A recent study that was published in the Journal of The American Medical Association told us some pretty amazing fact about the foods that people wishing to loose their belly fat should definitely try to avoid. The report was huge, but It's important to note that these people tested, some 370,000 over 20 years, were all healthy active people with diets that included fruits and veggies. These were not the overweight couch sitters on 5 pints of beer a day. Even healthy, active people can gain weight in areas they don't want to. If you want your six-pack to show through, here are the top 5 to avoid.

Lo-Cal Fizzy Drinks

No sugar doesn't mean it won't add the fat, the drinks where saccharin, aspartame and sucralose were substituted for sugar contributed to nearly three times the weight gain compared of those that drank regular soda drinks over the period of nine years. Add to that the chances that these additives lead to a vulnerability to insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, make mine a regular, please.

Cake Frosting - Trans Fats

A research facility gave 2 groups of monkeys different diets, one with trans fats, one without. The group eating trans fats increased their body weight by 7.2 percent over a six-year period, the ones who had "healthier" non-trans-fat diets only gained 1.8 percent of their bodyweight. Store bought cake frosting has a not so healthy dose so better to avoid it, in fact, it's better to check for trans fats on everything as it not only adds fat to the body, it causes fat from other body areas to be moved to the belly.

The Mighty Potato

The biggest cause of weight gain was one of our favourites I am sorry to tell you, the potatoes and the products made from them were the overall largest contributor to weight gain. No more crisps, brown rice cakes anyone?

Processed And Red Meats

Maybe not surprising as a steak is an important source of calories (about 270 in every 100 grammes) but in the same study of 370,00 people, those that ate steak and processed meat gained more weight than those that didn't.

Refined Grain Products.

Unlike the healthier unrefined grain products such as whole wheat, brown rice and quinoa the refined stuff found in white bread, white rice and ordinary white pasta is not as good for the tummy fat. People who ate the unrefined grain products lost a lot more weight over the same period as those on the white, refined grain. So, when it come to y9our grains, keep them whole if you can.

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