很多人都认可饭前喝水有助于减肥，他们觉得水能填饱肚子，这样就可以少吃点饭摄取更低的卡路里了。如今，一项研究为这个说法提供了证据。
The study participants were between the ages of 55 and 75
and overweight or obese. The researchers had them consume a low-calorie diet
(1,200 calories for women or 1,500 calories for men). They were than randomly
assigned to either a water or control group. The water group drank 2 cups (16
oz. total) of water before eating each of their meals (breakfast, lunch and
dinner), while the control group was just given the low-calorie diet without
further
instructions.
参与这项研究的人都在55到75岁之间，超重或极度肥胖。研究人员让他们摄取低卡路里的饮食（女士1200卡路里，男士1500卡路里）。他们被随即分配成喝水组和对照组。喝水组的人在每顿饭（早餐、午餐、晚餐）前喝2杯水（总共16盎司），而对照组仅仅给予低卡路里食物，没有其他指示。
Since both groups were consuming fewer calories, both
groups lost weight. However, those that drank 2 cups of water before their meals
had a faster rate of weight loss and ended up losing 44 percent more weight over
a 12-week period than those that didn’t. The biggest changes in calorie
consumption were seen at the beginning of the study, indicating that having
water before meals might not continue to help reduce caloric intake as much over
time.
因为都只是摄取较低卡路里，所以两组人员体重都有下降。但是，喝水组体重下降更快，在12个星期里下降了比对照组多百分之四十四的体重。两组在卡路里摄取上的明显差异仅发生在研究的最初阶段，这说明饭前喝水并不能持续减少卡路里的摄入。
It’s important to note that this study was fairly small,
consisting of only 41 people. However, its results do support the time-honored
advice of drinking water before meals. Those with firm weight-loss resolutions
may want to try using this technique to boost their efforts. For success, follow
these
tips.
需要指出的是，这项研究的样本量相当少，只有仅仅41个人。但是，研究结果确实支持饭前喝水这个传统的建议。对于减肥决心坚定的人来说，或许会利用这一技巧达到事半功倍。
那么要想成功减肥，请遵循以下建议：
Make sure that it is water you’re drinking before the
meals. Sodas, sports drinks and juice add calories to your intake and slow or
stop you from reaching your goals. Diet drinks are not as good an option as
water because some evidence indicates they trick our brain into wanting more
sweets and other studies show they might contribute to bone
loss.
要确保饭前你喝的是纯水。苏打水、运动饮料、果汁都会增加你的卡路里摄入并减缓或阻止你实现目标。低卡路里的饮料相对于纯水来说也不是一个好的选择，有证据显示低卡路里饮料会诱使大脑获取更多的糖，其他研究则显示它们还可能导致骨质疏松。
Get a 16-oz. bottle, keep it full and in plain sight. Have
it on your office desk, by the refrigerator, or anywhere else where it will
remind you to drink before you
eat.
准备一个16盎司的杯子，装满水，放在显眼的地方。把它放在你的办公桌上、冰箱旁或其他任何能提醒你饭前喝水的地方。
If you don’t
like the taste of water, add a 2 tbs. of lemon or lime juice to add flavor. If
that doesn’t work, you could add a splash of juice; just make sure you are only
splashing, not pouring. If you’re a fan of the bubbly, you could try seltzer
water
instead.
如果你不喜欢纯水的味道，加两汤匙柠檬或酸橙汁来提味。如果这还不行，你可以加一点点果汁，要保证你仅仅是滴几滴而不是倒。如果你喜欢多泡，可以尝试用塞尔查水来代替纯水。
