With fad diets and quick-fix weight loss plans all around us, it can begin to feel discouraging to try and lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way. This is especially true as you get older because your body undergoes plenty of changes that may actually make the weight loss process a bit more difficult.

But what are some of the healthier, safer ways to lose weight in your 50s? To learn more about this, we talked with a couple of expert dietitians to get their tips on sustainable eating habits that can make a world of a difference in meeting your health goals. Continue reading to learn more, and for more healthy eating tips, don’t miss Eating Habits to Lose Abdominal Fat As You Age, Say Dietitians.

While many people are scared of eating carbs, healthy carbohydrates are actually crucial for maintaining a healthy weight, especially in your 50s.

“Whole grains are a great source of fiber and are much healthier to eat than refined or enriched grains. Refined or enriched grains are processed, which can remove many nutrients, including the fiber. Fiber is super important for anyone looking to decrease your gut size in your 50s because it helps keep you full longer, which makes it easier to reach a healthier body weight. Whole grains are also high in other important nutrients, such as B vitamins, iron, folate, magnesium, and potassium,” says Courtney D’Angelo, MS, RD and author at Go Wellness.

Along with carbohydrates, protein is another nutrient your body needs on a daily basis. And getting enough protein is vital for weight management and meeting your weight loss goals.

“Eating enough protein in your diet helps build muscles. Muscles are metabolically active, which means more muscles lead to a faster metabolism, which leads to burning fat. With enough protein, you’ll start to feel full for longer periods of time. You’ll also start to feel less excited about cravings and reaching in the pantry for sugary snacks. Overall, matching your protein intake to your weight goals will ultimately help you lose your gut, especially in our 50s,” says D’Angelo.

RELATED: The #1 Best Protein to Eat to Shrink Belly Fat, Says Dietitian

Treating yourself to your favorite desserts and snack foods is a good thing, but choosing a healthier alternative on occasion can help you meet your goals.

“If you can make this a habit, along with others on this list, you’ll start to notice a major difference in your gut. That’s because sweets and treats often have a lot of sugar in them. Eating sugar leads to eating more sugar, and there are plenty of negative side effects from too much sugar. Think about replacing those treats with healthier snacks, like an apple, oatmeal with protein, or greek yogurt. This way, you’re getting more protein and natural sugar in your diet,” says D’Angelo.

Resistant starch is a term that isn’t as commonly discussed, but it can play an important role in losing weight after 50.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

“Incorporating foods with a good amount of resistant starch in your diet is helpful for achieving a flatter belly. As resistant starch moves through the digestive tract, it’s fermented by the beneficial bacteria living in your gut. The by-products from this fermentation process help improve the insulin response and decrease fat storage around the waist. Consuming foods high in resistant starch on a daily basis will help you see results in a short period of time and is as simple as enjoying overnight oats in the morning, snacking on cashew nuts or Prebiotic Bliss Bites during the day, or adding legumes and lentils to salads or soups for a light evening meal,” says Kara Landau, RD a registered dietitian with an expertise in gut health and founder of Uplift Food.

And lastly, getting enough fiber on a daily basis helps with many different health goals, including healthy and sustainable weight loss.

“Consuming a high-fiber diet can help with achieving a flat stomach for those in their 50s and beyond because it keeps you feeling fuller for longer so you don’t overeat, and also supports gut health to reduce bloating and keep things moving along the digestive tract,” says Landau. “Although only 50% of Americans meet the recommended daily fiber intake of 25-30 grams per day, there are some very simple strategies to incorporate more fiber into your diet so you can meet this target daily. To reach half your daily fiber target by breakfast, crush these Gut Happy Cookies over a probiotic-packed Greek yogurt or enjoy them as a digestive biscuit. If you’re more of a grazer, snacking on fruits, nuts, and seeds is an easy solution, as are these Prebiotic Puffs which are the highest fiber Puffs on the market, providing 8 grams of fiber per 120 calories.”

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Whether you’ve just started The 4 Week Gut Protocol or just thinking about it, it’s important to make sure you’ve got all the information you need for a successful journey.

Beachbody Super Trainer and nutrition expert Autumn Calabrese has struggled with tummy issues over the years.

After much trial and error and working closely with her doctor, she’s found a way to tackle her physically and emotionally challenging gastrointestinal issues.

To make sure you get the results you want, Autumn and her team put together The 4 Week Gut Protocol FAQ.

Here are some sample questions; the link to the full FAQ is below!

After a very successful launch, our teams are working hard to get The 4 Week Gut Protocol Optimize and Revitalize bundle back in stock.

We apologize for any inconvenience and will provide more details as we have more updates!

In the meantime, get additional program details at FAQ 5197.

2. How should I expect to feel while doing The 4 Week Gut Protocol?

Autumn says that depending on how you were eating before (pretty clean or not so great), you may experience some negative symptoms, like minor headaches and tiredness.

These should pass after the first week or so.

3. Can I drink coffee during the program? 

You are allowed coffee, but no more than three 8-ounce cups per week.

For more information on caffeine limits, go to the 4 Week Gut Protocol program page on Beachbody On Demand, and click on the “Resources” tab.

From there, open the Food Lists PDF and refer to the “Coffee & Tea” page.

4. Where can I find information about which Beachbody supplements I can take while doing the program?

Please reference FAQ 5197 under the “Recommended Supplements” section.

5. How do I know if a FIXATE recipe meets the requirements of the program?

You can reference The 4 Week Gut Protocol-approved FIXATE Recipes PDF that lives under the “Meal Plans and Recipes” tab in The 4 Week Gut Protocol tile on Beachbody On Demand.

The approved recipes have no gluten, no dairy, no corn, no alcohol, no artificial sweeteners, and no highly processed soy.

Autumn never uses artificial sweeteners or highly processed soy in any of her recipes, however, if you find a FIXATE recipe you like that’s not on the approved list, look to make sure it says “NO GLUTEN, NO DAIRY, NO CORN, NO ALCOHOL.”

6. Do I measure the food in containers before or after cooking?

This depends on the type of food you’re measuring. Please refer to the “Food Lists” under the Resources tab.

This list provides measurements for foods that don’t easily fit into a container, as well as specifying foods that are measured after cooking.

For the complete list of questions that have been answered by our team, please visit the full FAQ.

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Once the balmy summer months roll along, most of us dream of strutting down the beach like its a runway and donning that vibrant sundress that hugs you in all the right places. Except, those extra pounds hanging around your waistline since the holidays are a bigger buzzkill than the Grinch.

Luckily, you don’t have to turn to fad diets or take up a torturous cleanse in order to materialize those lofty flat-belly goals. Attaining a flat stomach in time for summer is totally doable as long as you follow our simple food and workout tips and remain consistent. In weeks, you’ll notice your waistline whittling and your confidence surging.

Plus, don’t miss 22 Meals to Melt Belly Fat in 2022.

Go big or go home—when it comes to breakfast, that is. A study published in the journal Obesity found that participants who woke up to a hearty a.m. meal lost more weight than those who restricted their calories. To come to these findings, researchers followed two groups of overweight women with metabolic syndrome and fed them 1,400-calorie diets for three months that were identical nutrient-wise. Both groups consumed 500 calories at lunch, while the big breakfast group consumed 700 calories for breakfast and a 200-calorie dinner, and the big dinner group ate 200 calories at breakfast and 700 calories at dinner. After three months, the big breakfast group lost about two and a half times more weight than those who gorged in the evening. Don’t skip this morning meal altogether, and don’t commit one of the 37 Worst Breakfast Habits for Your Waistline, either.

The warm spice is more than just your Christmas dinner’s go-to flavor booster. University of Michigan researchers found that the spice’s main compound, cinnamaldehyde, improves increases thermogenesis, and can help fight fat. Sprinkling cinnamon on your a.m. oats is probably the easiest and tastiest way to lose the gut in time for swimsuit season.

The fruit juice you guzzle down with lunch and the slice of chocolate cake you dig into post-dinner isn’t helping you in your quest to slim down fast. The American Heart Association recommends that women should limit their added sugar intake to 25 grams per day while men should aim for under 37.5 grams. Why? A study in the British Medical Journal found that increased sugar intake showed a positive correlation with increasing body weight while reducing sugar resulted in lower weight.

Just because a Diet Coke doesn’t pack in the 39 grams of added sugars a 12-ounce can does, that shouldn’t give you the green light to stock up. A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society discovered that folks who drank diet soda daily witnessed their waistlines triple in size over the course of nine years. Besides saying no to the sugar-free beverage, skip sprinkling Splenda into your morning coffee and bowl of oats.

You don’t have to give up sandwiches altogether in the months leading to warm weather, just toss out the top slice! Prepping your ‘wich open-faced-style will help you cut about 100 calories from your lunch. Up your sandwich’s satiety factor by pairing it with fiber-filled veggies such as artichokes, sugar snap peas, or carrots.

If you’ve ever signed up for a cardio kickboxing class or boot-camp-style sesh, chances are you’ve tried your hand at HIIT. High-intensity interval training, commonly known as HIIT, helps you lose belly fat by engaging your core and requiring you to expend the most energy. “High-intensity interval training is when you perform an exercise at or close to your maximum ability for a short period of time and then take a brief respite and do it again. HIIT should usually be done on a 2:1 interval, meaning if you did an exercise for one minute, you rest for 30 seconds and then repeat,” Dr. Alex Tauberg, DC, CSCS, EMR, tells us in 50 Ways to Shrink Your Belly. “By performing core workouts using a HIIT plan, you can burn calories and build muscle at the same time. This can be a great way to flatten that stomach when you don’t have too much time to work out.”

One eye-opening study found that participants who combined 4 to 5 cups of green tea with a 25-minute sweat session daily (or opted for 180 minutes of exercise a week), lost two more pounds than those who didn’t sip. Instead of just brewing a cup, try cooking grains such as rice and quinoa in green tea to boost your grains’ antioxidant factor.

It just makes sense: Using smaller plates can cut down on the amount of food you pile on. In turn, that simple swap can help you shed the muffin top fast. In fact, one study discovered that campers ate 16 percent more cereal than those who used smaller bowls. Want to kick more calories off your plate? Opt for red plates–the bright hue can help you eat less, according to a study published in the journal Appetite.

Monotony may be the key to whittling your waistline. “Repetition builds rhythm. Be boring. Most successful losers have just a couple of go-to breakfasts or snacks,” registered dietitian Lauren Slayton tells us in 200 Best Weight Loss Tips. “Make an effort to pinpoint these for yourself. ‘Hmm, I’m starving what should I have?’ doesn’t often end well. You can change the rotation every few weeks, but pre-set meals or workouts on certain days will help tremendously.” We wager you won’t get bored of munching on these 20 Homemade, Healthy “Fast Food” Recipes.

“By eating the veggie half of your plate before anything else, you will take the edge off your hunger, eat less overall calories, and still feel full and satisfied. Keep eating this way and the pounds will painlessly melt away,” registered dietitian Danielle Omar tells us. Since veggies are low-cal and come jam-packed with satiating fiber, they’ll fill you and squelch cravings without increasing your pants size.

Its farmed counterpart may boast steep discounts at the supermarket, but your tummy will thank you when you shell out a few extra bucks for the wild fish. The wild-caught variety contains more omega-3s than the farmed, and these heart-healthy fats have been linked to a lower BMI. To boost the coral swimmer’s weight-loss benefits, marinate it with some metabolism-boosting cayenne and garlic before grilling.

RELATED: 21+ Best Healthy Salmon Recipes for Weight Loss

Switch up your salad toppings by putting your grill to good use. Throw lean chicken breast, steaks, and even seafood on the barbie for an effortless way to stretch beyond your daily protein quota. While experts recommend 56 daily grams of the muscle-building macro for men and 46 grams for women, a study in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism found that folks who dug into double the daily recommended amount of protein were better able to build and maintain muscle as well as keep their metabolism speedy. Now that’s a double whammy for any belly!

Besides for making you groggy and irritable the next day, a bad night’s rest can also result in unwanted pounds creeping on. And keeping your television on past bedtime is a common factor interrupting your beauty rest. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that subjects who slept in the darkest rooms were 21 percent less likely to be obese than those sleeping in rooms with the most light.

Find it hard to target certain muscles during leg day? Or are you just bored of your usual cardio warm up? Adding resistance bands to your sweat sesh can make all the difference when you’re looking to get lean. “You can train almost every major group with them and they can fit into any suitcase or even your carry-on,” certified personal trainer Jeff Grant tells us in 31 Sneaky Ways to Work Out—Without Hitting the Gym. Bonus: You’ll have zero excuses for skipping your workout during those summer getaways.

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Instead of just succumbing to couch potato status during your latest sitcom binge, try incorporating some quick and easy moves to get your heart rate up. “Focus on one exercise each commercial break, doing as many as you can. Work your way through the body moving onto the next exercise at the next commercial segment,” Michelle Opperman, Group Fitness Manager of Crunch in New Montgomery, tells us. “An example would be squats, push-ups, reverse lunges, crunches, jumping jacks. To increase the intensity you can add speed or add plyo to the moves. The show segment becomes your recovery.” And if you’re binge-watching sans commercial breaks: “Pick a word before the show starts and every time you hear it do five burpees. This could quickly get real fun and challenging.”

Cravings creep up on even the most dedicated dieter, yet you can fulfill your hankering without undoing any weight loss wins. Rather than boiling a pot of carb-laden noodles, try your hand at spaghetti squash. “It feels like a hearty meal, but one cup only has about 40 calories—more than 75 percent fewer calories than a cup of plain pasta,” The Nutrition Twins Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, and authors of The Nutrition Twins’ Veggie Cure tell us in 21 Surprising Foods That Can Melt Fat This Winter.

Get creative in the kitchen by adding more healthy fats to your meals. Natural, unsaturated fats boost satiety and help you stay slim. “I love to use walnuts in place of starchy croutons on my salads for a heart-healthy crunch. I also use creamy avocado in place of mayo in chicken or tuna salads,” Today Show Dietitian and nutrition expert Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN tells us via email.

RELATED: Secret Side Effects of Eating Walnuts, Says Dietitian

Probiotic-rich foods help keep your tummy toned, deeming them the perfect flat-belly ally. Experiment by adding kimchi and sauerkraut to salads, sip on kombucha with dinner, and layer a creamy yogurt parfait for breakfast using some of our 25 Best Yogurts for Weight Loss.

It might taste soapy to some, but this superstar herb is no wallflower when it comes to weight loss. A study published in the journal Digestive Diseases and Science reveals that patients with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, experiences less bloat when they added cilantro to their diets. Sprinkle the stuff into soups and sneak it into sandwiches to get your tummy flat stat!

Summer is the ideal time of year for frequenting brunch and fitting a HIIT workout in with your friend. And it turns out, spending time with your BFF can also help combat belly-ballooning hormones. A study in the journal Hormones and Behavior found that lonelier women experienced a spike in ghrelin, the hunger hormone, after sitting down to a meal. Researchers conclude that hunger and loneliness may result in weight gain among non-obese people. An easy solution to combat the growing gut? Just pencil in some time with your pals!

What do beans, asparagus, and sunflower seeds all have in common? These nutrient-dense superstars are all solid sources of folate, a nutrient that’s been linked to weight loss. A study in the British Journal of Nutrition discovered that adding folate to obese patients increased their weight loss success by 28 percent.

“They may be small, but these sweet-tasting fruits contain a hefty amount of actinidin, a natural enzyme unique to kiwifruit that aids in digestion by breaking down protein in the body,” Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN, author of Body Kindness tells us. “Kiwifruit also contains prebiotic fiber, which primes the gut for healthy digestion,” Scritchfield says. “Research indicates that a daily serving of green kiwifruit helps increase bowel movements. So, cut in half, scoop with a spoon, and pop into your mouth like nature’s Tums (SunGold kiwis, with a yellow flesh and tropical taste, offer three times the vitamin C of oranges and as much potassium as a medium banana).”

RELATED: 25 Popular Fruits—Ranked by Sugar Content!

It seems like a no-brainer, but healthifying your home can actually help you quit that pesky grazing habit. “You can’t eat what’s not there, so make sure when you open the pantry, you aren’t tempted with the sugary, salty, fatty foods that most people choose when eating ‘just to eat,'” Heather Mangieri, RDN tells us. So toss the turtle candies and the family-size bag of BBQ chips, and “stock your refrigerator with fresh vegetable slices and healthy whole foods that will be easier to pass on if you’re not really hungry.”

Vitamin D and calcium are like ultimate weight-loss power couple—combine them and you could double your success instantly. According to a recent Nutrition Journal study, subjects who had supplemented their diets with these two nutrients lost two times more fat than those who didn’t. Greek yogurt and cheese are two healthy options that fit the bill.

Go ahead and toss these tart berries over your smoothie bowl and into your morning oats and witness their slimming effects. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that one hour after supplementing participants with Lycium barbarum, the plant from which goji berries are harvested, folks burned calories at a rate 10 percent higher than the placebo group. What’s more, the effects lasted up to four hours after!

Instead of breaking off a piece of that Kit Kat bar, indulge in a square of dark chocolate to whittle your middle. Here’s proof: One study found that women with skinny-fat syndrome (or normal weight obesity) who ate a Mediterranean diet that included two servings of dark chocolate daily showed a smaller waist size than those who didn’t bite into the treat. We can chalk up these astounding effects to the cocoa’s flavonoids, heart-healthy antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory compounds. Just make sure you’re picking a bar that boasts over 70-percent cacao and doesn’t list “alkalized cocoa” or “dutch-processed cocoa” in its ingredients as the alkalization or Dutching process removes a substantial amount of the beans’ natural antioxidants.

Fire up your fat-burning furnace by chugging water before you sit down to your next meal. Not only can swinging back two glasses help you feel full and therefore cut down on the amount of calories you consume, but it can also help boost your metabolism big time. Just about 17 ounces of H2O increased imbibers’ increased metabolic rate by 30 percent, according to a study printed in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

If you’ve ever tried the keto diet, you’re familiar with the magical effects slow-digesting MCTs (or medium-chain triglycerides) have on the body. They help you feel satiated, banish brain fog, and even help you ditch the gut. According to a study in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders found that supplementing your diet with MCTs (like those found in coconuts and coconut oil) can limit caloric intake and weight gain.

Speaking of healthy fats, you may want to try testing the trendy waters of a low-carb diet. A study in the journal Diabetic Medicine discovered that a low‐carbohydrate diet is more effective in reducing body weight than healthy eating in both diabetic and non-diabetic people. Quitting your daily bread and doughnut habit may be easier than you think: just switch up your snacks with these 20 Healthiest Low-Carb Foods.

Summer is the perfect time of year to load up on slimming vitamin D, thanks to the sunny rays, but you may want to step outside just as often before swimsuit season arrives. A study in the journal PLOS ONE found that exposing yourself to direct sunlight between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. can reduce your chances of packing on the pounds regardless of activity level, caloric intake, or age. What’s more, vitamin D (which the body obtains from the sun’s rays in addition to certain foods such as fish, cheese, and eggs) has been linked to aiding weight loss.

Kick up the heat and watch your gut melt. Capsaicin—the compound found in spicy peppers such as chilis, jalapenos, and cayenne—has been shown to boost your metabolism and help you drop unwanted weight. Not sure how to incorporate heat into your cooking? Swap ketchup for sriracha, add jalapenos to your stews, marinate meat with chili paste, and experiment with chipotle peppers.

“Many people think that they can eat whatever they want as long as they work out. But the truth is, if you are looking to lose or maintain your weight, what you put in your body is significantly more important than hitting the gym,” Ilyse Schapiro, MS, RDN, Co-Author of Should I Scoop out My Bagel tells us in 22 Things Dietitians Want You to Know Before Losing Weight. “Exercise is important to keep your body healthy, but just because you work out for an hour or more per day, it doesn’t give you the liberty to eat whatever you want!”

We all know that spending most of your time sitting can wreak havoc on your health, but that’s not the case with wall sits. Just place your back against a wall and keep your feet shoulder-width apart. “Do 10 rounds of a 30-second wall sit followed by a 30-second plank. Make sure to maintain good form for a meaningful workout and to avoid injury,” Dave Colina, certified CrossFit trainer, Krav Maga instructor and founder of formula O2 recommends. “During the wall sit, keep your legs at a 90-degree angle so your thighs are parallel to the ground. While in plank, squeeze your abs and tighten your butt so that your back remains straight. If you notice your hips gravitating to the ground, it’s time to take a break.” This lazy workout targets your quads and core, two major muscle groups that can fry flab and get you lean, quick.

Over 67 percent of coffee-drinking Americans add in caloric mix-ins like sugar, milk, syrups, and creamer. As negligible as it may seem, a splash of heavy cream here and a packet of sugar there can definitely add up and make an appearance on your beltline. Take your cup of Joe black to avoid unwanted calories and reap the benefits of this metabolism-boosting bev.

“Eat them raw, sprinkled with cinnamon, or baked as a seasonal treat,” Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT, a plant-based dietitian and author of The Vegiterranean Diet and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition tells us in 21 Surprising Foods That Can Melt Fat This Winter. “You cannot overeat them, there are myriad varieties of options, and studies show that enjoying an apple before a meal decreases total caloric intake at that meal.”

The exotic fruit not only adds flair to your fruit bowl, it can also help you slim down a swollen belly. Papain, a potent enzyme found in papaya, has been shown to relieve gas and bloating from indigestion. Chop up the sweet snack and use it to bulk up salads, smoothies, and protein shakes.

“Focus on making progress over attaining perfection. Small steps taken consistently are the key to success,” Adam Rosante, C9 Champion brand ambassador, trainer, and Founder of The People’s Bootcamp in NYC tells us in 30 Tips from Today’s Hottest Workouts. “Nothing truly great was ever built in a day. By concentrating on the journey, you’ll be able to adhere to your goals better and achieve those results you’ve been longing for.”

Snack time shouldn’t derail your diet as long as you ditch the dried fruit and granola and spoon some plain, probiotic-rich Greek yogurt instead. Researchers found participants lost significantly more body weight when they incorporated low-sugar, high-protein picks into their daily diet.

“I wish people knew that gluten-free foods aren’t all automatically healthy,” Torey Armul, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics tells us in 22 Things Dietitians Want You to Know Before Losing Weight. “People often lose weight and feel better on a gluten-free diet, but it’s usually not because of lack of gluten. It’s because they’re paying attention to their food choices and eating more real foods and less simple carbs. Gluten-free labeled packaged foods actually tend to have more calories and extra fat or sugar for added flavor.”

“Fad diets and meal replacement shakes are not the answer to sustainable weight loss or better health,” Kristen Carlucci Haase RD-N tells us. Sure, you can do something drastic to lose 20 pounds in a month, but chances are these actions aren’t sustainable. If you want to lose the weight and keep it off for good, target a weight loss of one to two pounds per week so you can truly see permanent, long-lasting results! Would you rather reach your goal weight and stay there for a month—or for the next 40 years?” For more weight-loss saboteurs, don’t miss these 31 Things You Did Today to Slow Your Metabolism.

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Want to lose your gut? Don’t we all. Whether that unflattering flab around your midsection discourages you from flaunting your bod at the beach or just being comfortable if your favorite pair of jeans, we’ve all been there. Well, now it’s time to eat your way to a flatter belly. See, that unwanted belly fat can be banished with the help of these specific fat-incinerating foods.

To aid in your quest of achieving a toned tummy, we’ve put together a list of the 50 most potent foods that’ll help you get rid of the gut—and keep it off! Snoop through our list and get to burning some extra fat fast with our best weight loss tips. Plus, be sure to try these 22 Meals to Melt Belly Fat in 2022.

The good gut bugs that thrive in your stomach require food to live, and one of their go-to picks are black beans! Gut bacteria munch on these beans’ soluble fiber and then transform it into butyrate, a chemical that’s been shown to increase calorie burning in mice. Every half a cup of black beans has over eight grams of satiating fiber, which is nearly twice as much as an apple boasts!

Wild-caught salmon is brimming with omega-3 fatty acids, which are notorious for squashing inflammation and helping you zap unwanted belly flab. In fact, these healthy fats fight inflammation by increasing adiponectin levels, a hormone that boosts metabolism and burns fat. Stock up on this pink fish, as it’s rich in both EPA and DHA, the two active forms of omega-3s.

Stop fearing the fat! Creamy avocados are full of monounsaturated fats that dim your appetite and prevent the accumulation of belly fat. In fact, a study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology tracked 90,257 people for several years and discovered that participants who tried to eat a low-fat diet had the same risk of being overweight as those who ate whatever they wished! Consider this fast fact another reason to bite into avo toast.

Looking to blast belly fat? Well first, you must make sure you’re eating foods that support a balanced gut microbiome—like miso paste (yup, the stuff miso soup is made with). Made by fermenting soybeans with salt and koji, miso paste teeming with gut-healthy bacteria that can help stimulate the digestive system, strengthen your immune system, and torch belly fat. Here’s proof: in a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers compared overweight women who followed a low-calorie diet and were given either a placebo or a probiotic supplement for twelve weeks. At the end of the study, women who supplemented their calorie-restrictive meal plan with a probiotic lost more weight than those who took the placebo.

Carotenoids, plant-derived antioxidants that stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance (therefore preventing calories from converting into belly fat) are generously present in sweet potatoes. For a quick and easy side or snack, pop a whole tater into the oven, bake on high until soft, and enjoy alongside your dinner or on its own.

And for more helpful tips, sign up for our newsletter to get daily recipes and food news in your inbox!

Forget counting calories on your quest to fight fat, and shift your focus onto protein instead. Since muscle steals the fat cells around your abdominals to burn for energy, maintaining those gains is a great way to score washboard abs. Just one large egg contains about 78 calories and a solid six grams of protein. If you’ve exhausted all your favorite scramble combos, whip up some of these Egg Recipes to Stay Skinny for a change.

Oats contain a type of hard-to-find soluble fiber called beta-glucans, which forms a gel in your small intestine, lowering blood cholesterol levels, boosting the immune system, increasing satiety, and regulating blood glucose levels. When you feel fuller for longer, there’s less of an opportunity to gorge on unhealthy snacks or extra calories that could make you put on belly fat. Wake up to a belly-flattening meal by whipping up one of these Overnight Oats Recipes for Weight Loss the evening before.

These reddish fruits can give your fat genes the red light. How so? Plums contain phenolic compounds called flavonoids, which lend the fruit its deep color as well as its ability to fight fat. Plums also are a great source of pectin, a gelatin-like type of fiber which animal studies have found to reduce liver fat (belly fat) and block the amount of fat cells can absorb.

There’s a reason why Popeye always chose spinach. The dark green leaves contain a long-chain sugar molecule called sulfoquinovose (SQ), which can help your midsection stay trim. According to a study in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, SQ promotes the growth your good gut bacteria, which prevent bad bacteria from colonizing your gut and causing inflammation and belly fat. Toss the leafy greens with a handful of walnuts, sliced strawberries, and goat cheese for a satisfying lunch.

This succulent root veggie is a unique source of betaine, an amino acid that increases metabolism, positively influences the mechanism for insulin resistance, boosts your mood, switches fat genes off, and attacks inflammatory markers that are released by belly fat, according to a review in the journal Nutrients. Not sure how to incorporate these bad boys into your meal plan? Try these Healthy Beet Recipes.

Take a moment to ignore the recent buzz claiming coconut oil is a health food foe, and consider this: according to a study published in the journal Lipids, participants who supplemented their diet with this tropical oil reduced abdominal obesity significantly more than participants who consumed inflammatory soybean oil. To what can we chalk up the flatter belly? Experts believe it’s the coconut oil’s medium-chain triglycerides (which are burned as energy instead of being stored as fat) and lauric acid (which has been shown to pinpoint belly fat and torch it).

According to a 2016 Danish study, people who ate a meal rich in plant protein rather than animal protein reported feeling significantly more satiated. Pack a baggie full of flab-frying peanuts, walnuts, and sunflower seeds to munch on if the hunger pangs begin to distract you in between meals. Just make sure to portion your trail mix, as the fix-ins are some of the Healthy Foods To Eat in Moderation.

Besides for being one of our favorite portable proteins for on-the-go satiety, Greek yogurt is also a great belly fat fighter. According to a recent study presented at the annual Society for Endocrinology conference, researchers found that when protein is digested and broken down, one of the resulting amino acids, phenylalanine, triggers hormones that help reduce appetite, which can lead to weight loss. If you find yourself stumped at the dairy aisle, don’t forget that we tested 12 yogurts and found the best one. Our top pick is the creamiest of them all—and packs in an impressive 15 grams of the muscle-building stuff!

According to a study in the journal Oncogene, curcumin (turmeric’s main antioxidant) is one of the most effective anti-inflammatory foods in existence. Since belly fat encourages inflammation as well as makes it more difficult to lose the bulge, sprinkling anti-inflammatory turmeric onto your eggs or stirring up a golden milk latte will help you tighten that tummy.

Light tuna is a dietary triple threat in a can: it’s affordable, packed with protein, and blasts belly fat. In fact, a study in the Journal of Lipid Research found that adding omega-3 fatty acids to your diet could help turn off fat genes. While fish contain two types of omega-3s—DHA and EPA—the researchers discovered that DHA can be 40 to 70 percent more effective than EPA at suppressing fat genes and preventing fat cells from enlarging. Crack open a can of tuna because it’s the fish with the highest DHA content.

When you skimp out on sleep, your body produces more ghrelin, the hunger hormone, encouraging you to eat more the next day. Stay on track with your weight loss goals by noshing on nanners. Not only do their muscle-relaxing minerals, like potassium and magnesium, lullaby your body into a sleep mode, these fruits can also help you look and feel thinner. One Anaerobe study found that women who ate a banana twice daily before meals for two months reduced their bloat by 50 percent, thanks to the fruit’s debloating potassium.

Who knew that zapping fat is as easy as shaking some cinnamon onto your oats? A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that this blood sugar-regulating spice helps reduce insulin secretion, preventing sugar from being stored as fat. Not into oatmeal? Try sprinkling the stuff into your latte or smoothies.

Forget the flour tortillas and Frosted Flakes, and don’t even think about grabbing that loaf of ciabatta! “Whole grains provide a good source of fiber, B vitamins, and may even help regulate blood-sugar levels and promote a loss of belly fat,” explains Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, LDN. “For every grain you choose, make it 100 percent whole grain.” Our exclusive report best & worst store-bought breads can help you sift through the most popular pieces of toast so you can choose the right one.

Leucine can help you build the lean muscle mass that’s needed to trim excess fat from your frame, according to Jennifer McDaniel, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD. Red meats just happen to be some of the best sources of this potent amino acid. Always pick grass-fed meats to get the added benefits of omega-3s and conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), as these two fats can decrease inflammation and fat storage.

At the same time cayenne pepper torches your tongue, it also incinerates the fat cells in your tummy. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating capsaicin, the main compound in the fiery pepper that lends it its heat, speeds up abdominal fat loss by boosting the body’s ability to convert food into energy. Add some heat and color to your cooking with these 20 Spicy Recipes That Fire Up Your Metabolism.

Consider these bumpy red berries your new natural weight loss pill. Raspberries are jam-packed with fiber and water, which help you feel full. And just like other berries, raspberries are brimming with polyphenols, powerful plant chemicals that have been shown to whittle your middle. Throw them onto your morning oatmeal or pop them as a snack to reap their benefits.

One of the juiciest joys of fall is the plethora of apple species we can find at the local grocery store. Whether you go for the Granny Smith or always pick the Pink Lady apples, this crunchy fruit has been proven to trim excess fat. Just don’t forget to bite into one with the skin on! Apple peels contain a compound called ursolic acid, which can increase muscle mass and brown fat, the good kind of fat that helps melt your midsection.

While grapes contain more sugar than most of our favorite low-carb fruits, they also pack in some unexpected flab-fighting benefits. A Washington State University study discovered that resveratrol, an antioxidant found in grapes, converted the excess white fat into calorie-burning beige fat, decreasing obesity by 40 percent! And all you need is just three servings of resveratrol a day. Luckily, grapes aren’t the only source: apples and berries contain the fat-fighter too!

Go ahead and pour yourself another glass of red. Just make sure you’re sipping on Malbec, Petite Sirah, St. Laurent or Pinot Noir, as these vinos have the highest content of waist-whittling resveratrol. Although a five-ounce glass of merlot packs in just 122 calories, imbibing too much can rack up the calories and leave you hungover and craving a greasy egg sandwich (which we all know wouldn’t work wonders on your weight loss goals).

Let’s face it, kale is completely overrated. But dinosaur kale, a.k.a. black or lacinato kale, on the other hand, is its lesser-known cousin that’s equally as deserving of acclamation. Dinosaur kale’s blue-green leaves are less bitter and more tender than the regular kind, but boast the same flat belly properties, like filling fiber, protein, and B vitamins that can help you get rid of the gut.

It seems like green tea has a bit of competition when it comes to shedding the beer belly. According to a study published in the journal Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, white tea both blocks the formation of new fat cells and boosts lipolysis, the breakdown of fat. What’s more, white tea contains catechins, natural antioxidants that protect your body from harming free radicals and confidence-dampening belly fat.

Sneaking pepitas into some of your favorite foods is one of the best ways to increase protein intake. Not only do roasted pumpkin seeds contain eight grams of protein per ounce, they’re also packed with fiber, zinc, and potassium—key nutrients needed for muscle building and recovery. Remember, the more muscle you have, the less fat your body will hold on to.

If you’ve never heard of this fermented Chinese tea, it’s time to add it to your a.m. routine. A study in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that feeding obese mice a high-fat diet coupled with pu-erh tea extract decreased their total body weight and cholesterol levels.

These bite-sized berries are as mighty as they are tiny. In a study in the Journal of Medicinal Food, blueberries were shown to reduce abdominal fat, triglycerides, and total body weight. A review in the journal Nutrients also noted blueberry consumption is inversely related to obesity. Next time you’re making a yogurt parfait, don’t forget to toss in some blueberries!

If you like to start your day with oatmeal, we’re definitely commending you. But you’re better off getting introduced to oat bran, oatmeal’s overachieving cousin. Oat bran boasts even more protein and fiber—6 grams of protein and fiber each per 120 calories—which means you’ll feel fuller for longer, and avoid the soft, tempting whispers of office donuts lurking around.

Pickles are filled with water, vinegar, and fiber, and barely any calories! In fact, just one cup of the pickled cucumbers pack in two grams of fiber for only 16 calories. Not to mention, studies show that acidic foods like vinegar help increase the body’s carb-burning rate by up to 40 percent. Once your body burns off carbs, it moves onto torching fat, which can help you finally rock your skinny jeans muffin top-free.

To get the most nutritional bang for your buck, freshly grind your flaxseeds right before using them. Just one tablespoon has about 2.3 grams of fat-blasting ALA, making it a wholesome oatmeal topper. Flaxseeds are also rich in fiber, which can help you lose your gut. A Annals of Internal Medicine study found that by increasing the amount of fiber you eat each day to 30 grams while keeping calories the same, you can lose weight, lower blood pressure, and improve your body’s insulin response.

Whether you’re adding them to your breakfast bowl or noshing on them to beat the 2 p.m. slump, sunflower seeds are a great way to get in your daily dose of magnesium—a nutrient that helps the body release fat from its stores. “Sunflower seeds and sunbutter are two great belly-busters,” says registered dietitian Lauren Slayton, MS, RD of Foodtrainers. “The type of fat in the seeds have been shown to reduce abdominal fat in women with no other change in diet.”

Piperine, a fat-frying compound found in black pepper, has been shown to trigger adipogenesis in human cells and increase fat metabolism in mice, resulting in a decrease in waist size, body fat, and cholesterol levels. Fortunately for those who’ve set a goal to ditch the gut, you can sprinkle black pepper on practically anything! Start with these 35 Slow Cooker Recipes for Weight Loss.

Good news chocoholics: you can now bite into another square sans guilt. Louisiana State University researchers found that eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate can reduce overall body fat and shrink your waistline, thanks to the dessert’s heart-healthy and anti-inflammatory flavonoids. Before you go on a cocoa spree, make sure you buy a bar with at least 70 percent cacao and avoid bars that list “alkalized” chocolate in their ingredients (those have a significantly reduced flavonoid content).

Just half a cup of quinoa has 12 grams of hunger-quelling protein and fiber, as well as all nine amino acids—making it a complete protein. It’s also a potent source of gut-busting nutrients like zinc and magnesium. Additionally, quinoa has the highest level of betaine, according to a Food Chemistry study. Why is that important? Well, a Nutrients study linked betaine supplementation to a revved metabolism and inhibition of fat production, which can get you to lose your gut for good.

Just like white tea, green tea contains powerful catechins that can rev your metabolism significantly. In fact, a study by Japanese researchers found that participants who consumed 690 milligrams (about one bottle) of catechins via green tea daily had significantly lower BMIs and smaller waist measurements than those who didn’t sip. An Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention report found that the average daily intake of catechins in Japanese men and women were 110 and 157 milligrams, respectively, so you’ll have to up your tea game if you’re interested in reaping the benefits.

Asparagus can help you score the body you’ve been dreaming of thanks to its plethora of benefits like vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6, as well as folate, iron, copper, calcium, protein, and fiber. The best part? Just a cup of these skinny spears have nearly three grams of hunger-quelling protein and fiber each for just 27 calories!

Eating an entire eggplant may seem intimidating at first (have you noticed how huge they are?), but it’s totally doable—and recommended! Just one unpeeled eggplant contains 5.3 grams of muscle-maintaining protein and a walloping 16 grams of fiber for just 137 calories! Not sure how to give this nutritional superstar a go? Grill an eggplant with a drizzle of olive oil and munch on it as a snack or toss it atop your favorite healthy pizza.

We love Greek yogurt because of its ultra-rich creaminess and protein punch, but kefir just takes the tang to the next level. Beyond the satiety-inducing protein, the probiotics in kefir can help rev your weight loss efforts. A Food & Nutrition Research study found that these good bacteria species (like L. casei) boosted the breakdown of fat molecules in mice and prevented them from packing on the pounds. Although the study was conducted on rats, there’s no reason for us not to add some creamy kefir to our diets.

Each slice of grapefruit you add to your salad acts like a match to spark your body’s fat-burning ability. A study published in the journal Metabolism found that those who ate grapefruit for six weeks lost a full inch off their waistlines. What’s behind the gut-busting effect? The fruit is rich in phytochemicals, bioactive compounds that recent research shows stimulate the production of a hormone called adiponectin, which is involved in the breakdown of body fat.

Kamut, a lesser known grain native to the Middle East, is bursting with slimming omega-3 fatty acids while boasting a high protein count and remaining low in calories. Not only can kamut help you say good riddance to the gut, it also reduces cholesterol, blood sugar, and cytokines, which cause inflammation throughout the body, a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found. Psst! Don’t tell quinoa, but kamut makes a delicious addition to any salad bowl!

Surprised? Although olive oil contains fat, it actually contains a type of healthy fat that has been found to decrease levels of fat-storing inflammation. According to a review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, a polyphenol only found in unrefined extra virgin olive oil—oleocanthal—reduces inflammation in a similar way that ibuprofen does: it prevents the production of two pro-inflammatory enzymes, COX-1 and COX-2. Lower levels of inflammation on the inside of your body means less belly fat on the outside.

Unless you’re going low carb for a few days (we don’t recommend it for longer periods of time), there’s no reason not to pop a potato into the oven. In an Australian study that measured the satiating index of 38 popular foods, researchers discovered that potatoes were not only more filling and satisfying than diet no-nos like doughnuts and cake, they also ranked higher than healthy picks like brown rice and oatmeal. In fact, participants reported eating less food throughout the day when they consumed these potassium and fiber-rich spuds.

Lentils are one of the most affordable plant protein sources out there that also work to reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, promote fat metabolism, and quell that ravenous appetite. Because lentils are a resistant starch, their slow-digesting fiber triggers the release of acetate, a molecule in the gut that signals the brain to put the fork down. Don’t believe us? An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition systematic review of clinical trials on dietary pulses found that people who ate a daily serving of lentils, just about 3/4 cup, felt an average 31 percent fuller for longer, compared to those who didn’t munch on them. They were also linked to weight loss and reduced body fat percentage.

If kimchi’s only on your menu at your favorite Korean BBQ spot, consider adding this fermented food to your diet ASAP. Why’s that? Researchers at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea found that the probiotics found in kimchi can suppress weight gain significantly. To come to this finding, researchers fed rats a high-fat diet, then fed one group probiotics found in kimchi (Lactobacillus brevis) and reported that the organism suppressed the diet-induced weight gain by 28 percent! Reap these waist-whittling benefits by shopping for sauerkraut, pickles, brined olives, too.

If you thought salmon was king of the sea when it comes to omega-3s, you haven’t met sardines. Studies show that these heart-healthy fatty acids can improve everything from your cholesterol profile to your mood to your ability to ward off Alzheimer’s and even weight gain. Not to mention, you can likely find a can of this skinny fish for under $2 at your local grocery store!

Tired of plain old chicken breast? Low-cal cottage cheese is a dietary superstar when it comes to adding a hefty dose of protein to your diet. It’s also considered a complete protein, since it contains all nine essential amino acids your body needs to function properly—so you can totally spoon the cheesy goodness on its own.

Forget losing weight if your stress hormones are out of whack. When we’re stuck in a hair-pulling situation, the body starts producing the hormone cortisol, which encourages the belly to store fat. Good thing red peppers are also an excellent source of vitamin C, a micronutrient that your body uses to decrease levels of the fat-storing hormone cortisol and boost the fat-burning effects of exercise, according to Arizona State University researchers.

Here’s another reason to stack a hearty PB&J sandwich: According to a recent study presented at the annual Society for Endocrinology conference, researchers found that when protein is digested and broken down into amino acids in your body, one of those amino acids—phenylalanine—triggers hormones that help reduce appetite and ultimately leads to fat burn and weight loss. Just remember, stick to the two-tablespoon serving size (yup, that means refraining from gobbling down the entire jar in one sitting!) to reap its belly-shrinking benefits. For a quick and delicious snack that’ll keep you full for hours, dip apples into peanut butter and munch the hunger away. Look to our guide of the best and worst peanut butter to pick your new favorite jar.

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If you’re dealing with stomach woes, you’re not the only one. Things like stress, sleep, exercise, and the food you eat can all impact the health of your gut.

Beachbody Super Trainer and nutrition expert Autumn Calabrese is no stranger to tummy troubles.

She’s struggled with the issue over the years — but after much trial and error and working closely with her doctor, she’s finally learned how to uncover her “triggers.”

And now you can, too.

It’s simple: Eliminate foods that trigger your sensitivities. Add in no-impact exercise.

Combining her firsthand experience and expertise, Autumn found a way to tackle her physically and emotionally challenging gastrointestinal issues while tying in a workout schedule that’s easy to follow and easy on the joints.

It all starts with The 4 Week Gut Protocol — a unique, comprehensive nutrition program that follows a step-by-step elimination schedule to help identify and isolate food triggers.

The program can help you discover foods that are impacting your digestive health and give you the tools to help overcome discomfort.

Because studies show gentle exercise can help positively impact your gut health, Autumn also created 4 Weeks for Every Body to enhance the benefits of The 4 Week Gut Protocol.

Even if you haven’t experienced gut issues, 4 Weeks for Every Body can be done on its own and is perfect for people who want to minimize impact on their joints.

Together, The 4 Week Gut Protocol and 4 Weeks for Every Body can help give you the tools to support your gut-healthy lifestyle and create a balanced food-and-fitness routine that’s right for you.

The 4 Week Gut Protocol

What is The 4 Week Gut Protocol?

The 4 Week Gut Protocol is a unique, comprehensive nutrition program designed to help promote overall gut health by identifying and eliminating food triggers that are often the cause of gastric distress.

What should I expect from this program?