercise friends, the look was more like a bug...as in the kind with eyes that bulge out in what appears to be disbelief or, perhaps, it was disgust. For example, my client *Dana asked, "Is that a serious question?" Then went on to inform me that 'favorite' and 'workout' are two words she would never, ever use in the same sentence unless the sentence went like this: My favorite way of avoiding a workout is...

There are so many ways to exercise these days, so many options, almost anyone can find something they like, even Dana (although we are still in search of what that might be). Whether it's running, walking, circuit training, interval training, endurance workouts, strength training, sports or even gum-flapping workouts (as in, gums flap while the body remains in a stationary position, usually blocking the very machine you'd like to use), there's something out there for everyone.

The key to finding it is to keep trying until something clicks, even if it takes a few tries. One way to make that process easier is to learn what others are doing. Sometimes just hearing or reading about an idea is enough to get you excited about trying a new way to exercise.

To that end, I'd love to hear about your favorite workout. Whether it's something traditional, like a good old fashioned walk around the neighborhood, or something unusual, like sword fighting or tire throwing, leave a comment and tell us about it. You may inspire someone else to start exercising today.

"You lied to me!" That's what a client, having worked with me for exactly 2 sessions, texted me one day, along with an angry emoticon that made me sit up and take notice. I admit, I do tell lies sometimes...small lies, like "You're really going to like this exercise!" Knowing they'll hate it, or "You'll be so glad you did this exercise some day!" Knowing that may be 6 months from now. But, beyond that, I couldn't imagine a lie so heinous as to require an angry emoticon.

When I asked what she was talking about, she said, "You said exercise was necessary for weight loss and I've gained 3 pounds. THREE!"

The all caps told me this was serious and reminded me of something I should tell all of my weight loss clients: Namely, that it's normal to gain a little weight when you start exercising.

I've written quite a bit about this phenomenon (I just started exercising...why am I gaining weight?, Why Can't I Lose Weight?, and What to Do If You're Not Losing Weight, just to name a few) but it can be quite frustrating. Even if you know how common it is and that it does, eventually, reverse itself if you watch your diet, it's still extra numbers on the scale that shouldn't be there after all that hard work.

I eventually calmed her down (although my smiley-face emoticon didn't go over so well) and she's slowly starting to believe me, now that her weight is changing. However, she had a tough time with it as we waited for her body to respond to our workouts and the weight loss to kick in.

I'm curious about your experiences. Have you ever gained weight after starting an exercise program? If so, what did you do about it? Vote in this week's poll and tell us about your experiences with exercise and weight gain.

A few weeks ago, I posted a blog in which I stated that the real way to burn fat was with the following: Consistent cardio and strength training. As expected, that went over like a led balloon because anything that includes the word 'consistent' also often includes things like 'boredom' and 'monotony' and 'slow to achieve noticeable results.'

I still stick to my original premise that consistent exercise is the real key to fat loss (and, I should've added that a low calorie diet is another essential), but I wanted to take the fat-burning concept a bit further. It's true that there are no 'magic' fat burning exercises - but there is something you can do to enhance your body's fat burning potential and that is this: Work really hard.

Intensity is the real game-changer when it comes to burning fat because, when you work hard (as in going to a place where you can't breathe, can't think, can't stand it for more than few seconds at a time), your body responds by becoming something of a fat burning machine. As one study suggested, "...vigorous exercise favors negative energy and lipid balance to a greater extent than exercise of low to moderate intensity." Which is a fancy way of saying you can burn more fat.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't work at a lower intensity, because long slow workouts are good for us, too. In fact, it's best to have a variety of intensities when planning out your cardio routine. And, keep in mind that working very hard is, well, hard and it puts you at risk for injury, which is why you shouldn't try it until you've been working out for awhile. Also, working very hard is uncomfortable, which is why you should consider short bursts of hard work rather than trying to go all out for an entire workout, which isn't a good idea.

I talk about some of your hard-work options in my latest article, Best Fat Burning Exercises and, as always, I'd love to hear from you. How important is intensity in your workouts? Have you noticed better results from adding higher intensity exercises or activities? How do you manage your schedule to avoid burnout and injury, a problem with too much high intensity exercise? Leave a comment and tell us about your experiences.