The Flat Belly Diet

Are you ready to start on a path to a healthier you by shedding some of those extra pounds? It is easy to be tempted by promises of rapid weight loss that are held out by some weight loss programs, or offered as a result of diet pills, or other "miracle weight loss diets." There are a few things you should know before you decide on how you will proceed. First, understand that there is no miracle weight loss treatment. It is possible that if you adhere to a highly restricted or other fad diet, you may lose significant weight. The problems are that crash dieting solutions are harmful to your body, because they deprive you of essential nutrients. These diets can leave you with weaker bones, and overall health that is worse. More important, though, is the problem that if you make no changes to your normal life, as soon as you stop depriving yourself on the crash diet, you are very likely to return to your previous eating and exercise habits, which leads to an inevitable Yo-Yo phenomenon. Studies have demonstrated that people who are overweight and crash diet, then regain the weight are in much worse state of health than those who remain at their original overweight size Like so many others, I have a muffin top.  Despite all my best nutritional and exercise efforts, I just couldn't lose weight around my middle, especially since I hit 50. So who could turn down a book that will get the flat belly you've always dreamed of with the brand new Flat Belly Diet! Created by the health and fitness experts you trust at Prevention, Flat Belly gives you all the tips and moves you need to eliminate belly bulge - for good. The Flat Belly Diet book is written by Prevention Editor in Chief Liz Vaccariello and Prevention Nutrition Editor Cynthia Sass.  The book's cover reads: "A Flat Belly is about food and attitude. Period. (No crunches required)! With the Flat Belly Diet Book you'll trim your waistline and sculpt a lean, sexy belly - without ever doing a single crunch! Filled with fast, effective workouts, belly-flattening eating tips, and stay-slim-forever advice, the Flat Belly Diet gives you everything you need to help you flatten your stomach, trim your waist and streamline your entire core - in just 32 days." Shrinking an expanding waistline is not only a matter of vanity: Excess belly fat can significantly up your risk of heart disease, the number one killer of women, as well as other dangerous medical conditions. We're all familiar with subcutaneous fat - the jiggly stuff that makes it hard to zip up your jeans. But it's the visceral fat - the type residing deep inside your belly - that's so deadly. This compact fat, sometimes called "hidden" belly fat, builds up between and around your internal organs. Even small amounts can increase your heart disease risk.

It can also cause metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that include high LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, as well as high blood pressure and high blood sugar, which can progress to type 2 diabetes. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that in a sample of more than 3,000 people, 46% of overweight women and 22% of normal-weight women had metabolic syndrome, and those who did had 50% more visceral fat.

Since most of us take measures to eliminate only the fat we can see, how do you get rid of the dangerous stuff hiding inside? Better yet, is there a way to eliminate both? Prevention editors dug into the science and developed a plan that can change your body and protect your health:

Researchers have discovered that eating fat - a very specific kind - is actually one of the best ways to fight both subcutaneous and visceral belly fat.

A new, cutting-edge study published in Diabetes Care in July 2007 and conducted by scientists at Reina Sofía University Hospital in Córdoba, Spain, placed a group of overweight people on 4-week diets containing the same number of calories but with different ratios of carbohydrate and fat. The plan rich in monounsaturated fats prevented the accumulation of both types of belly fat - without additional exercise.

The Stealth Belly Flattener

The idea that fat can help you slim down isn't new. In 2001, Harvard researchers reported that moderate-fat diets actually produced better weight loss results in the long run than low-fat diets. But not until the Spanish study did researchers uncover the notion that a single type of dietary fat targets such a specific area of the body. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs for short, pronounced MOO-fahs) come from the healthy oils found in plant foods such as olives, nuts, and avocado. MUFAs have been linked to overall weight loss in previous studies, including a report published in the British Journal of Nutrition, which found that a MUFA-rich diet helped people lose small amounts of weight and body fat without changing their calorie intake. Another report found that a breakfast high in MUFAs could boost calorie burn for 5 hours after the meal, particularly in people with higher amounts of belly fat.

However, it's the additional health benefits that make this type of dietary fat so unique. Not only can it prevent and control type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of heart disease (by lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol levels and boosting the "good" HDL), but a 3-year Italian study found that diets high in MUFAs from nuts and olive oil also helped reduce markers of inflammation, a known trigger for aging and disease.

Using this arsenal of data, Prevention's, nutrition director, Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, constructed an eating plan that incorporates MUFA-rich foods into every meal (exercise is optional). Their goal: to make this a reduced-calorie diet that's easy to stay on because these good fats are satisfying and filling. To ensure their plan delivered, they also tested it on readers of Prevention Magazine. The results were impressive. In a 4-week period, their 11 panelists lost a total of 91 pounds and 83 inches. Not only did each lose an average of 2 inches of belly fat, but they lost fat all over their bodies and felt more energized than they had in years.

The Way to Eat

The Flat Belly Diet follows a few basic rules:

• Include a MUFA (monounsaturated fat) at every meal

Incorporate a serving of one MUFA-rich food every time you eat to reap the benefits of this amazingly healthful belly-flattening fat.

• Have a clear calorie goal

Consume four 400-calorie meals a day. Significant weight loss requires calorie control. For the average woman, 1,600 calories per day is ideal because it's low enough to create weight loss while maintaining energy and preserving calorie-burning muscle.

• Eat often

Have a meal every 4 to 5 hours to help control your blood sugar and hunger and keep your metabolism in high gear.

• Drink your water (8 glasses a day) or Sassy Water

Sassy water is great water recipe for people who do not like plain water.  It is similar to spa water which contains lemon slices, cucumber slices, grated ginger and spearmint leaves. 

• Change the way to think

What you put in your mouth is only half the equation. The other half is your attitude toward food and eating. Put these tips into practice:

• Manage stress

This emotion causes a spike in the hunger-stimulating hormone cortisol, sending you straight for the sweets. And when cortisol is high, extra calories are deposited directly as belly fat.

• Ask for help

Among people who have lost weight and kept it off, 70% reported having strong social support, compared with only 38% of those who lost and regained weight. Recruit others to join you (or encourage you), or sign up for an online support group.

• Beat emotional eating

Keep a food diary, but don't just record what and how much you eat. Journaling about your feelings can help you identify what triggers you to eat and why, so you can break unhealthy habits for good.