By Desiree Salas (media@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Sep 04, 2015 05:15 AM EDT

You'll be surprised at the simplicity of this weight loss tip.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham found that drinking half a liter of water 30 minutes before a meal can lead to weight loss.

A 12-week study that included 84 obese adults found that the very simple practice of "pre-loading" with water before meals can help shave off the pounds. In fact, in the group, consisting of 41 members, that did just that, the participants lost about 10 pounds. The other group, which had 43 participants, were asked to think that they were full before tucking into their meal.

"After 12 weeks, participants who were instructed to preload with water lost, on average, 2.87lbs more than those in the control group," The Huffington Post relayed. "In addition, participants who reported preloading with water before each of their three main meals everyday lost 9.48lbs over the 12 weeks."

"In contrast, those who reported preloading once a day, or never preloading, lost just 1.76lbs," it added.

Only tap water was allowed in the study. Soda, sparkling water, or even sports drinks were not used.

"The researchers believe that the greater weight loss of the group that drank water before meals could be explained in part by filling up their stomachs and making them feel fuller and less hungry," The Science Times said.

It was also believed that other factors could have influenced the outcome. One of them is dehydration. People are more likely to mistake dehydration for hunger and thus eat.

Other similar studies had been conducted in the past with similar outcomes. However, some health experts are skeptical over the claims.

"There's no compelling evidence to support the idea that drinking water suppresses appetite significantly, and therefore leads to weight loss," said Human Appetite Research Centre coordinator Neil King, according to ABC Australia. "Some people might anecdotally report that they drink lots of water and they lose weight, but that doesn't mean that drinking water is causing the weight loss."

However, he did offer that "one possible way drinking water could help with weight loss is if you make a point of having a couple of sips at the start a meal to help you to focus on the act of eating, so you are able to enjoy every mouthful rather than shovelling food down your throat."

He also said that water is not the only weight loss aid option. Simply sitting for a moment or taking deep breaths may help, too.

"Where it can help, is not so much the water, it's introducing this idea of mindfulness, of actually being conscious of what you are eating and drinking," he explained. "So if you have water with your meal, or you are drinking water before it or with it or after it, it can help make you more conscious of what you are doing and what you are putting in your mouth and that can be a good thing."

WATCH:

© 2015 Latinos Post. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.