Things to Eat to Get a Slim Waist

While spot reduction -- losing weight from a specific part of your body -- would be nice, unfortunately it doesn't work in practice. Certain foods may help you lose weight throughout your entire body, however. By helping you lose weight, they'll help reduce your waist measurement.

High-fiber foods like oatmeal may help whittle your waist. (Image: margouillatphotos/iStock/Getty Images)

Try Oatmeal

As a whole grain, oatmeal is relatively high in dietary fiber, and eating enough fiber is a key factor in losing body fat. In one study published in 2012 in “Nutrition Journal,” adults who added instant oats to their diet significantly reduced their waist circumferences over a six-week trial period. Oatmeal and other high-fiber foods may make you feel fuller, which can encourage you to stop eating earlier and lower your overall calorie consumption at meals.

Consider Whey Protein

High-quality protein, much like dietary fiber, enhances feelings of fullness and may make it easier to lose weight. Most people get enough dietary protein from froms such as lean meats, poultry, eggs and beans. If you choose to supplement, whey protein is a low-calorie dietary way that might pack 20 grams or more of protein into a single serving. According to the results of a study published in 2008 in the journal “Nutrition & Metabolism,” subjects who reduced calories in their diet and supplemented with whey protein lost more inches around their waists after 12 weeks than subjects who cut calories but drank a low-protein supplement instead.

Say Yes to Yogurt

Another high-quality, low-calorie source of protein is yogurt. In the long-term Framingham Heart Study, participants who ate the most yogurt stayed slimmest around their waists. Not all yogurts are created equal when it comes to weight loss, however. When you go shopping, steer clear of fruit-flavored yogurts, which may have more sugar than protein. Instead, opt for plain, lowfat or fat-free options, and choose Greek over traditional because it has more protein.

Slim Down With Salad

Surviving on salad alone isn't a good way to achieve long-term weight loss, but eating more salads and vegetables is. Science backs it up - in 2013, the “International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition” published the results of a study showing that subjects who ate salad and yogurt shortly before a main meal had smaller waist circumferences at the end of a three-month trial than subjects who had those foods with their meals.