Drinking Water Before Meals Helps Weight Loss

(CBS)  Drinking two glasses of water before each meal may help you lose weight, according to a new study presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, Health.com reports.

Obese dieters who drank two 8-ounce glasses of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner lost five pounds more than dieters who didn't increase their water intake. Those who drank more water also kept more of the weight off after a year, said Brenda Davy, an associate professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

The study included only middle-aged and older adults between the ages of 55 and 75 who were on diet - 1,200 calories per day for women and 1,500 calories per day for men. Half of the people were told to drink 16 ounces of water before every meal. After three months, the dieters who drank water had lost an average of about 15.5 pounds, while those who didn't lost just 11 pounds.

It's a popular anecdote that drinking more water will help you lose weight. Davy's study is the first randomized controlled trial to test the theory.

But Davy isn't sure why drinking water before meals helps with weight loss. But according to the Health.com report, a reason might be that it helps fill your stomach, making you less hungry.

[MissAnn12]

I am an almost 68 year old woman and I'm here to tell you that if you're a compulsive eater, it doesn't matter how much water you drink before a meal, you're still going to eat until your appetite is satisfied. And that may mean stuffing yourself until you are miserable. Hunger and appetite are not the same. Hunger can be satisfied but if you are a compulsive eater, you will continue to eat until your appetite is satisfied. I have battled my weight all my life and finally have it under control. I did it by keeping very little food in the house and eating healthy foods. I also go to the YMCA every day and do cardio kick, spinning, pilates and yoga. I also line dance and latin dance. You can teach an old dog new tricks. I've been doing this for over five years and I've lost over 50 lbs. and kept it off for four years. And now, there are times when I eat everything I want and as much as I want. I just go back to eating right and keep getting my exercise at the Y. Oh, bye the way, I do drink a lot of water.

[MissAnn12]

Whoops! Gotta correct my grammer. That should have read "by the way", not "bye the way".

[USMC-Mom]

This isn't news this is very old.

[lissa4]

If you sip the water, you won't get bloated, nobody is suggesting you glug down 2 glasses of water at one time!

[wahoosam2]

And to think, Patriot, that's money that could have paid for your lobotomy.

[barbaram99]

If I drink 2 glasses of water right before I eat my small meal I would have no room for it..Mum always said don't drink too much water 'fore ye eat as ye won't have room for yer meal.

[kamsack50]

So who wants to drink water BEFORE a meal? Forced water drinking causes my gut to swell. Stupid.

[displeased]

Then you won't eat as much. Makes sense, doesn't it?

[mylilelar]

They don't say it but I do not believe they mean to guzzle down 16 ounces of water 2 minutes before eating. More common sense would be 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour before. That's my take on it anyway.

[bckrd1]

Study Says Two Glasses Before Each Meal Helped Older Dieters Gain More Weight and Keep it Off


Did anyone else notice it says Gain more not lose more?

[F_Bueller]

Jeez! Who doesn't know this? This is like a big duuuh!!!! Not even worth posting as news here.