Amping up Water may aid weight loss

wilson10102018

Abstract

Water consumption acutely reduces meal energy intake (EI) among middle-aged and older adults. Our objectives were to determine if premeal water consumption facilitates weight loss among overweight/obese middle-aged and older adults, and to determine if the ability of premeal water consumption to reduce meal EI is sustained after a 12-week period of increased water consumption. Adults (n = 48; 55–75 years, BMI 25–40 kg/m2) were assigned to one of two groups: (i) hypocaloric diet + 500 ml water prior to each daily meal (water group), or (ii) hypocaloric diet alone (nonwater group). At baseline and week 12, each participant underwent two ad libitum test meals: (i) no preload (NP), and (ii) 500 ml water preload (WP). Meal EI was assessed at each test meal and body weight was assessed weekly for 12 weeks. Weight loss was ~2 kg greater in the water group than in the nonwater group, and the water group (β = −0.87, P < 0.001) showed a 44% greater decline in weight over the 12 weeks than the nonwater group (β = −0.60, P < 0.001). Test meal EI was lower in the WP than NP condition at baseline, but not at week 12 (baseline: WP 498 ± 25 kcal, NP 541 ± 27 kcal, P = 0.009; 12-week: WP 480 ± 25 kcal, NP 506 ± 25 kcal, P = 0.069). Thus, when combined with a hypocaloric diet, consuming 500 ml water prior to each main meal leads to greater weight loss than a hypocaloric diet alone in middle-aged and older adults. This may be due in part to an acute reduction in meal EI following water ingestion.

Find study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2859815/

MelanieCN77

So they lost because they ate less?

MikePTY

I think it's pretty widely accepted that increased water consumption can aid with appetite control. That sometimes when people feel hungry, they really are just thirsty, and drinking water can help quench hugger cravings. So I think it is only logical that water consumption can assist with weight loss in this regard, which seems to be what the study is indicating.

MelanieCN77

I never bought that "you're actually thirsty" thing, myself, but I guess it could happen. I skimmed a lot of this article to find the calorie intake, and the water group self reported eating less by a small amount. It seems to me that drinking a bottle of water before the meals just made them fuller so they ate less, which isn't even satiety just physics.

apullum

In plain English, the abstract says that the water drinking group ate fewer calories than the other group at the beginning of the study. Therefore, they lost more weight. By the end of the study, both groups were eating the same number of calories.

My interpretation is that in the short term, drinking water with a meal will help you feel fuller and you may therefore eat less. However, eventually this will stop working, as you’ll get hungry from your increased deficit and want to eat more.

kshama2001

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

I never bought that "you're actually thirsty" thing, myself, but I guess it could happen. I skimmed a lot of this article to find the calorie intake, and the water group self reported eating less by a small amount. It seems to me that drinking a bottle of water before the meals just made them fuller so they ate less, which isn't even satiety just physics.

I feel hungry in the AM, but when I start drinking tea that feeling goes away for a few hours, so for me "you're actually thirsty" is indeed true in the AM.

When I was in boot camp in the late '80s, we had to completely drink two glasses of water with every meal. I don't really remember exactly how big they were, but definitely bigger than 8 oz, and probably 16 oz, so 32 oz of water with each meal. We were allowed to leave food, but finishing water was mandatory, and we only had a short time to eat. It was indeed hard to get a lot of calories into my stomach in that short time with all that water sloshing around, and the food was terrible besides. I think I lost 25 pounds in 6 weeks.

So there ya go folks, the Air Force Boot Camp Diet - three terrible meals with 32 oz water at each meal, no snacks, lots of walking, and running 1.5 - 3 miles per day. (Silly long hikes with heavy back packs not required )

wilson10102018

I'm gonna re-read this when I get a minute, but I think that it is more substantive than feeling full. I think the water reduces the calorie uptake from the same amount of food.