Although this doesn't seem like rocket science, it makes a huge difference.

Drink a full glass of water before each meal. This will help stretch your stomach and prepare it for eating. It will also start the signaling process that lets your brain know that you should stop eating.

Throughout the day, keep drinking water. Americans are chronically dehydrated. Your urine's color should be clear or very light yellow. That's when you know you have hydrated enough. (Diabetics see note below)

What should you drink?

Only water. Stop drinking soft drinks, alcohol, juices, and anything else that isn't water. Everything else is full of calories. Especially, alcohol. It's not the sugar that sweetens the drink, the alcohol itself is full of calories.

What about diet soft drinks?

Stop drinking diet pop. Although diet pop has no calories, it still contains sodium. Sodium (salt) is why a lot of us retain water and retain extra pounds. Try to eliminate extra sources of sodium from your diet. You will notice your weight decline. See our sodium chapter.

Note: Diabetics urine may always look clear, even when they are dehydrated.