We hate to break it to you, but there is no effortless way to lose weight. Dieting is hard, exercise is harder and quick-fix pills don't work as well as you would want them to. That said, however, there are a few simple tricks you can use to help you drop more pounds than you would with diet and exercise alone, courtesy of Cosmopolitan magazine.

First, the magazine suggests drinking water before each meal. Virginia Tech researchers found that subjects who drank two full glasses of water before their meals ate less and lost more weight than subjects who didn't. Not only will water help you feel fuller faster, it'll quench your thirst so you won't reach for calorie-laden sodas and juices when you're eating. The perfect weight loss snack? Nuts. Nuts are full of protein and good fats, which will help keep you full so you won't go reaching for the potato chips a few minutes later. Plus, nuts don't have carbs, which means they won't trigger your body to start storing fat.

The magazine also advises ditching see-through storage containers. When you can see cookies in a jar, you're much more likely to be tempted to grab one. Store your most indulgent snacks in the back of the fridge or pantry, and keep snacks in opaque containers. Outta sight, outta mind, right? Of course, there's no way to lose weight without sacrifice. If you want to drop a few pounds, you're going to need to stay away from the mayo and hit the gym every once in a while. But with these tips and tricks, the whole process can be a little easier.