The Water Factor

Does drinking water before a meal really help you lose weight?

In a brief blog post in the New York Times, Anahad O'Connor is claiming that a number of studies conducted over the last several years have shown that this question can be simply answered, "yes."

Personally, I always thought drinking water over other beverages could only help improve my health; it would be another good decision.

My track coaches in high school and college always recommended replacing soda with water and because I was "in training," and I always listened without question.

Water has no fat, calories or sugar in comparison to other beverages: juice, milk, soda, etc. It also is hydrating compared to soda, coffee and tea which are dehydrating. So it would make sense for it to be better for us.

O'Connor agrees with this "trick" has been used for decades because the concept is simply that by filling the stomach, water reduces hunger. The most recent study followed a group of overweight subjects who were asked to drink two cups of water before every meal and on average, they lost 15.5 pounds.

This subject is rather timely now, little over a week before Thanksgiving and the holiday season where on average adults gain a pound. To read more about subject and completed studies check out the blog post.

My question regarding this theory though is that water may fill you up but how will it ward off hunger? Water has no nutritional value so won't you come back hungrier as ever? I think the value of this information is not in listening to it alone but to make it a part of your life in addition to eating better and regularly exercising. I find a good resource for this type of information is Runner's World, which offers a number of tips and articles on hydration, water and sports drinks.

Have you given up soda or juice? What do you think about the water factor?