With tasty holiday meals on the way how can we control weight gain?

I recently came across an article that I found threw the New York Times. The article discusses the topic of weight gain especially since the holiday seasons are right around the corner. For people who are trying to maintain their current weight or lose weight this time of year can be very difficult."The average person gains about one pound between thanksgiving and January(o'connernytimes)". The meals are big and frequent, holiday parties consist of mountains of tasty but mostly unhealthy foods. How can you keep your portions in check and resist eating plates filled with these tasty morsels? The New York Times article says, "Drink water"! The article talks about a study that had been done threw Virginia tech that studied a group of  overweight subjects aged 55 and up who were on low calorie diets trying to lose weight. half of the group was told to drink 2 cups of water before every meal while the other group was told to just stick to their regular meal plan. The group that had consumed two cups of water before each meal ended up losing 15.5 pounds compared to the11 pounds lost by the control group. Similar studies were done in 2008 and 2007 where participants were told to drink a glass of water before breakfast each day as well as drinking a glass of water 30 minutes before each meal. Both studies reduced calorie intake and helped to control feelings of hunger in older adults. So enjoy your holiday and remember this quick tip if trying to keep your weight under control! 

To read more click the link WATER