“Renew You” Challenge – Let’s start this week off right! Be a part of my Weekly Challenge (I mean, opportunity!) to help set you off on the right foot and in the right direction for bringing health to your week.

Take a few seconds and think about all the ways you’ve tried to lose weight. And don’t tell me that you’ve always been good about eating right and exercising, because we’ve all been there. We’ve all struggled with the ups and downs of keeping off unwanted pounds. And if you haven’t, well, consider yourself one of the lucky ones!

For most of us, keeping our waistline in check is a constant balancing act of “Should I?” or “Shouldn’t I?” Like “Should I have a salad for lunch even though I want a burger and fries?” or “Shouldn’t I get up off the couch and work out even though I’d rather watch this show on TV?” So when I read about a recent study where all people had to do was drink a couple glasses of water before they ate in order to lose weight I thought, “Hey! I can do that! Anyone can do that!”

I’m absolutely serious, folks. Researchers at Virginia Tech found that overweight and obese men and women who drank two cups of water before each meal consumed fewer calories and lost more weight than those who didn’t. And guess what? They ate the same exact diet as those in the non-water-drinking group! And three months into the study they had lost nearly 30 percent more weight just by doing this one little thing every day.

So your challenge this week? You guessed it! Drink at least two 8-ounce glasses of water before each meal, and let’s see if we can get rid of those extra pounds! Sure, it’s not some magic bullet or be-all, end-all diet miracle, but it’s simple, it’s doable, and it’s a great first step toward living healthier every day.

Bottom’s up!