It’s almost that simple. A new study finds that drinking water at certain times can help you drop the pounds. But what isn’t the media telling you?

People that bring you health news love to talk about weight loss, because so many people are interested. But according to this study, the first step is to follow a healthy diet. That’s the part you don’t see in the headlines! Here at ZocDoc, we understand that crafting and following a healthy diet is easier said than done. If you’re working on your weight, consider first speaking with a doctor or a preventive medicine specialist. We can help get you on the right track.

The researchers, who presented their study at the recent annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, examined overweight, older adults who were put on a low-fat, low-calorie diet. Some of the adults were also instructed to drink two cups of water before breakfast, lunch, and dinner. After 12 weeks, the people who drank water before meals lost almost 30 percent more weight.

The researchers explain that drinking water before meals might help fill up your stomach, so you eat less food. It might also just work as a reminder that you’re trying to lose weight. Either way, being less thirsty seems to help people avoid the sugary drinks which account for so much of our caloric intake.

But it’s no magic bullet, warns Dr. Brenda Davy, the lead author of the study and an associate professor of nutrition at Virginia Tech. “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.”