Even though the advice to "eat a little less and move a little more" seems easy, weight loss can be a real challenge. So it's not unusual that there are endless misconceptions of how you can lose weight quicker or how you can lose weight with very little effort.

One misconception is that you can lose weight by drinking hot water. This myth is based on the idea that your digestive system has to carry hot water down to your core body temperature to absorb water, which according to the myth, burns a few calories and improves your metabolism.

Although it's accurate that the body needs around 10 calories to digest 100 calories, you don't expend a large sum of energy to retain water-no matter the temperature of the water. And drinking hot water doesn't speed up your metabolism; your body's metabolic rate is fairly constant and is largely dictated by your size, age, gender, and genetics.

On the other hand, when it comes to the role of water as a potential weight-loss aid, hot water may have a leg up on cold water in that hot water stays a bit longer in your stomach.

Cold water is absorbed slightly more quickly than hot water, so drinking a cup of hot water can make you feel full a little longer than drinking the same amount of cold water. Although when you try to avoid snacking, this could be helpful, scientific studies have yet to validate whether the impact is significant enough to make a measurable difference.

This could be a good strategy for you if you notice that drinking hot water helps you get through the day without consuming unplanned calories.

It's safe to say that if drinking a beverage accounts for a significant amount of calories in the average diet, then drinking water - whether it's hot, cold, or room-temperature water - is a major step towards achieving a healthy body weight. But drinking water can do more than prevent you from drinking too many liquid calories - it can also help you eat fewer calories at mealtime.

"Preloading" with water or drinking about 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before a meal can boost your weight-loss effort. According to a randomized controlled trial published in the journal Obesity in 2015, dieters who were drinking water before eating consumed an average of 40 calories per meal and lost more weight than those who did not pre-loaded with water.

Drinking water - and making it a daily habit - is a good strategy for any weight-loss plan, but this strategy is only useful if you can maintain it on a long-term basis. Water is still a good choice if you just want a little taste or a little fizz, and experimenting with infusions and sparkling water can help keep you from getting bored.