It’s that time of year again. The time when you’re attending parties, seeing family and friends you may not have seen for a while, and are having your picture taken far more often than you’d like.It’s also that time of year when most of us wish we could get rid of belly bulge so that it won’t end up being a New Year’s resolution yet again.

While no diet – no matter what it promises – will get rid of belly bulge without any diet and lifestyle changes, and none of them can get rid of several pounds in a very small amount of time, there are some tricks that you can take on in order to reduce as much as you can in a healthful way and then to carry it on into the New Year as a part of your regular lifestyle.

Use the following to help you to start to get rid of belly bulge and continually feel better about yourself:

Stop eating foods with added sugars – it’s one thing to eat a piece of fruit that naturally contains sugars but that also contains fiber and a ton of other nutrients. It’s another to eat foods – particularly fast foods and processed foods – that are filled with added sugars. If you want to shrink your middle, try to cut out as many added sugars as you can. Eliminating sodas, juices and specialty coffees is one of the easiest ways to shrink your daily intake of added sugars. Start paying attention to nutrition labels and remember that every 4 grams of sugar is the same as a sugar cube (one teaspoon). As you read the label, picture the equivalent number of sugar cubes in your head. It makes it easier to turn those foods away.

Increase your protein intake – lean protein plays a very important role to reducing your belly size. It can vastly reduce food cravings, rev up your metabolism and help you to eat less throughout each day without feeling hungry.

Reduce your carb intake – this doesn’t mean that you need to cut carbs altogether, but try to replace some of the starchy and sugary carbohydrates you’re currently eating with veggies, instead. You’ll give yourself a nutrient blast and give your weight loss a real shot in the arm.

Raise your fiber intake – dietary fiber doesn’t just help to keep you regular – which is very important to weight loss. It also helps you to feel much fuller and it allows that feeling of satiety to last. The more fiber you eat, the more full you’ll feel even without consuming foods that are high in calories.