Continued from The Best Weight Loss Program.

Roadblock 4 I fear I’ll only burn calories if I work out like a fiend.

Success Strategy Strap on a pedometer, start counting steps, lose weight.

Your gym workout is important. But just as critical are the fitness opportunities life throws your way, like not being able to find a parking space anywhere near your building or cleaning up the trash your dog regarded as an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Your new goal: Walk 10,000 steps — about 5 miles — a day. It may sound like a lot, but most of us rack up at least 4,000 steps a day just walking the dog and strolling through the supermarket.

Clipping a pedometer to your belt or waistband in the morning is a nice reminder that everyday activity is an important part of losing weight or staying fit and healthy — or of maintaining your new, lower weight. It’s fun and encouraging to look down and see how many steps you’ve taken.

The Science Behind The Strategy The nation’s most successful losers — 3,000 people who’ve lost 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year, qualifying them for the National Weight Control Registry — burn 400 calories a day through ordinary activity, the equivalent of walking about 10,000 steps a day.

That alone can help you lose a pound a week.