The Flat Belly Diet is an eating plan based from a book by the same name and co-authored by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass. The diet is modeled on a traditional Mediterranean style of eating, states the Every Diet website. Before starting the diet, check with your doctor to ensure that the eating plan is suitable for you.
Four-Day Jumpstart
If you want to lose weight fast and reduce water retention, you can follow the four-day jumpstart portion of the plan. During this period, you avoid any drinks that cause bloating, such as caffeinated beverages and alcohol. You must also drink an entire pitcher of the diet's "Sassy Water" each day. The water is made from a combination of water, grated ginger, peeled cucumbers, sliced lemons and spearmint leaves.
Four 400-Calorie Meals
By eating four times over the course of the day and consuming smaller meals, you are staving off hunger pangs. According to the authors of the Flat Belly Diet, eating four times every few hours helps stabilize your blood sugar levels.
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
Monounsaturated fatty acids or MUFAs as they are referred to on the Flat Belly Diet, is a large part of the eating plan. At each meal, you are required to have a serving of a MUFA. The MUFA ideally replaces saturated fat usually found in your meals. Examples of MUFAs recommended by the diet are olives, nuts, canola oil, olive oil, seeds, avocado and dark chocolate.
Limit Carbohydrates
The Flat Belly Diet stresses the importance of following a nutritionally sound diet. Most of your calories for each of the 400-calorie meals should not come from carbohydrates. According to Every Diet, further recommendations include eating plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Limit the amount of dairy and red meat you eat.
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