How to Shrink My Stomach With Eating

If you are a female with a waist circumference over 35 inches, or a man with a waist circumference greater than 40 inches, you are at an increased risk for conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke and heart disease. Knowing which foods to avoid and which to eat is essential when trying to shrink your stomach. It is not just an excess of calories that can increase the size of your tummy; foods that cause bloating, water retention and gas can have a similar affect.

Tips For You

1. Consume fiber to promote digestive health and to avoid constipation, which can distend the belly. Eat foods that contain insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. Soluble fiber softens and moistens your stool and insoluble fiber speeds up the cleansing of the digestive wall. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, and consume whole-wheat bread, and wheat or bran cereals.
2. Reduce your sodium intake. Excess sodium triggers water retention and bloating, making the belly appear bigger. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a daily sodium consumption of no more than 1,500 mg.
3. Eat potassium-rich foods, because potassium rids your body of excess water that it is holding onto and therefore makes your stomach smaller. Eat foods such as bananas, cooked spinach, and papaya.
4. Eat at regular intervals during the day to stimulate your metabolism to burn the foods you consume, instead of storing them as fat. Eat up to six smaller meals over the day and avoid skipping meals.
5. Consume foods rich in monounsaturated fat. According to the Flat Belly Diet Plan, monounsaturated fats help reduce your stomach fat. Eat foods such as almonds, avocados, natural peanut butter, walnuts, and olive oil. Consume these foods in moderation, because they are high in calories.
6. Avoid alcohol because it is high in calories and has no nutrients. Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. Water fills you up, so you eat less, which may contribute to a smaller stomach.
7. Eat plain, non-fat yogurt to increase the amount of friendly bacteria in your stomach. Probiotics aid in digestion and help prevent bloating caused by constipation.
8. Chew your food well, so that your body can easily absorb the nutrients from the foods you consume. Chewing well makes the digestion of carbohydrates, fats and protein easier. When large food particles get stuck in the gastrointestinal tract -- bloating may occur -- resulting in a larger stomach.