By the time you finish this sentence, you could have burned 100 calories. Well, that’s only if you knew about these essential secrets for how to lose weight fast, that is.

We know that shedding unwanted pounds used to mean giving up your favorite foods, logging hours at the gym, and being hungry (and hangry) all the time. Fortunately, dropping a dress size (or two) doesn’t have to be that complicated or torturous. Sure, losing any significant amount of weight requires lifestyle changes and some hard work, but it all boils down to simple choices.

By making these instant weight loss tweaks, you can kick-start your fat-burn efforts in no time and lose weight fast. Try a few of these tips to experience some of the fastest weight loss, and then keep your results going by stocking up on The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

Rise and shine—literally! Researchers from Northwestern University found that people who were exposed to bright daylight earlier in the day tended to weigh less than those who didn’t get sunlight until later. So right after you wake up, open the blinds and let the sunshine in. Or better yet, step outside and enjoy your morning cup of coffee on the front porch

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Skip the cream and sugar in your cup of joe, and opt for it black to help you lose weight fast. Black coffee has zero calories, and it can help you burn calories faster. According to a study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, the average metabolic rate of people who drank caffeinated coffee was 16 percent higher than that of those who drank decaf.

Sugary sodas are terrible for you and are likely to pack on the pounds. One can of Coke contains 140 calories, and 39 grams of sugar—more than your total daily amount! Swap instead for unsweetened tea, hot or iced. Tea has no calories and has its own fat-melting properties. Opt for green or oolong, which are some of our best teas for weight loss.

RELATED: What Happens to Your Body If You Drink Tea Every Day

Instead of constantly refilling the same throw-away bottle over and over, grab a BPA-free bottle, preferably one made of glass or aluminum. Not only is this better for your waistline, but carrying a bottle around with you will prompt you to drink more H2O throughout the day. Drinking more water means you’ll be less hungry, and you’ll give your metabolism a boost. For more hydrating health benefits to help you lose weight fast, check out what happens to your body when you drink water.

Squeezing in some refreshing lemon will not only help you drink more water; it also has detox benefits which are sure to help you lose weight fast. Lemons are rich in polyphenols, which are compounds that contain antioxidants. A study in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry found that mice who were fed lemon polyphenols were less likely to gain weight and accumulate body fat.

RELATED: What Happens To Your Body When You Drink Lemon Water Every Day

Trade your large dinner plate for a smaller salad plate, and eat your meals off of it. By eating off a smaller plate, you’re more likely to eyeball more accurate portions. You’re also likely to trick your brain into thinking you’re eating more, thereby feeling fuller, quicker.

Sleeping for more than five hours a night might seem like a luxury for some, but it can have a serious impact on your overall health. Not getting the recommended 7-8 hours of shut-eye a night puts you at risk for fatigue the next day, which means you’re more likely to crave and snack on high-calorie comfort food. Try to go to bed sooner so you can get a little more sleep, which will help you eat less. And to blast fat even faster, don’t miss these essential ways to boost your metabolism.

Refined white breads are simple carbohydrates that your body processes as sugar, and can really hinder your weight-loss efforts. Whole grain bread, on the other hand, is chock-full of slimming fiber and can help you feel fuller, longer. Just be sure to read your labels. “If the ingredients at the top of the ingredient list read sugar, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, white or wheat flour, these foods contain mostly simple carbs and should be limited,” Rebecca Lewis, RD, told us. “A food is only considered a whole grain if the first ingredient on the packaging says, ‘whole grain’ or ‘whole wheat.'”

Another way to trim carbs and calories and lose weight fast is by making your sandwich open-faced. Opting for one slice of bread instead of two will save you 70-90 calories, and leaves you more room to pile it high with healthy toppings like lettuce, tomato, sprouts, and avocado. Still hungry? Pair your sandwich with a side of baby carrots or bell pepper strips. The water and fiber in the veggies will fill you up and help with your weight-loss efforts.

You don’t need to bust out the measuring cups to properly portion out your food: A serving size of meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards or the size of the palm of your hand. Your entire fist should be the size of a serving of veggies (although the more, the better!). A serving of fat, such as butter or coconut oil, should be the size of your thumb. Your carb serving should be no bigger than what can fit in your cupped hand. For other ways to eyeball your proper serving sizes, check out what portion sizes actually look like.

If you’re eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, odds are you are getting the necessary vitamins and minerals you need to help boost weight-loss and lose weight fast. But it’s also a good idea to take vitamins that can supplement your diet; B vitamins (especially B2 and B12) can boost energy, vitamin D can regulate appetite and aid in weight loss, and magnesium can trigger lipolysis, a process where your body releases fat from where it’s stored.

Spice up your favorite foods with a few dashes of hot cayenne pepper sauce. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, an appetite suppressant; a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate capsaicin consumed 200 fewer calories at the next meal. Not only will this help you cut back on calories and boost weight loss, but researchers have also found that capsaicin can help you lose belly fat and lose weight fast.

While you’re enjoying your meal or snack, be sure to take a few seconds to jot it down. Whether you prefer the old school pen-and-journal approach or a food app like MyFitnessPal, recording what you eat can help you cut back on calories.

There’s no way to sugarcoat this: Your TV is making you fat. It prevents you from being active, gives you the munchies, and makes you distracted while you’re eating. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate in front of the TV consumed 10 percent more than they normally would. Eating while distracted disrupts your satiety signals, so shutting off all your electronics while munching will help you stick to your portions, and feel full.

Even listening to music while you eat can lead to weight gain, according to a study published in the journal Appetite. Research showed that people who listened to music ate more food, and it didn’t matter the pace or volume of the music playing. It’s best to focus on the food you’re eating while you’re chowing down, which help you tune in to signals of feeling full.

One of the easiest ways to burn some extra calories is to get up from your chair at work; standing burns 50 more calories per hour than sitting, according to a British study. If you are lucky enough to have a standing desk, make sure you utilize it. If not, you can easily make your own by stacking books or boxes on your desk and standing up to work. At the very least, make sure you’re taking a break every hour to stand up and stretch, and possibly go for a walk around the office. Every bit of movement counts!

Do you mindlessly sprinkle salt on your food without even tasting it first? Stop it! Seriously. Extra sodium can lead to water weight gain and bloating, which will make your pants fit tighter (and the number on the scale tick up). Be sure to read your labels, too; sodium is typically lurking in in processed foods, even “healthy” ones like frozen dinners and canned soups.

Red wine can actually be good for your health, thanks to the antioxidant resveratrol, which studies have shown is good for your health and could help you lose weight. But any more than one glass, and you’re opening yourself up to extra sugar, empty calories, and a boozy buzz, which may inhibit your ability to make healthy food choices. If you’re out to happy hour, stop at one glass and opt for club soda (which is calorie free) or water with lemon instead.

Blasting away fat could be as simple as turning down your heat (or cranking the AC) before bed. A study published in the journal Diabetes found that participants who slept in bedrooms at a chilly 66 degrees burned almost twice as much brown fat after a few weeks as those who slept in rooms that were a neutral 75 or a toasty 81 degrees.

Simply popping a few almonds in your mouth could help you shed pounds, and not just because almonds are better for you than, say, candy. A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that eating 1.5 ounces of almonds a day reduced belly and leg fat. And another study of overweight adults found that people who ate ¼ cup of almonds for 6 months had a 62 percent greater reduction in weight and BMI.

If you keep your purse, car, and office desk stashed with healthy snacks, you’ll be less tempted to hit the vending machine or drive-thru. Try raw almonds, bananas, or one of our Eat This-approved nutrition bars for a satisfying and nutrient-dense option to feed those hunger pangs.

When you’re done cooking, portion out just enough for your meal and pack the rest away. The more your food sits out, the more likely you are to nibble and go back for seconds (or thirds). Same goes for when you’re dining out: Ask for a to-go box along with your meal, that way you can pack away the leftovers and aren’t tempted to overeat.

Of carbs and protein, that is. Carbs certainly aren’t the enemy; you can totally enjoy carbs and still lose weight. The trick is to choose something complex (like brown rice, quinoa, or whole grain bread) or something refined (like white rice, white pasta, and white bread), and pair it with a protein. So if you’re having crackers for a snack, make sure you also eat some almonds or a stick of string cheese. “I always incorporate a protein and carbohydrate at every meal,” Jim White, RD, ACSM Health, and owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios told us. “It can curb your appetite and it slows down the glycemic index of some of your higher sugar foods.”

Opting for jeans instead of more formal business attire could help keep the pounds off. A study from the University of Wisconsin found that people who wore denim to work took almost 500 more steps throughout the day than on days where they wore more formal clothes. If your office allows it, try to make casual Friday happen more than once a week.

No, seriously. This annoying social media habit could end up helping you eat less. An analysis of attentive eating studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that if people recall their last meal as being filling and satisfying, they tend to eat less during their next meal. So snap your delicious-looking food, and scroll back through your feed before you eat next.

You know all those high-calorie, sugar-laden recipe videos that litter your Facebook newsfeed? Fast-paced hands arranging layers of cookie dough, peanut butter cups, and chocolate brownie batter that come together to make a mouthwatering, decadent dessert that’s also ridiculously fattening. “The internet and social media sites are basically making you fat,” Lisa Hayim, MS, RD, and founder of The WellNecessities, told us for our article on worst weight loss mistakes women make. “If it isn’t 25 ways to eat tater tots then it’s [another] national [something] day. The internet has made it basically impossible to stay away from cravings and indulgences. These are not excuses to eat unhealthy food.” Next time you see one of these videos, scroll quickly past.

Going out to dinner? Decide what you’re going to order before you even sit down by looking up the restaurant menu beforehand. You’ll be less likely to order on impulse, and be able to select the healthiest item without thinking about it. For more ways to lose weight while dining out, check out our list of tips to eat healthy at restaurants.

Taking a whiff of fresh green apples, bananas, and pears can help curb appetite and lessen cravings for sugary desserts, studies have shown. If you keep a fruit basket on your counter, stop and smell the produce if you find yourself craving something sweet. Otherwise, scented lotion will have the same effect.

You may think hand sanitizer will zap germs and prevent you from getting sick, but it could also be making you fat. Hand sanitizer contains triclosan, which researchers have found to be an “obesogen,” meaning it could cause weight gain by disrupting your body’s hormones. A study published in the journal PLOS One found that people who had detectable levels of triclosan in their bodies were associated with a 0.9-point increase in body mass index (BMI). If you’re really worried about germs, it’s best to rely on good ol’ soap and water. (Obviously, if you need to use sanitizer, it’s better than nothing!)

It sounds silly, but switching which hand you eat with can save you calories, and help boost weight loss. “It takes 15 minutes for your brain to realize that you’re full,” celebrity personal trainer Jay Cardiello told us in our article over 40 weight loss tips. “To give your mind time to catch up to your mouth, simply switch your fork to non-dominate hand. It may be frustrating, but it’s a simple and unnoticeable way to curb overeating and lose weight.”

Stopping eating after dinner is an easy way to easily cut back on mindless munching and extra calories, and can help boost weight loss, White says. One way to prevent that post-dinner grazing is to brush your teeth almost immediately after your last meal of the day. The minty flavor in your mouth will make all your favorite foods taste gross anyway, and you won’t want to go back and brush your teeth all over again.

Getting up early for an a.m. workout is always tough, especially as you slog through getting dressed before the sun rises. Leaving your sneakers out within view of your bed will make it easier to get out of bed, and remind you of why you’re waking up early in the first place. Plus, setting out your entire workout ensemble will cut down on getting ready time, so you can get dressed and leave the house before you have time to change your mind.

Scrolling through your social media one last time may be most people’s pre-bed ritual, but it can seriously mess with your sleep cycle. The light from your screen can suppress melatonin, the hormone that controls sleep. And getting plenty of shut-eye is important for your waistline; a study published in the journal Sleep found that people who didn’t get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep a night were more at risk for weight gain. Try to put your phone away 20 minutes before your bedtime to avoid the light distraction.

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Though it can be difficult to target fat loss to one specific area of your body, certain habits, foods, and exercises have been shown to help people shrink their waistlines, reduce visceral belly fat, flatten their stomachs, debloat, and tone their abs.

These 50 belly-shrinking tips are backed by research, experts, and science. Start following them today to boost your confidence, improve your overall health, and slim down your midsection. And while you’re at it, try out any of these 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work.

Shrinking your belly isn’t just about what you put in your body, it’s about what’s going on in your brain too. In a 2015 study, Brown University researchers asked nearly 400 people to complete a mindfulness-awareness survey, which asked subjects if they agreed with statements like, “I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present.” Then, they X-rayed the subjects’ bellies to determine their degree of belly fat. The results showed that the higher people scored on the mindfulness survey, the less visceral fat they were likely to have. People who are less mindful have, on average, an extra pound of fat inside their bellies than those who are more in tune with their everyday lives and the world around them. Eating mindfully also happens to be one of the top weight loss tips from real people.

Believe it or not, the fewer decisions you make in a day, the better it is for your belly. A study published in Social Science and Medicine found those who have high levels of what’s called “skill discretion”—aka they exercise control by getting things done themselves—tended to have lower BMIs. In contrast, those who are constantly deciding on courses of action for others may eventually come down with “decision fatigue” and make ill-informed choices, such as ordering that piece of cheesecake for dessert. That’s why we recommend rotating just a few go-to recipes during the week. Get inspired by these easy breakfast recipes.

Your friends and family may roll their eyes when you whip out your phone to Instagram your meals, but what they see as an annoying habit might actually be improving your health. An analysis of “attentive eating” studies in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found those who recall their last meal as being filling and satisfying tended to eat less at their next meal, thus keeping their bellies flatter. So if you have trouble remembering what you had for dinner last night, try Instagramming your meals in an effort to feel content the next time you sit down to break bread.

You’re right to think this one sounds counterintuitive, but allow us to explain. In one 2010 study, researchers broke participants into two groups and asked one group to fantasize about eating three M&M’S. The other group was instructed to imagine themselves eating thirty of the sweet morsels, and when scientists invited all of the participants to enjoy some real M&M’S as part of a “taste test,” those who fantasized about eating thirty candies actually tended to eat less of the real thing than those who kept their imaginations limited to just three. In other words, researchers found that, contrary to popular belief, imagining the pleasure of gorging on a food actually reduces your appetite for it. Now excuse us while we go dream of cake!

Though this may sound obvious if you want to lose weight and shrink your belly, use smaller plates and bowls. The FASEB Journal suggests overeating may be associated with the size of our dinnerware, because in one study participants who were given larger bowls served and ate 16 percent more than those given smaller bowls. What’s more? The big-bowlers underestimated just how much they were eating by 7 percent!

Getting a good night’s sleep has various health benefits for your entire body, and the belly is no exception. According to Wake Forest researchers, dieters who sleep five hours or less put on two and a half times more belly fat, while those who sleep more than eight hours pack on slightly less than that. Though that might not sound like much, when you have a regular bedtime and stick to it, you set yourself up for day-in, day-out weight loss.

“Proper sleep is crucial for weight loss. Too little sleep leads to poor food choices, largely due to increased levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. Too little sleep also decreases levels of leptin, a hormone that helps satiate your appetite. Lack of sleep also clouds judgment and causes impulse decision making, which inevitably leads to poor food choices,” adds founder and Certified Sleep Science Coach at SleepZoo, Chris Brantner.

As it turns out, there’s something to be said for being a creature of habit and eating the same foods day in and day out, especially if you’re on a mission to shrink your belly. When researchers looked at the diets of 6,814 people, they found that the more diverse one’s diet, the more likely one was to experience weight gain. In fact, those who ate the widest range of foods showed a 120 percent greater increase in waist circumference compared with those who had the least diversity.

It takes twenty minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it’s had enough, so if you eat slowly chances are you will consume less and see your belly shrink. A study in BMJ Open found that slow and normal-speed eaters were less likely to be obese than fast eaters! A simple trick to slow your pace: Place your fork down on the plate after each bite.

Munching on the right snacks throughout the day is one of the best ways to shrink your waistline. Need proof? According to one study, researchers found participants lost significantly more body weight when they incorporated low-sugar, high-protein snacks into their daily food routine. Fitting in healthy, high protein snacks (such as a handful of unsalted almonds) helps to maintain blood-sugar levels—which keeps your brain from triggering hunger pangs—and stops your body from indulging in unhealthy foods after what feels like a long day of starvation.

When you’re continually stressed out, it’s bad news for your belly. Stress triggers the release of a hormone called cortisol, and because cortisol is evolutionarily linked to alerting your body to external dangers (like that buffalo headed straight for you) and low blood-glucose levels, it forces your body to store fat and makes you feel hungry. In other words, if you’re stressed, you’ll start craving that afternoon candy bar even if your stomach is actually full. To avoid stress, try simple things. It can even be just taking deep breaths and meditating for a few minutes each day.

According to a study, sipping 16 ounces of water before each meal can lead to substantial weight loss. Researchers enlisted 84 obese adults for a three-month experiment and broke the participants into two groups. The first group was told to drink 16 ounces of water half an hour before each of their meals while. the other group was told to imagine that they were already full prior to digging in. When the study concluded, the water group lost about 9 pounds, while their imaginative peers shed approximately three fewer pounds. According to the researchers, loading up on H2O before meals is an effective weight loss strategy because it helps increase satiety. If you’re less hungry when meal time rolls around, then you’re more inclined to make smarter food choices.

Since we’ve already established that H2O can help ward off misunderstood hunger pangs, it’s not a bad idea to carry a water bottle around with you everywhere—just make sure it isn’t plastic. Plastic bottles are made with Bisphenol A (BPA) a harmful chemical which can negatively impact fertility in men and women and has been linked to obesity: A 2017 study found that adults with the highest concentration of BPA in their urine had significantly larger waists and odds of being obese than those in the lowest quartile.

With your BPA-free water bottle in hand, head out on an early morning stroll to shrink your waist. A study published in Scientific Reports found that exposure to sunlight in between the hours of 8 a.m. and noon reduced your risk of weight gain regardless of activity level, caloric intake, or age. Though the exact reason why is unclear, researchers believe the morning light synchronizes your metabolism and undercuts your fat genes. What’s more? Burning calories before you eat means you’re exercising in a fasted state—the energy you burn comes from your fat stores, not from the food you ate.

One of the easiest things you can do to flatten your belly is to replace simple carbs with high fiber foods, which include whole grains, wheat bran, berries, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. “High fiber foods are great for reducing midsection weight or belly bloat,” says Amanda Baker Lemein, MS, RD, LDN. “Fiber helps draw in water, keeping us feeling fuller for longer, and also stimulates movement in the colon to help keep us regular. Including more high fiber foods in the diet is not only important for weight loss but also may help with the prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers.”

As you may have guessed based on the tip above, cutting sugar helps flatten your belly. In a review of 68 clinical trials and studies, New Zealand researchers reported in the British Medical Journal that increasing sugar intake meant increasing body weight while reducing sugar meant reducing body weight. Similarly, increasing fiber is another way to keep your belly lean. In a study of 1,114 people over five years, researchers reported that for every 10 grams of soluble fiber people ate, their belly fat accumulation was reduced by nearly 4 percent—even if they did nothing else to lose weight. Eat more soluble fiber with these overnight oats recipes.

Speaking of sugar, the type of sweet stuff you ingest can have a negative impact on the size of your belly. In one study, Princeton University researchers fed subjects beverages sweetened with either glucose or fructose. Though both groups gained the same amount of weight over a two-month period, the fructose group gained its weight primarily as belly fat because of the way this type of sugar is processed in the liver. In other words, if you want to shrink your belly then stay away from fructose, including high-fructose corn syrup!

Simply put, artificial sweeteners cause belly fat. A 2015 study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that increasing diet soda intake is directly linked to greater abdominal obesity. In the study of older adults, researchers found those who drank diet soda each day experienced more than triple the increase in waist size over the course of nine years, so put down the Diet Coke and don’t even think about reaching for some Equal to put in your morning coffee.

Though eating fats seems like a counterintuitive way to shrink your stomach, flat belly fats such as olive, canola, avocado, and walnut oils, plant-fat rich foods like avocados and olives, and nut and seed butters like peanut butter, almond butter, and tahini, can help you get the job done. However, as with any packaged food, make sure you’re looking for one with less sugar than fiber.

It’s quite possible you’ve never heard of the amino acid tyrosine—a building block of protein—but it’s an important one to know if you want to get rid of a bulging belly. Tyrosine has been shown to prevent belly-bloating sugar cravings by encouraging the brain to release dopamine and another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine. In other words, eating more tyrosine (which can be found in eggs, spirulina, certain cheeses such as Parmesan, Gruyère, Swiss, and Romano, milk, sesame seeds, beef, and bacon) helps fend off those harmful sugar cravings that make your belly fat.

As tempting as a frozen margarita might be once happy hour rolls around, it’s most likely filled with viscous syrups made predominantly of high-fructose corn syrup (remember that belly baddie?) and thus high in calories. To keep your belly in shape, ditch the marg and instead choose a cocktail made with club soda and lime, or stick with nutrient-packed red wine which has about 125 calories per glass.

In a 2012 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that those who drank diet beverages had higher fasting glucose, thicker waists, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, higher triglycerides, and higher blood pressure. In other words, sugar-free cookies, soda, and the like may seem like the healthier option, but they contribute to a bulging belly and negatively impact your health in multiple ways.

Speaking of avoidance, another food group to keep away from is refined grains, such as crackers, chips, pretzels or ‘white’ carbohydrates like white breads or white rice. “Not only do these foods lack any fiber, but they also provide no satiety, and therefore make it easy to overeat them, leading to excess weight,” explains Lemein.

There’s some truth to the old adage that breakfast is the “most important meal of the day,” and if you’re looking to blast belly fat, what you eat at the start of each day can make all the difference. According to a recent study from the University of Missouri in Columbia, a high-fiber, high-protein breakfast may be the most important investment you can make in your waistline, because the study showed that eating breakfast triggered women’s brains to release dopamine, a feel-good chemical that helps to control impulses. In other words, eating a balanced breakfast decreases your chances of reaching for that 3 p.m. candy bar, and keeps your belly slim.

A study in the journal Metabolism found that eating half a grapefruit before meals may help reduce visceral fat and lower cholesterol levels. Participants in the six-week study who ate a Rio Red grapefruit fifteen minutes before breakfast, lunch, and dinner saw their waists shrink by up to an inch, and LDL levels drop by 18 points. Though the weight loss magic of grapefruits is not entirely understood, researchers attribute the effects to a combination of phytochemicals and vitamin C in the tart treat. To reap grapefruit’s benefits, consider having half of one before your morning oatmeal, slicing a few segments over a salad, or eating one for a snack shortly before a meal.

Meatless Monday is more than just an alliteration; it’s an easy way to shrink your belly. Numerous studies have shown that those who eat the least amount of meat are less likely to be obese, have lower BMIs, and the lowest body fat levels. Though it’s perfectly fine to eat meat a few times a week, these high-protein foods tend to fill you up before you can work your way over to the veggies, which are known to possess fat-fighting, waist-trimming powers.

Speaking of veggies, those with little starch such as broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes can help combat fat. In fact, one Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics study found that consuming more non-starchy veggies resulted in an impressive 17 percent decrease in visceral fat in overweight kids. Although you may be all grown up, it’s safe to assume adding more veggies can help adults trim their belly fat, too.

In addition to being low in starch, bell peppers are also rich in vitamin C. The important nutrient has been shown to counteract stress hormones which trigger fat storage around the midsection. In other words, bell peppers act as a double belly-shrinking whammy! Veggies that pack a similar punch include zucchini, Brussels sprouts, and kale.

Like many other veggies, greens can also help you stay slim and keep your belly flat. “For clients that are looking to target their belly, I always recommending eating greens 2-3 times per day,” advises Lisa Hayim, MS, RD, founder of The Well Necessities and registered dietitian consultant for Emmy’s Organics.

“When we make dietary choices, we usually load up on protein and complex carbohydrates like bread and rice. While these foods can be nutrient-dense, we miss out on major micronutrients that nourish us, fill us up, and happen to be calorically less dense. Thinking about ways to add greens to each meal is an excellent way to debloat and amp up your nutrients and fiber.”

Though avocados get a bad rap for being high in calories, they’re actually loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that make you feel less hungry. Need proof? A study in Nutrition Journal found that participants who ate half a fresh avocado with lunch reported a 40 percent decreased desire to eat for hours afterwards. What’s more? Unsaturated fats, such as those found in avocados seem, to prevent the storage of belly fat. In other words, those green goddesses can help you shrink your waist in two different ways.

Reaching for the dark chocolate in an effort to slim your waist may sound ridiculous, but there’s evidence to suggest that nibbling on the decadent treat has its perks. In fact, one study found that antioxidants in cocoa prevented laboratory mice from gaining excess weight and actually lowered their blood sugar levels. Another study at Louisiana State University found that gut microbes in our stomach ferment chocolate into heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory compounds that shut down genes linked to insulin resistance and inflammation. When paired with berries, the dark chocolate becomes even more effective because the fruit speeds up the fermentation process, leading to an even greater reduction in inflammation and weight.

Speaking of berries, they also have qualities of their own that can help you shrink your belly. Raspberries, for example, pack more fiber and liquid than most other fruits, which boosts satiety. They’re a rich source of ketones, antioxidants that can make you slimmer by incinerating stored fat cells. Lastly, like other berries, raspberries are loaded with polyphenols, powerful natural chemicals that have been shown to decrease the formation of fat cells and eliminate abdominal fat.

Not to be outdone, research suggests blueberries can also help blast away stubborn belly fat by engaging your get-lean genes. After a 90-day trial, University of Michigan researchers discovered rats that were fed a blueberry-enriched diet showed significantly reduced belly fat than the control group.

Like avocados, peanuts are also high in calories, but they have a hidden weapon in their weight-loss utility belt: Genistein. The compound, which can also be found in fava beans and soybeans, acts directly on the genes for obesity by turning them down and reducing your body’s ability to store fat.

There are several different teas that can stimulate weight loss and help you burn belly fat, but because white tea works with your body in multiple ways to promote fat-burning, it’s really in a league of its own. According to a study published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism white tea stops the formation of new fat cells while simultaneously boosting lipolysis, the body’s process of breaking down stored fat. Brew this and watch your belly shrink!

Want to flatten your tummy? Start your day by eating eggs. In one study with 21 participants, half were fed a breakfast of bagels while half ate eggs. The egg group had a lower response to ghrelin (the “hunger hormone,”) were less hungry three hours later, and consumed fewer calories over the course of the next day than the bagel eaters. What’s more? Egg yolks contain choline, a nutrient with powerful fat-burning properties.

Omega-3 fatty acids make salmon and some other fish nutritional stars partially because they play a key role in reducing belly fat storage while keeping us full and satisfied, but if fish isn’t your thing then reach for a handful of nuts instead. Just 1/4 cup of walnuts contains more than two day’s worth of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), a type of omega 3. Walnuts have also been shown to reduce blood pressure and decrease inflammation in the blood vessels when you’re stressed, which in and of itself can help you keep your belly flat.

Bloated belly? Snack on a banana. The tropical yellow fruits are packed with potassium, which helps regulate fluid balance to flatten belly bloat. Other potassium-rich foods include sweet potatoes, watermelon, and beets.

According to several studies, acidic foods help increase the rate at which the body burns off carbs by up to 40 percent. The faster you burn off carbs, the sooner your body starts incinerating fat, which can help you get a flat tummy and overall lean look. Translation: Grab a pickle jar and start snacking if you want to shrink your belly!

While there’s no doubt many fruits and veggies can help you lose that bulge in your midsection, certain grains can lend a hand, too. A Tufts University study found that participants who ate three or more servings of whole grains per day had 10 percent less belly fat than people who ate the same amount of calories from refined carbs. In other words, swap out white bread, rice, and pasta in favor of oats, quinoa, brown rice, or wheat.

A study of 20 men in the journal ISRN Pharmacology found that just 2 tablespoons per day reduced waist circumference by an average of 1.1 inches over the course of a month. Not too shabby. Coconut oil is a waist shrinker thanks, in part, to its medium chain triglycerides. Unlike the long-chain fatty acids found in animal sources of saturated fat, coconut oil doesn’t really raise your cholesterol and is more likely to be burned as energy than stored as fat.

There are healthy belly bacteria, and then there are bad belly bacteria, the later of which studies indicate overweight people have more of in their gut. To keep the fat-causing bugs at bay, you need to eat a variety of foods that support their healthy counterparts—the kind found in the bellies of slim people. Examples of probiotic-rich foods that help you lose weight by aiding digestion include kefir, kombucha, and bone broth. Read up on our master list of best probiotic foods for a healthy gut.

Another bloat-busting food to have on hand is cilantro. The herb, though polarizing in terms of taste, contains a unique blend of oils that work much like over-the-counter meds to relax digestive muscles and alleviate an “overactive” gut. A study published in the journal Digestive Diseases and Science found that patients with IBS benefited from supplementing with cilantro as opposed to placebo because their bellies weren’t as bloated.

One final thing to avoid when buying, cooking, or ordering food is trans fats. These man-made fats are typically found in processed foods—such as boxed cake mixes. They’re a “Not That!” because, as noted in the journal Obesity, they’ve been found to pack on the belly fat in monkeys.

As it turns out, they’re not great for humans either. “Trans fats cause inflammation in the body leading to insulin resistance and impairing the body’s ability to use glucose properly, resulting in excess fat storage around the belly,” says Tina Marinaccio, MS, RD, CPT. Trans fats, which are created by partially hydrogenating vegetable oils, are beloved by manufacturers because they increase the shelf life of processed foods, but they are no friend to your waistline. “Trans fats may be lurking in any processed or fried food such as chips, baked goods, and even butter spreads,” Tina warns. “To avoid them, check the ingredients for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.”

While there’s no need to hit a high-intensity spin class before you nosh, scientists in New Zealand recently found that men and women who engaged in three 10-minute exercise “hors d’oeuvres” before each meal saw lowered blood glucose levels—a fat-busting benefit these folks displayed all day long! If that task sounds too daunting, then start out by taking a walk around the office before lunch and build from there.

Strength training is a great way to stay in shape and build up muscle, and because muscle mass burns more calories than fat (not a lot, but every little bit counts!), the more muscle on your skeleton, the quicker you will lose the fat throughout your body, especially around your abdomen. A simple way to build up muscle via strength training is to do push-ups or planks.

If a cardio workout is more your speed, consider going for a walk or run, but remember to vary your speeds. “Why?” you ask. Research has shown it will help you learn how to shrink your stomach. In a Danish study reported by the American Diabetes Association, two groups of people with type 2 diabetes were put on a walking program. One group walked at a steady speed, while the other group varied their walking speed. After four months, the interval-training group lost eight more pounds than the steady walkers. Even better, the walkers who changed up their speeds lost visceral belly fat and improved their blood sugar control.

High-intensity interval training (or HIIT) is a great belly-blasting option for those who already feel comfortable in the gym because it helps you drop fatty tissue and build muscle simultaneously. “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,” explains Dr. Alex Tauberg, DC, CSCS, EMR. To use HIIT to shrink your belly, do workouts that engage your core such as abdominal crunches or bridges. “By performing core workouts using a HIIT plan, you can burn calories and build muscle at the same time,” Alex adds. “This can be a great way to flatten that stomach when you don’t have too much time to work out.”

Sure, trampolines are built for kids, but as an adult using one for rebounding is a great way to flatten your tummy. “Not only is it a great cardio workout (which is the first step to tightening up your midsection) but it makes your core work like crazy so you are getting the cardio plus the toning,” explains Hope Pedraza, a Certified Personal Trainer through American College of Sports Medicine “Everything you need for a tight tummy!” To get a comprehensive workout using a mini trampoline, Hope suggests jumping, lifting your knees up high, twisting, adding some light weights to move around while you’re jumping, and moving in all directions in different planes.

In the words of Lady Gaga, “Just Dance!” Explains Hope, “Dance cardio really is an amazing way to trim belly fat because it is going to help shed fat on the body as a whole. It is obviously a cardio workout, but because your body is forced to move in all different directions in different planes, it is making every single muscle in your body work. Similar to the benefits of a HIIT workout, you get the cardio plus toning benefit all in one,” she explains, noting that she teaches a dance cardio class at inBalance, the fitness and wellness studio she founded in San Antonio. “In the case of our dance cardio class, it is set up in an interval style workout because bringing your heart rate up and down multiples times amps up the challenge on your metabolism, getting you into fat burning mode even after you’re done working out.” Bye-bye belly fat!

Despite the common perception that you need to drop pounds slowly in order to maintain your weight loss, the exact opposite is true. In fact, you’re more than five times as likely to succeed in your long-term weight-loss goals if you start out of the gate by dropping pounds rapidly, according to a 2013 study in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. To focus on rapid weight loss in your midsection, do any of the exercises mentioned above, and eat more fiber and less sugar. For more waistline wisdom, don’t miss these ideas to lose weight fast.

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