The basic Flat Belly Diet plan is a 1,600-calorie Mediterranean-style diet with an emphasis on wholesome, unrefined foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, seeds, lean protein, and very little red meat (once a month. The secret ingredient in the Flat Belly Diet that whittles away belly fat is the addition of a monounsaturated fat, or MUFA, at every meal. MUFAs are found in olives, avocados, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, soybean, flax, and olive and sunflower oils.
MUFAs have health benefits and target belly fat. They also help to keep you feeling full. Before you actually get into the 28-day plan you go on a 1,200calorie, four-day anti-bloat jump-start period designed to reduce bloating and get dieters in the mind-set of a healthier eating plan. During the jump-start, dieters drink 2 liters of daily "sassy water," a blend of lemons, mint, ginger and cucumber. This is the part most people complain about because it is not that much food, but like I said I feel really good, not hungry at all!
The diet states that you do not have to excercise in order to lose the belly fat, but of course it's always better if you do. The plan calls for four, 400-calorie meals spaced every four hours, and each meal includes a MUFA.
I copied a sample menu so you can see what you would eat just during the first 4 days.
Sample Anti-Bloat Menu
Breakfast: 1 cup Rice Krispies, 1 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup pineapple, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Lunch: 3 oz chunk light tuna in water, 1 cup carrots, 1 light string cheese
Dinner: 3 oz chicken breast, 1 cup mushrooms sauteed in 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 cup brown rice
Snack: pineapple smoothie (1 cup skim milk, 4 oz. pineapple, and 1 tablespoon flaxseed)
2 liters sassy water
Sample Flat Belly Menu
Breakfast: Apple almond oatmeal
Lunch: Pesto ham and cheese sandwich on whole-grain English muffin with lettuce & tomato and 1 cup grape tomatoes
Dinner: 3 oz grilled salmon steak with 2 tablespoons almonds, 1 1/2 cup green beans
Snack: 1/4 cup hummus with 2 tablespoons pine nuts and 1 cup red pepper strips
The Flat Belly Diet: How It Works
The premise of the Flat Belly Diet is that if you trim calories to 1,600 per day, add a MUFA at every meal, eat every four hours, and get regular exercise (although this is optional) you will lose weight and belly fat.
Like I said before I just started this diet but so far I feel really good. I lost 3.7 pounds in two days and my pants are already feeling loose!
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) is that it's not a fad diet unless you make it one -- if you find a plan you can stick with for life and it is approved by your doctor (ie-healthy for you) then why not?
