In a recent study published in the journal Obesity, researchers from the University of Birmingham monitored the progress of 84 obese individuals over a 12-week period. Half of the people were told to drink 17 ounces (500 mL) of water before mealtime, and the other half were told to imagine they had a full stomach before eating. At the end of the study, the half who preloaded with water lost an average of 9½ pounds. The other half lost an average of only 1¾ pounds.
The wonderful thing about this study is the simplicity of the strategy: Just drinking 17 ounces of water three times daily before meals. It’s something that doesn’t take much effort to incorporate into our lives.
