I drank chia seed water 30 minutes before each meal, and I ate half as much before I felt full

• Chia seed water has become a popular weight-loss drink by filling you up to prevent eating.
• I tried drinking the chia seed water 30 minutes before each meal for three days to test its effects.

TikTok users and nutritionists have given a ringing endorsement for chia seed water as a weight-loss method, so I decided to try it for myself.

The chia seed water trend, which involves drinking water with a teaspoon of chia seeds in it, has become popular for its ability to help curb hunger and promote natural weight loss, even though it doesn't affect metabolism or increase calorie-burning. It's just supposed to make you feel full faster.

After experimenting with the drink for three days, I can say it did reduce my appetite and left me feeling full from just half the size of portions I typically eat.

I used the same chia seed recipe before each meal but it required some extra steps

I put one teaspoon of chia seeds in an eight-ounce glass of water and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

The seeds slowly began to spread out around the glass, and a white aura developed around most of them. Chia seeds are packed with a type of soluble fiber called mucilage, which absorbs water — expanding up to 27 times its weight when mixed with liquid.

As they expanded, some seeds fell to the bottom of the glass, but most of them stayed up top.

I used the same recipe three times a day for three days straight. Each time I had to manually push the seeds at the top of the glass under the water to make them soft.

The drink had the same filling effect each time, and now I have lots of leftovers in my fridge

Drinking the water 30 minutes before each meal required some patience and discipline.

For one, it did not taste good. It was bitter and the texture of the seeds slithered down my throat like a glob of slimy gravel. I also had to wait 30 minutes after drinking the water to make sure the hunger-curbing effects had enough time to set in before actually eating anything.

But after drinking it and waiting for its effects, I realized how efficient the drink was.

I had already felt like I had eaten a substantial meal before even taking a single bite of my breakfast, lunch, or dinner and couldn't finish the portion sizes I typically eat.

For example, one evening during the experiment I made a burger with a side of pasta. But after the chia seed water's effects set in, I could only eat about half the burger and took three bites of pasta before I put the tin foil wrap on top of the plate and stuck it in the fridge.

The next day for lunch, I still couldn't finish the burger or the pasta after the chia seed water's effects set in.

I won't be taking the drink every day, but I'll keep it in my back pocket if I need more fiber

After my three-day experiment, I will be taking a break from the chia seed water for a while. Drinking it every day could cause digestive issues like bloating and constipation, according to registered dietitian Alix Turoff.

Turoff also told Insider that consuming filling drinks to cut down on portion sizes too often can lead to an eating disorder by instilling irregular eating patterns, depriving my body of nutrients from meals I would normally finish.

But if I do need to introduce more fiber to my diet, then regularly snacking on chia seeds would do the trick as long as I'm introducing them into my diet gradually and balancing it with enough water, according to registered dietitian Kriss Solid.