3 Tips to Melt Your Muffin Top in Weeks

These three tricks are simple and obvious—and if you stick with them, they'll work just as well as any diet out there (if not better)

Be a Dairy Queen In an International Journal of Obesity study, dieters who had three servings of fat-free yogurt a day for 12 weeks lost more fat around their waists than a control group. Yogurt also has probiotics, healthy bacteria that may help reduce bloat if eaten regularly. You can find probiotics in kefir, a yogurt-like milk product, and in supplements, too.

Go Whole Swap refined grains for whole ones. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who had eaten three or more servings of whole grains per day during the past year had lower abdominal-fat levels than those who'd eaten almost none. "Quinoa, popcorn, and oats (I prefer gluten-free) all count," says Slayton.

Chew This Fat Research shows that some types of fat, including linoleic acid and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), may actually help trim your midsection. "Sunflower seeds and grass-fed beef are great sources of linoleic acid," says Slayton, and MUFAs abound in avocados, olives, and nuts.

A great way to get motivated is to register for the up coming competition -