Water has long been considered one of the elixirs of weight loss and new studies are showing us why (and how) it can help decrease our waistlines.
Most of the studies on water and weight loss have come to a simple conclusion: Drinking 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before a meal can help you lose up to a significant amount of weight. There are multiple reasons that this rather simple method takes the pounds off:
Drinking water actually increases your metabolism. In one study, drinking about 16 ounces of water increased the subjects metabolism (calories burned) by 30% reaching it’s maximum about 35 minutes after the subject drank the water.
People that drink water 30 minutes before a meal eat less food at the meal. A study showed that older subjects that drank 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before a meal ate about 50 calories less at the meal. Another study showed similar results with subjects eating less calories after breakfast when they drank water ahead of time.
People that drank water 30 minutes before each meal lose more weight. The benefit of drinking water before a meal has been shown to be beneficial for weight loss in a number of studies. One study done in Australia showed that people who drank 16 ounces of water before each meal lost an average of 44% more weight than subjects who were not instructed to drink extra water. The most recent study showed that those who drank the 16 ounces 30 minutes before meals had an average added weight loss of 3 pounds over a 12 week period.
Dehydration leads to decreased levels in both your mood and energy. Studies have shown that people are more likely to eat when they are tired or depressed and dehydration increases your risk of both. Yet another reason to drink enough water!
How much water should I drink in a day?
How much water a person should drink in a day is a hotly debated topic. Most people are safe with about 6 8 ounce glasses per day (48 ounces total). This is the amount you would drink if you had a 16 ounce glass of water 30 minutes before each meal. The more active you are, the more water you need.
