17 lbs of belly fat— gone!

There are a lot of great perks to getting rid of excess belly fat—a 50% lower risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and dementia, just for starters! But if you’re like most of us, you’ve discovered that ab flab is stubborn. Luckily, there are ways to make

Stop stress-eating ✓

with nuts

Eating 1/3 cup of your favorite nuts at breakfast could help slim your waistline 25% faster—plus triple your odds of keeping the weight off permanently! The blend of healthy fats and magnesium in nuts calms your brain and nervous system, reducing your risk of stress-eating (the top weight-loss saboteur for women!) as much as 50%, report University of Hawaii researchers.

Prevent hunger ✓ pangs with glucomannan

This unique fiber supplement— which is extracted from the roots of a tropical plant— could help you shed 7 1/2 pounds every month, without dieting, according to research published in the Medical Science Monitor. How? By making you feel full sooner—and for a lot longer—after meals, plus slowing carb and fat absorption in the digestive tract, says study coauthor Jon Florholmen, PH.D. For best results, take 1,000 mg. of glucomannan with 12 oz. of water 30 minutes before each meal. ■ Important: As always check with your doctor before starting any new supplement.

Switch on slimming enzymes with white tea

This mild-flavored tea is made from tea leaves that are picked earlier and processed more gently than green or black tea, so it contains up to twice as many fatburning enzymes. Sip three cups daily, and you could effortlessly shed up to three pounds of belly fat this month, UCLA researchers say.

Rev your metabolism ✓

with red meat

Eating a few ounces of pork or beef daily could triple your fat loss in 30 days—and help melt up to 17 pounds of belly fat this year, say University of Oklahoma scientists. Red meat contains amino acids that stimulate fat burn inside abdominal cells, helping them torch an extra 100 calories daily, the study authors explain—plus, they cut cravings and evening eating jags in half!

Melt ab flab 22% ✓

faster with flavorings

Consuming 2 Tbs. of fresh herbs— or 2 tsp. of dried spices—daily could help you flatten your tummy 20% faster, French research reveals. These flavor-boosters are packed with polyphenols, nutrients that encourage the fat cells in your abdomen to burn blood sugar for fuel before it can be stashed away as fat.

Energize your liver ✓

with bigger meals

You’d think that regularly eating lighter meals and healthy, lowcalorie snacks would help you slim down. However, British experts say that may not be so! Their recent studies suggest that you’ll shed an extra eight pounds of belly fat every year by eating three filling meals daily— and avoiding between-meal snacking altogether. Why? Turns out, alternating between feasting and fasting signals your liver to switch on its genes that double belly-fat burn!