AFTER binge eating during the festive period, it's no surprise that one of the most common New Year resolutions is to lose weight.
So if you're going to take on the 'new year, new me' motto for 2016, then don't be fooled into signing up to a swanky gym just yet.
For those of you who are looking to shed those post-Christmas pounds, drinking water before meals could help weight loss and not just because it fills your tummy.
A recent study from the University of Birmingham found that on average, people who drank water 30 minutes before some or all of their three meals a day lost between 2.5 and 4 kilograms over three months.
The first group of participants drank 450 millilitres of water 30 minutes before at least one meal a day.
But the other half didn't drink any water before their meals.
People in the water-drinking group lost an impressive 2.7 pounds more than the no-water group.
Their urine was regularly monitored to see how much water they were actually drinking.
Researchers found people in the water-drinking group ate fewer calories at each meal than the people who didn't take water.
How to get in shape? Drink more water
They believe it could be down to the obvious - drinking water fills up your tummy, making you feel fuller and less hungry.
But they also believe when you're dehydrated, your body will often tell you you're hungry, so there's a better chance of water getting into your system through the food you eat.
A total of 84 people - 54 women and 30 men took part in the study.
No ages were given in their paper, but researchers say the average age of the participants was 56.
Thanks to technology and smartphones, you can easily set a reminder to make sure you're drinking plenty of water.
So happy New Year - you've got a busy day of water-drinking ahead.
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