Want to Lose Weight? Drink Water Before Meals, Says Study

Many popular weight loss programs have always advised one to drink lots of water to lose weight. However, they can never explain the reason to do that. But a recent study found in the Journal of Obesity answered that question and proved the theory to be actually true.

As many as 84 overweight and obese participants was gathered and divided into two groups. Each participant was offered basic weight loss advice, said Dr. Amanda Daley, lead author from University of Birmingham. Women followed a 1200-calorie diet plan, while men were put on a 1500-calorie diet plan for a period of 12 weeks. The first group followed hypocaloric diet, that is eating less calories than being consumed. The participants also asked to tell themselves that their stomach is full before each meal.

The second, also on a hypocaloric diet, were told to increase their water consumption. They had to drink 500 ml water or two cups half an hour before consuming three full daily meals.

Each participant's weight was being monitored by the researcher at the beginning, during and end of the research study. They also studied the urine production to ensure that the participant was drinking as much water as instructed.

Even though both the groups lost weight during the study period, the ones in increased water intake group lost three additional pounds. Results revealed that drinking 16 ounces of water half an hour before meal helped the participants lose up to 9 pounds more by the end of experiment.

According to Daley, the reason why water is effective is that it fills people up and gives them fuller feeling, thus reducing the probability of overeating. This study confirmed previous studies that suggest that people who drank more water 200 calories than the person who didn't.