A Magical Beverage That's Proven to Suppress Your Appetite
By: Jen Mueller,
SparkPeople Blogger
9/3/2010 10:12 AM
: 146 comments
: 79,495 Views
What if I told you there is something you can drink that is easily accessible, free, healthy, and can help you lose more weight? Does it sound too good to be true? For years, people have speculated that this drink helps with weight loss. But until now there hasn’t been much scientific evidence to back up that claim. So what is it?
If you didn’t already guess, it’s water. New research, presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, compared people who drank two, 8-ounce glasses of water before a meal with those who drank nothing. The 48 participants, ages 55-75, were all on a low-calorie diet. Over a 12-week period, the people who drank the water three times a day (before meals), lost about 5 pounds more than those who did not increase their water consumption (15.5 pounds compared to 11 pounds.)
There are a few reasons why drinking water before a meal could be a good weight loss strategy. One is that it helps fill your stomach a little, so you end up eating less. Water can also replace high-calorie sodas and juices, which can save hundreds of calories per day. The Institute of Medicine says that most people can let thirst determine how much water they drink per day. There are no exact requirements of how much you should drink, but per haps if you could time your water intake around your meals, you could see a change in your weight loss progress.
Still not sure how much and what you should be drinking daily? Check out SparkPeople’s Healthy Beverage Guidelines for more information.
What do you think? Have you tried drinking water before meals? Do you find it has an effect on your weight loss?
If you didn’t already guess, it’s water. New research, presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, compared people who drank two, 8-ounce glasses of water before a meal with those who drank nothing. The 48 participants, ages 55-75, were all on a low-calorie diet. Over a 12-week period, the people who drank the water three times a day (before meals), lost about 5 pounds more than those who did not increase their water consumption (15.5 pounds compared to 11 pounds.)
There are a few reasons why drinking water before a meal could be a good weight loss strategy. One is that it helps fill your stomach a little, so you end up eating less. Water can also replace high-calorie sodas and juices, which can save hundreds of calories per day. The Institute of Medicine says that most people can let thirst determine how much water they drink per day. There are no exact requirements of how much you should drink, but per haps if you could time your water intake around your meals, you could see a change in your weight loss progress.
Still not sure how much and what you should be drinking daily? Check out SparkPeople’s Healthy Beverage Guidelines for more information.
What do you think? Have you tried drinking water before meals? Do you find it has an effect on your weight loss?
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Comments
A lot of people ask me how I manage to drink 2 litres a day - easy! I've got a 1.25 litre refillable drink bottle that I take with me wherever I go...even to business meetings...it's sometimes a talking point to break the ice with a new business contact...and it's been the reason why some people I know have taken up the habit themselves...
Drinking lots of water makes your skin glow, it helps with oral hygiene, keeps your digestive system moving nicely and helps reduce caloric intake (often people who think they are hungry are actually just thirsty...).
GO FOR IT! - 4/17/2013 10:37:45 PM
I was once told that the "science" behind this was that your kidneys need fluids to process the toxins from your system. If it does not get enough, your liver must take over part of that process. Then your liver is not able to do its primary job of metabolism, especially processing and storage of fat. If your kidneys have enough fluid to function correctly then the liver can function more effectively as well. I've never found actual studies to back up that theory, but it makes sense. Some with other health issues though may need to monitor their water consumption more carefully. That is why it is always important to tell your doctor not only about other medicines, but also supplements, herbal or vitamin, and changes in your lifestyle. - 9/8/2010 11:20:56 AM
Nowadays, there is clean, bottled water available at every corner store, in all kinds of flavours and all different brands. We can buy water in huge jugs to take home that has been filtered, de-ionized, sterilized, and otherwise cleansed. There is no after-taste anymore (my big issue until I got my cooler), and it's now a pleasure.
As for drinking before meals, I'm not so sure about that. I find water kick-starts my metabolism, and therefore makes me want to eat more. I may be quirky or an anomaly, but that's what I find happens with me. I just find I feel "cleaner" because it flushes my urinary and digestive tracts, and this is why I drink more of it than I used to. - 9/8/2010 9:36:15 AM
Teas sometimes do curb my appetite, and not because of caffeine, I drink more herbal/tisanes/whatever tea than caffeinated, and sometimes crystal light, will temporarily reduce my hunger before a meal. I assume this is because they TASTE like something, and my brain thinks of them as food, while water is just water. However, I don't seem to get full any faster once I eat after drinking a lot of liquid. - 9/7/2010 12:18:51 PM
Have you tried Fruit20 cherry water? I am not sure if they are everywhere, but Fruit20 does have good flavors.
Good luck on your journey for good cherry water. - 9/7/2010 12:18:09 PM
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