Could a single glass of water be the secret to losing more weight?

Forget faddy diets or gruelling gym sessions… Scientists have discovered that drinking a pint of water before eating could be the secret to losing weight. 

A new study conducted by the University of Birmingham found that overweight adults who drank 500ml of plain tap water before eating lost about 9.5 pounds in 12 weeks. 

Sounds too easy? That's what we were thinking, but it turns out it's true!

Scientists involved in the study said the simple trick turned out to be extremely beneficial for increasing feelings of fullness and satisfaction.

Half of the participants in the study were told to drink a pint of water before their meals, while the other half ate as normal. The first group lost almost three pounds more than the second. 

Those who drank a pint of water before all three meals a day reported the biggest weight losses over 12 weeks. 

Researcher Dr Helen Parretti says it's an easy rule for dieters to follow. "The beauty of these findings is in the simplicity," she explains.

"When combined with brief instructions on how to increase your amount of physical activity and on a healthy diet, this seems to help people to achieve some extra weight loss – at a moderate and healthy rate. It's something that doesn't take much work to integrate into our busy everyday lives."