Flat Belly Foods

Build a Beach-Ready Body in 12 Hours

Picking the right foods can make all the difference when it comes to peeling off the layers at your next pool or beach party
By Dave Zinczenko menshealth
 

12-Hour Trim Down

Build a Beach-Ready Body in 12 Hours // fit man running with a body board © Thinkstock

Image: Thinkstock

Last week, I went to a “kick off the summer” pool party at my friend Kurt’s house. The sun was shining, the blender drinks were flowing, the Ramones were blasting on the sound system. Yet a lot of folks seemed kind of miserable, and I couldn’t understand why. Then I realized: We were all hanging around the pool with our feet in the water—but everybody had their T-shirts on.

Sure, it’s possible that we were all just being very conscious of our sun exposure. But more likely, we were suffering from a collective condition known as Pool Party Paranoia—the distinctive feeling that everyone around us is judging our swimsuited selves and finding us lacking.

In reality, most of us are too busy judging ourselves harshly to think much about how everyone else looks. Let’s face it: Unless you’re Lady Gaga or Channing Tatum, you probably don't enjoy being seen half-naked. But here’s the great news: With just a few dietary tweaks, you can make a major impact on your swimsuit self-esteem—confidence up, corpulence down—in just 12 hours. (Would it have been better if you had worked out 7 days a week all winter long? Sure, but the button on my time machine is broken, how about yours?)

The 12-hour trim down I outline below cuts calories and sodium dramatically, so you will look and feel less puffy and bloated. And the best part? You’ll do it while still eating all your favorite foods. So keep reading for the five swaps guaranteed to make disrobing as painless as possible this summer.

Your Summer of Slim: Take advantage of the fat-burner in your backyard! Check out the 20 Summer Weight Loss Secrets from the Grill, from the all-new Grill This, Not That! Backyard Survival Guide.

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