Quick Start Rules For The Flat Belly Diet

The Flat Belly Diet promises results in 32 days --- four days of flushing your digestive system and four weeks of four, 400-calorie meals per day. During the four-day "quick start," the diet's creators claim you can lose up to 7 lbs. and a combined 5-3/4 inches of "bloat" from waist, hips, thighs, bust and arms. As with many diets, you must follow some basic rules for optimum results.

Anti-Bloat Jumpstart

The first phase of the Flat Belly Diet is the Anti-Bloat Jumpstart. The specially chosen food and "Sassy Water" rid your body of excess fluid, heavy solids and gas. After this phase, you begin the diet feeling lighter and thinner, which gives you confidence in yourself and in the rest of the diet, according to the diet's founders. It also helps you get used to eating the four meals a day basic to the Flat Belly Diet.

Follow the Plan

The diet asks you to follow the four-day plan exactly. The foods on the menu are light and satisfying and reduce bloating and the production of stomach acid. The first four days also begin the four-meal-a-day regimen, although these initial meals contain fewer than the 1,600 daily calories the rest of the diet provides.

Slow Down

Eat slowly during this phase and for the rest of the diet. Hurrying through your meals causes you to swallow air and can lead to the feeling that you are still hungry. Taking your time will help you feel full and satisfied with your meal.

Get Moving

Another rule is to take a walk of at least five minutes after every meal. This helps settle your food and release any air in your digestive system. It will also help speed the start of the digestive process.

Drink Water

For each of the first four days, you must drink 2 l or 8-1/2 cups, of "Sassy Water." The recipe requires ginger root, lemon, cucumber and mint -- all chosen for their effects on the digestive system. Ginger calms, lemons cleanse, cucumbers rid you of excess water and soothe heartburn, and mint relieves indigestion and reduces gas.

The Flat Belly Diet

After the Anti-Bloat Jumpstart, you are ready for the diet's the main phase. Though not included in the quick start, MUFAs, or monounsaturated fatty acids -- one of the healthy fats -- are the essential component of the Flat Belly Diet. MUFAs can help prevent heart disease and related medical conditions. Nuts and seeds, dark chocolate, avocados, olives and oils all contain MUFAs, which the diet's creators claim are the "antidote to belly fat." MUFAs are high-calorie, as all fats are, and you should eat them in moderation. While you may lose pounds in the quick start phase, the main diet adds about 400 calories daily and you may not lose weight unless you currently eat more than 1,600 calories a day.