If your goal is weight loss, the 2 most important things to be doing are eating right and exercising daily. But we all know these things: It is common sense. I am of the opinion that although the basics are vitally important, the little things also count for a lot. Here are 4 tips to lose weight that you may not have considered:

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1. Carry a Diary - Now I am not referring to the sort of diary where you write down who you have a crush on at work: I am talking about a small notebook, no bigger than your palm that you carry with you wherever you go. What I want you to do is write down every single thing that you eat and drink during the entire day. At the end of the week, weigh yourself and then refer to your notebook. If you have put on weight, refer to the book and try to determine where you went wrong. If you have lost weight, refer to the book and try to determine what you have done right. What's more, this little book will help to keep you accountable to yourself.

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2. Stick To Plates - What I mean here is that when you serve up dinner, to serve it on individual plates, rather than having the food accessible on bowls or platters on the table. When you have finished your plate, that's it: Dinner is over. Incorporating this little trick will help to deter you from going for seconds, or thirds. Serve dinner as if you were eating in a restaurant.

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3. Take a Walk Before Dinner - Not only does walking burn calories (we all know this), but walking before eating has been shown to decrease appetite. This is because when we walk, our metabolism increases, which means when it is time to eat, our bodies don't require as much food. Now don't go overboard with this. Stick to walking and not running. Leave your hard workouts for the morning and during the day.

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4. Close The Kitchen - After you and your family has had dinner, close the kitchen until morning. This is 1 of my favourite tips to lose weight and if you follow it, you will be amazed at the results. For example, if you have only 300 calories after dinner for an entire year, you will put on over 30 pounds of body fat. This demonstrates how cumulative weight gain can be.

The great thing about these tips to lose weight is that you can start doing them right now! You don't need to purchase anything or make any drastic changes to your lifestyle in order to reap the benefits. Make the change today and in no time you will be glad that you did.