What Is Prevention's Flat Stomach Diet?

Prevention's Flat Belly Diet is based on research suggesting that belly roundness is caused by both fluid retention and visceral fat accumulation. The diet targets this bloat through caloric restriction, consumption of certain healthy fats, and increased water intake. The Flat Belly Diet promises up to a 15-pound weight loss in 32 days, and claims a 91 percent success rate.

Basics

The Flat Belly Diet is a 1,600 calorie per day Mediterranean style diet that lasts 32 days. You follow a mix-and-match meal plan that does not require you to count the calories yourself.
You start the diet with a four-day "jump start" program designed to help you lose up to seven pounds in four days. You then transition into a 28-day diet that is rich in whole grains and vegetables and high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which are supposed to fight belly fat and lower LDL cholesterol. The diet comprises three main meals and a fourth "floating" meal or snack that can be eaten at different times of day.

Intended Audience

This diet and supporting web and book materials appear to be designed for middle-aged women. In "The Flat Belly Diet!" book, author Liz Vaccariello states that between the ages of 35 and 55, a woman's belly starts to "puff" or "pooch" out and that this belly fat can be resistant to diet efforts. There is a separate book written specifically for men.

Four-Day Anti-Bloat Jumpstart

The goal during the four-day jump start period is to flush out excess fluids and calm any digestive problems. A primary component of this initial period is the consumption of large amounts of "sassy water", which is water supplemented with ginger, cucumber, lemon and spearmint. The purposes of this special water are two-fold: first, to calm the GI tract and second, to serve as a reminder of the new diet. The purpose of this jump start period is to engender a quick weight loss that will help keep you motivated to continue. There are 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day in the jump start eating plan.

The Four-Week Eating Plan

After the initial four-day period, you continue to a 28-day diet that is high in monounsaturated fats, which the developers state has been shown in research to fight belly fat and help you feel full and satisfied while dieting. Fish and chicken are commonly used high-protein, high-MUFA foods on this diet. The Flat Belly Diet encourages the use of a high-MUFA food at every meal. Vegetables and homemade fruit smoothies are also encouraged. You are instructed to eat four 400-calorie meals, no more than four hours apart.

Accessing the Diet

The Prevention website provides some sample recipes, but to access the full, customized diet plan, you must access the subscription website or purchase the book. The Flat Belly Diet website, like many other diet websites, is designed to help you track your progress on the diet and communicate with other people also on the diet.