You won’t believe these simple diet tweaks that will help you shred serious pounds with minimal effort – from DailyMail.com’s brilliant new columnists The Nutrition Twins

Cindy’s joy was contagious – in the three months we worked with her, we had never seen her so happy.

After 25 years of miserable dieting, the 45-year-old had finally shed the stubborn 20 kilos that put her in the “obese” bracket.

And she had done it in three months – without fad dieting, pounding the treadmill or even thinking much about her diet.

Cindy is one of the hundreds of clients we’ve helped transform their lives over the years with our no-nonsense weight loss plans.

As registered dietitians who have worked in the wellness world for more than 20 years, we’ve seen every diet trend come and go.

From cutting out sugar, to subsisting on raw meat alone, to old-fashioned carb-free – the results are always the same. They work for a few weeks, and then the customers put the weight back on – and more.

Our experience has led us to the conclusion that the most effective methods are often the little things that are so easy to do that you hardly notice them.

And these tweaks to your daily routine will keep the pounds off for good.

We’re talking seemingly small changes like adding salads or vegetables to your meals and hot drinks that keep you fuller for longer.

In our sparkling new column for DailyMail.com, we’ll let you in on these secrets we’ve gleaned from nearly 20 years in the diet and fitness world.

Importantly, our hacks and tweaks are only for those who are overweight and want to do something about it – or need to lose weight for health reasons.

Always consult your doctor before starting to change your diet; everyone is different and our advice may not be relevant to your personal circumstances.

But with about 40 percent of Americans in the obese category, there will be millions who will greatly benefit from our insider knowledge.

For starters, here are five simple hacks that take minutes to do but will keep you full for hours—and eliminate the temptation to reach for junk.

SOME SNACKS ARE FINE…BUT MAKE SURE THEY ARE FROZEN

It is no use asking a client to give up all snacks. Life is busy and not always organized, which means that while not ideal, it is common to accidentally go long periods between meals and become overwhelmed by hunger.

But the snack you choose is important. For example, fruits, vegetables, nuts, chickpeas, and certain cereal bars made with oats are high in fiber, which takes longer to digest, making these foods more filling.

You could add some low-fat yogurt for protein, which would give a boost of protein – further increasing filling.

But if you find yourself craving sweets after your evening meal, don’t feel guilty – we’re biologically programmed this way.

It’s all due to a phenomenon known as sensory specific satiety.

This is where your taste buds get bored, so after a while you lose your appetite for spicy food.

But when you start eating food that tastes and feels completely different in your mouth, you will find that your taste buds become fresh – and you can eat more.

But here’s a smart trick to prevent you from overdoing the sweet snacks: store them in the freezer.

When a treat is frozen, it slows down the speed at which you eat it, giving you a better chance of noticing satiety signals sent from your stomach to your brain.

Think of it this way: You can’t bite into a chocolate bar that’s been in the freezer unless you want to break a tooth.

DITCH FIZZY SODARY… HAVE A HOT DRINK WITH YOUR MEAL INSTEAD

Playing with food temperatures is a useful trick that can help reduce large appetites.

Some of our overweight clients, who often find themselves going back for more portions, benefit from having a hot tea just before starting their meal as it helps reduce insatiable hunger.

There are some small studies suggesting that certain teas – such as green, black and oolong – can reduce ‘stress eating’ due to the presence of the amino acid L-theanine.

When L-theanine crosses the blood-brain barrier, it provides a sense of calm and alertness. Many of us tend to overeat when we feel anxious, so curbing these feelings can help you avoid this.

Starting your meals with an L-theanine-rich drink can therefore help you limit your portions.

Warm drinks like lemon water and tea also help give your digestive system a benefit by helping the stomach absorb nutrients.

‘FERMENTING’ IS GREAT…BUT HAVE ‘LABOR INTENSIVE’ vegetables ready

If you work from home, it’s quite likely that you’re milling around the kitchen looking for easy food to grab for a quick snack.

The most popular choices are readily available, tasty items – like chips, pretzels and candy. But try something that doesn’t go from hand to lips as easily.

This could be peeling an orange, munching on raw vegetables like broccoli or nuts with shells like pistachios.

The goal is not to make it harder to eat. It’s instead to slow down your eating behavior and prevent you from absentmindedly finishing a whole bag of chips.

If you have to take the time to peel something or crack open a shell, it slows you down and gives you time to feel if you’re feeling full.

The standard American diet is full of soft foods like French fries, mashed potatoes, pasta, cereal that don’t take time to chew, making us more likely to keep eating until our stomachs finally catch up and say otherwise.

One study, for example, looked at 30 healthy women who ate their food at different paces. The researchers found that women are slower to consume significantly less food while still feeling fuller than those who ate faster.

Crunchy vegetables in particular are also packed with fiber, which our bodies need to keep our digestive systems running and regulate sugars. These foods are digested more slowly, meaning they cause a gradual rise in blood sugar and keep us full for longer.

CHOOSE A SMALLER PLATE…AND MAKE IT BLUE

Research shows you’re not just imagining it: dinner plates have gotten bigger.

Actually, recent research found that the average plate size has increased by nearly 23 percent since 1900.

Although it may not seem like much, larger plates can lead to overeating as people tend to fill up their plates and eat most of what is on it.

But just because dinnerware gets bigger, you don’t have to use it. A smaller plate or bowl, such as a salad plate, is a good alternative.

This basically works by tricking your brain into thinking you’re eating the same portion size as you would on a larger plate. It’s a phenomenon called the Delboeuf Illusion, or thinking that the same portion size is larger on a smaller surface compared to a larger one.

A Georgia Tech study, for example, found that when students were asked to serve the same amount of soup in a small dish and a large dish, they ended up with more soup in the larger dish.

Bonus points if your plate is blue. A study in the journal Appetite found that people who used a blue plate ate less food than those who ate it from a white or red plate.

Researchers believe this is because blue is not associated with the colors of desirable food and does not trigger appetite.

However, restaurants have been found to emphasize colors like red and yellow to stimulate feelings of happiness and excitement, which makes us eat more.