When it comes to losing weight and changing your body, what you eat has the biggest impact. When I was trying to lose weight last year, I was exercising regularly (mostly strength training and running), but I spent more time cleaning up my diet. After a few months of hard work, I dropped a dress size and shrunk my midsection. These are the seven foods I ate regularly in order to get rid of my belly fat. Spoiler alert: I didn't have to give up carbs.
Tofu
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I started eating more protein when I started exercising more and trying to reduce my belly fat. I'm vegan, so I chose to eat more tofu since it's my favorite plant-based protein and it's easy to meal prep with. It kept me full for longer and prevented me from snacking throughout the day.
Berries
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Berries are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and they're known to be a belly-fat-fighting food. I loved putting berries into my smoothies or snacking on them instead of eating refined sugar.
Leafy Greens and Fresh Vegetables
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Vegetables are full of fiber and rich nutrients, and they're a great thing to eat when you're trying to stay healthy. The more fresh vegetables I ate, the less room there was for junk food and the better I felt.
Protein Smoothies
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I had a protein smoothie almost every weekday morning when I was working to get rid of my belly fat. I like to use Vega Sport Protein, almond milk, frozen berries, and Sambazon Performance Protein.
Almonds
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Nuts are a great source of monounsaturated fat, which means they fight off hunger and are a good source of protein and fiber. I had a handful of unsalted roasted almonds nearly every day, and it replaced my craving for something salty and crunchy.
Oatmeal
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Unrefined whole grains can help reduce bloating, so I traded in white bread and processed carbs for steel-cut oats or whole-grain oatmeal. It helped me feel full for longer, and I loved that I didn't have to give up carbs in order to shed belly fat.
Beans
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Rather than eating canned beans, which can cause bloating due to the excess sodium, I soaked dried beans and cooked them myself. Adding more beans to my diet meant I was consuming more protein, which helped me snack less between meals.
By Gina Florio
This article first appeared in Popsugar.