All DietsWhat You Should Know
The Flat Belly Diet is a diet book co-authored by Prevention editor-in-chief Elizabeth Vaccariello and nutritionist Cynthia Sass, claiming to flatten the belly and help dieters lose up to 15lbs in one month by following their simple diet plans. The diet plan is not as extreme as other diets, and has less restrictions compared to the South Beach Diet — simply eat a mix of unrefined foods such as whole wheat, organic fruit, nuts, and essentially no meat, along with one “MUFA” (food featuring monounsaturated fat) at each meal. Vaccariello claims that MUFAs are key to diminishing abdomen fat and keeping the stomach lean and unbloated, revealing a slimmer, washboard appearance. Another staple claiming to de-bloat the belly is “sassy water”, water mixed with spices, citrus fruits, and cucumber. Better yet, exercise is optional.
The variety of non-processed, vitamin rich foods is a plus for staying healthy, but some question if the diet — and its high caloric amount (dieters each roughly 1,600 calories per day) — will provide any short term or long term benefits. Furthermore, some are skeptical this can be implemented for long term weight loss. The claimed weight loss is a bit unrealistic given the time frame and the amount eaten per day, but according to Vaccariello, it is realistic and the plan does work, provided you stick with it.
Ingredients
The Flat Belly Diet requires dieters to consume a diet of unprocessed whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, dark chocolate, and soybeans. Eating foods rich in monounsaturated fats is also highly encouraged, along with regular consumption of “sassy water”, water mixed with spices, herbs, citrus fruits and cucumber.
Product Features
The Flat Belly Diet requires dieters to eat a mostly vegetarian, unprocessed food diet, with heavy emphasis on MUFAs, Vaccariello’s moniker for foods rich in monounsaturated fats. She regularly recommends dieters include one MUFA with each meal, which includes dark chocolate and nuts. Meals are spread out with four 400 calorie meals, which she says helps regulate appetite while increasing the metabolism — and keeping your pooch from being unfavorably plump. There is evidence showing that eating smaller meals helps increase the metabolism, but as for the story of the overgrowing belly, there really isn’t any concrete evidence available.
The biggest (and most curious) claim Vaccariello makes is that MUFAs help flatten the belly, an undocumented claim she continuously makes throughout her book. No word if that claim is actual fact, but most of the food Vaccariello prescribes contains naturally-based food that does not promote bloating. Most of the food is also low in calories, meaning more food can be eaten without nudging up the caloric intake. Still, she prescribes a large daily caloric allowance for dieters, strange considering the norm is 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day. Evidence backing this up is minimal, but there are numerous testimonials available on The Flat Belly Diet website stating they lost over 10lbs in one month.
Advantages
- Includes natural, non-processed foods rich in vitamins and minerals.
- No exercise is required to complete the program, and does not require dieters to count calories.
Disadvantages
- There is little evidence showing a focus on monounsaturated fats help de-bloat the stomach.
- May require dieters to eat a higher caloric amount than is prescribed by most diets.
- Some of the food items for the diet may be difficult to find in regular grocery stores. (See reader comments.)
- Must purchase the book and follow the prescribed meal plans, although you are allowed to mix and match meal options.
Conclusion
The Flat Belly Diet comes from the minds of Prevention’s top leading diet experts, but some question if this is more hype than fact. Nevertheless, the naturally-based diet scheme is a plus and the foods involved in the diet won’t cost too much to purchase. We still recommend dieters search for diet plans with a proven track record.
Your 28 day recipes make 4-12 servings. On some of them I can cut the recipe in half or 4th’s but I don’t understand why there’s not more one person recipes when, in most cases, there’s only one person doing the eating. Even a box of pancakes gives instructions for making a smaller amount. Are there one person recipes available?
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can you drink hot unsweet green tea on the diet?
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I’ve been on the flat belly diet for 14 days and have lost 8 pounds. I give it a thumbs up! Never hungry, eat 4 times a day, 4 hours apart.
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Did you exercise too?
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1> do you have to do a cleanse to start the diet.
2.are you allowed to drink wine with dinner?
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do you have to do a cleanse to start the diet.
2.are you allowed to drink wine with dinner?
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No I didnt do a clense to start and no unfortunatly no wine with dinner. I have given up alcohol completly
You could probably count the calories for the wine as part of your 400 calorie meal as long as you are still having your full mufa serving. Im sure an occasional glass of wine would only slow down the weight loss. I really miss my social drinks A LOT! but Im just trying to focus really hard on getting the weight off as quickly as possible and then I think I can play around with a drink here and there as Im trying to maintain.
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Although the diet does not encourage it you can have a glass of wine with dinner. They suggest in the book that if you do you cut 50 calories off of 2 of your meals (cutting 100 from one meal could cause you to get too hungry) or excercise enough to burn off 100 calories to replace with the wine.
I an unable to find unsweetened corn flakes, unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds nor unsalted roasted sunflower seeds. Are these only available in grocery stores? Seems like every diet I’ve tried has food items that I cannot find.
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I could not find them either so I buy the salted sunflower seeds and then wash them really good to remove as much salt as possible. Dry them well with a paper towel and then put them in a warm (250 degree) oven for a few minutes to dry them and slightly roast them again (about 10 – 15 minutes). I stir them around about half way through to keep them from burning on the bottom.
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The only place I have been able to find unsalted sunflower seeds is online. I usually order from nutsonline.com.
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I found them at Whole Foods
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You can purchase unsalted sunflower seeds at Walmart. They’re in the produce department.
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Are the seeds supposed to be shelled or not? I’m about to start and this isn’t clear in the book. I bought shelled and am trying to find a conversion but can’t, Help please.
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Look for a Whole Foods in your area. They are wonderful,and you can find all the above items.
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Thanks- I found the sunflower seeds at Whole foods during the jump start- now I’m ready to move on. Good to know I don’t have to run all over town to find Ezekiel bread.
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Go to a Vitamin store or health food store if there is one close by. You should be able to get all of the unsalted nuts at those.
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I buy them at Raleys in the food bins where you can choose the qty of the item you would like to purchase. They have pumpkin, pecans, peanuts, sunflower seeds all sorts of unsalted nuts. You can also find them at Trader Joes
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Try Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s if you have them in your area.
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I found roasted unsalted sunflower seeds at WalMart in the produce section. They are not in the shell.
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sunflower seeds at WalMart also….Pumpkin seeds there too. Found most everything in a regular grocery store, and some at the Whole Foods store, (health food store)
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What I don’t understand is that if this diet really works why do you have to pay for it? Who ever made it up knows America is in need of some severe reform when it comes to weight loss so why keep it a secret from those who need it and can’t afford it? Some people can’t just go out and buy the book even though they need the intervention. If I found a diet I would make it available for everyone.
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You don’t have to buy the book i just started the diet and i got the book from the library.I also got the cook book as well.
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You can get a pocket guide at Target for about 6 bucks. The pocket guide has enough info to get you started. I also saw the book at Costco for less then 6 dollars.
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I’m Vegan, will this diet still work for me?
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other then sassy water,what other drinks are OK to use with this diet?
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read an analysis of this diet on one of the medical websites. It had alot of good things to say about it. One interesting thing is that the “no soda, no coffee, no gum” rule has no research basis. With that in mind I have not completely cut them from my diet. I drink about as much coffee as ever and have really cut my soda intake and all but one cup of coffee is decaf. (about 2-3 mugs/day) I just finshed my 4 day starter and lost 4.5#. I’m happy with the loss and happy I didn’t have to give up my coffee.
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I haven’t read the book yet, but from scanning it, I don’t see anyting about coffee, diet soda etc?
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Thats right, no coffee or soda. Basically no caffiene. I thought the first few days would be unbearable but I got through and lost 12.5 lbs in the first month. From 187.5 down to 175. I do have a cup of green tea occasionally. I was reading another book by Jillian Michaels and she explains that caffiene stimulates cortisol production which supports belly fat. I cant tell you how much my stomach has gone down. My jeans are not much looser but my shirts are and my rolls are almost gone. I have also noticed the weight loss in my face. Im a huge advocate of this diet.
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My husband and I have been on this diet for 27 days and think it’s a great diet. (We are 59 & 57) He has lost 12 and I 7 lbs. We don’t stick to it 100%. We drink coffee every day, eat out once a week (no huge portions) have wine or soda about once a week. We see it more as a jumpstart to a healthier life style the mediterranian way than a way to lose weight fast. This diet is also supposed to target that dangerous visceral belly fat. We hope this diet continues to work for us. So far we love it.
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I’m curious: why grape tomatoes and not (say) sweet 100’s? Or why crimini mushrooms instead of other mush.? Does it really matter?
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So with that line of thinking. . .how about decaf coffee and soda?
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As for another question, I see it says the sunflower seeds are without the shell and yes, I found them, unsalted in the produce section at Wal-mart
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OK, Day #1-Chaos at work. . .missed breakfast. .went right on to lunch. . what now??? I know I shouldn’t skip meals.
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the food and the progrm diet on flat belly diet
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