Upon waking up this morning, I checked out my tummy in the mirror and felt a rush of pride. The “effort” I had made in the past three weeks was paying off – I felt light, lean, and flat! “Efforts” is in quotations because my secrets to a flat tummy don’t involve much effort at all.

This information is out there, and you may have read about at least one of these tips elsewhere. The advice I’m about to provide has worked for me consistently. When I’m feeling a bit heavy or put on a few pounds on a vacation I follow this framework and within the first week, there is a difference. By week three, I’ve taken inches off my waist and I feel great again.

Granted – I am talking about 5-10 pounds here. I have not used this to lose a more significant amount of weight, but every friend I’ve recommended it to who was trying to diet has come back with positive feedback.

Disclaimer: I am not a trained health professional nor do I have any schooling in nutrition. I am simply telling you what has worked for me consistently to lose weight – make of it as you will, and always discuss with your doctor/dietician 🙂

Also, you can check out the way I eat for weight loss & some exercises I do here.

Without further ado, I’m going to outline for you exactly how I get a flat tummy, without much effort.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar. This has to be #1 on my list, because I feel like I owe my healthy eating habits to ACV. In Japan, “Less salt, more vinegar” is listed second in the ten longevity rules. It is the best thing I do for my body, day in and day out. Upon rising, I take 1 tablespoon of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar in 8 oz water. It’s an acquired taste, for sure, but it’s been proven to speed up weight loss when taken on an empty stomach in the morning and at night before bed. I can only recommend Bragg’s because it is unpasteurized and raw, which is crucial. You want “the mother” to still be in there – that’s what’s making you lose weight.
2. Lower or completely cut out your gluten intake. From my experience, lowering the amount of gluten I eat in a day has significantly cut down my waist size. I didn’t realize that I had been bloated for much of my life until I began to eat gluten-free and found my waist. I don’t eat gluten-free now, but when trying to lose weight I will significantly lower my intake. Limit yourself to two pieces of whole grain bread a day, or a small portion of pasta – or do what I do, and get brown rice bread and pasta. It tastes the same, leaves you feeling better and not so sluggish, and will aid in your weight loss.
3. Eat soup for dinner. This is great if you have a specific date that you want to lose weight by. I make a huge pot of soup on Sundays and fill it with every vegetable I have left in my fridge. Eating homemade soup for dinner leaves you feeling full and nourished – and it’s so easy to make it super healthy and low calorie, while still being nutritious. Recipe coming up 😉
4. Stop eating 3-4 hours before bed. I can’t stress this enough. I will typically stop eating by 7:30 or 8:30 latest. Research has proven that extending your night fast (a.k.a. snooze time) will significantly improve weight loss. Many dieticians recommend this as an easy trick to shedding pounds.
5. Lower fats. This one was hard for me. I love avocados and walnuts, and was eating them quite regularly. I don’t know if it’s just me, but even good fats tend to bulk me up. I stopped eating a full avocado every day and walnuts in my salad, and saw the fat in my tummy get less visible every day. Remember, you can have fats! Just keep them to a limit.
6. Slow down! Mindful eating will help you drop a size in itself. We often eat while working, watching TV, or talking, and don’t even fully enjoy the food we put in our mouths – much less notice how much we eat. Eating mindfully, meaning slowing down and taking a while to chew, will not only help you lose weight – it will improve your quality of life and state of mind, too.
7. Drink more water. Yes, this one is pretty obvious, but it is so crucial to weight loss. Often, we mistake being thirsty for being hungry. If you are guzzling down clean, fresh water all day long, you will know when you’re actually hungry. Water flushes you out and makes you feel fresh and healthy. It has been proven widely to help in weight loss. Just drink more of it!
8. LEMON! I add lemon to just about anything, because I enjoy it so much. If you don’t often have lemon, I suggest a cup of warm water in the morning with the juice of half a lemon. It speeds up digestion and has a TON of health benefits.
9. Focus on the vegetables. Make the main part of all your meals fruits and vegetables.
10. Get moving! I added yoga a couple of times a week – and though I highly recommend working out, you can lose weight by just moving around more. Take a walk around the block, do sit-ups at home during commercial breaks, take the stairs instead of the elevator.

What’s your best weight loss tip? Share it in the comments! 

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