Stop doing this one thing in the morning right now to get a flatter stomach.

I've already told myself what I'm about to say. I had to change what I did in the morning in order to reach my gut goals. I know what it's like to look at your stomach and pull at it when you look in the mirror. I used to do that every morning and night.

I worked hard to eat better, work out daily at home or at the gym, and drink water on a set plan like it was my job. Still, my stomach wasn't getting any flatter.

I found it annoying.

You want your stomach to look better, right? You're probably not losing belly fat because of a habit you have first thing in the morning. This habit seems harmless, but it's stopping you.

What’s this “harmless” habit? — It’s taking hits of sugar for breakfast.

If you’re starting your day with sugary cereal, flavored yogurt, a big ol’ fancy coffee, juice (unless you squeeze your own), or anything sweet, you’re telling your body to store belly fat every morning. And it’s cumulative.

Natural sugar in fruit is fine. It’s the extra sugar in foods and table sugar that gets you.

When I found out that sugar in the morning was a big reason why my waist was growing, I switched it up. I wanted a smaller stomach.

I wait until after 12:00 noon.

You might be thinking like I was, asking yourself, “How bad can a little sugar at breakfast time be? I love strawberry jam with cookies!

But then I remembered that breakfast means to break the fast that we go into overnight. So not breaking it with sugar made sense.

I usually eat in an intermittent fasting window of 16:8, fasting from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. the next morning. So, even though I break my overnight fast at 10:00, I won’t have anything sweet until the afternoon.

If you want to get rid of belly fat, putting sugar on an empty stomach is not a good idea.

Here’s why:

Insane blood sugar fluctuations: Eating sugar first thing is like pushing go on a ride you don’t want to be on. Your blood sugar goes up fast, and your body acts to bring it back down by pumping extra insulin, causing a crash. But that’ll cause you to crave more sugar to get your energy back up.

Makes you stronger, faster: After that crash, guess what? You’re hungry again. And I get it. It happened to me. It’s happened to all of us. This is where you turn into the food junkie, looking for more carbs or sugar to kill the hunger. But let’s be real, who wants to spend their whole day fighting off cravings?

Keeps your body in fat-storage mode: When your insulin’s doing extra, your body stores more fat. And where does it like to keep fat first? Right around the middle. That’s the first place extra weight goes on me—my gut!

Sneaky sugar bombs you don’t even think about

Of course, you can point to the clear sugar-laced breakfast foods you eat, like pancake syrup and cookies. But if you’re like most people, you might not be aware of secret sugars you think are good.

Flavored yogurt: Even the ones that look all “natural” are usually packed with added sugars. Sometimes it’s even as much as a candy bar!

Smoothies & juices: Store-bought smoothies, especially the fruity ones, are basically liquid sugar. And if you look at the label on your orange juice, you’ll see there’s a ton of extra sugar in it.

Cereals & bars: Even the “whole grain” ones are sugar bombs. Look at the ingredients, and you’ll see sugar hiding under names like “agave” or “cane syrup.”

Coffee with creamers or flavor shots: If you’re adding flavoring creamers or getting a fancy coffee, you’re drinking sugar. I used to put 3–4 hazelnut creamers in my coffee every morning.

A better breakfast for a smaller stomach

The key here is keeping breakfast low in sugar and high in the stuff that keeps you full, like protein, fiber, and healthy fats. I like that these won’t spike my blood sugar, and they’ll keep me from going on snack binges before lunchtime is even close.

So instead of sugary cereal, I’ll have eggs and maybe get a bowl of cereal later in the day. Instead of sweetened yogurt, I’ll do plain Greek yogurt with nuts. And instead of a breakfast bar, I eat overnight oats and chia seeds. If I want a smoothie, I’ll make it myself and do a green drink instead of one that’s only fruit.

It takes planning.

One thing that was a mistake for me was trying to eat better in the morning off the cuff. Usually, I just did not have the time. And if you are like I was, you may have some of the same issues with cutting out sugar in the morning.

So here are some tips:

Cut back slowly: If you normally take your coffee sweet, try cutting the sugar in half. Once you’re used to that, cut back again until you’re drinking it without sugar.

Prioritize protein & fiber: You can’t go wrong with eggs, Greek yogurt, or a shake with protein powder. But I wouldn’t overdo the protein powder.

Prep ahead of time: If mornings are rushed for you, make your breakfast the night before. That way, you’re not tempted to grab a sugary “quick fix” on your way out the door or before it’s time for lunch.

The best thing you can do next is give it some time. Stick with it for a few weeks. After a little while, you should notice your energy is steady, you’re not crashing at 10 a.m., and wants aren’t as strong.

Getting a flatter stomach suddenly became easy after stopping the morning sugar habit.

Things are so much better for me in the mornings now. I get up, have a healthy breakfast, and feel well instead of sick. I’m not hungry an hour later, and I don’t have to fight the urge to snack every ten minutes.

As the first weeks went by, I noticed my body starting to get used to the new pattern. And then, I noticed my belly fat started to melt away. My body got a chance to burn stored fat more effectively without being on the steady sugar rush.

The lesson

Want a smaller stomach? Ditch the morning sugar rush. Starting the day with sugar is counterintuitive to trying to get rid of belly fat. Getting out of the habit of using it to break the night’s fast is a strong change that can make a big difference over time.

And you don’t have to go crazy with it, either. I tried it for a month to see how I’d feel. That may be the best thing for you too. And it’s not about being perfect every single day. It’s about making small, constant choices to make a change.