New research reveals the key to losing weight and keeping it off may be as easy as drinking water before meals.

According to HealthDay, Virginia Tech researchers studied overweight and obese men and women between the ages of 55 and 75. The participants were divided into two groups – the first followed a low-fat, low-calorie diet, the other was told to drink two cups of water before each meal while following the same diet.

They found that after 12 weeks, individuals in the group who drank water before their meals lost about 30 percent more weight than the non-water drinkers (15.5 pounds vs. 11 pounds).

In addition, researchers say that after the initial 12-week study was over, those who continued to drink water before meals were able to maintain their weight loss and continue to lose more weight.

"Drinking more water is a pretty simple strategy that may be helpful to people trying to lose weight," senior study author Brenda Davy told the news provider. "We’re not saying, ‘Drink more water and the body fat will melt away’. But for people who are trying to lose weight and trying to follow a low-cal diet, it’s something they can do as part of that."

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.