The reason I have chosen this diet is because it seems pretty healthy. I know how to eat healthy but isn't it so much nicer to have someone tell you exactly what to do and when to do it? That is why I am trying this one out. I looked over the menus and it has really healthy things with the right amount of calories. The gimmick to the Flat Belly Diet is that they claim that if you eat a Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acid (MUFA) with every meal you will magically lose weight from your stomach area. I think that is a bit silly. We all know that MUFAs are good for you but it is not miracle. They should sell this diet as saying that you get to have fat and still lose weight. This is something I have known all along. I always include olive oil or avocado in my diet without fear of gaining weight. That is, unless I overeat that MUFA.

Foods that contain MUFAs are seeds, nuts, avocados, olive oil and flaxseed oil. The beginning of this diet is a four day starter that is intended to get your digestive tract ready for the diet it's self. It is slightly restrictive on calories and is super bland but it is only four days so it is attainable.

There is a drink you make that they call Sassy Water, named after the inventor whose last name is Sass. I greatly dislike the name of the drink but it is actually really neat and I plan on drinking it beyond the initial four days. The drink is just a bunch of herbs and vegetables that you soak overnight in two liters of water, strain and drink throughout the day. The recipe is as follows:

Sassy Water

1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

1 lemon, sliced

1 tsp grated ginger

10 leaves mint

Put all those in two liters of water and soak overnight. After you have strained the veggies out, you can discard the rest.

Sassy water

What is so great about Sassy Water? For one, it has flavor which is less boring than regular water but what it also has are ingredients that are good for you. The lemon helps keep hunger down, the cucumber acts as a diuretic decreasing bloat and the ginger soothes your stomach. Dieting usually results in a bit of an upset stomach so I think this is a great idea.

Soooo I have survived day one and here is what I had:

Breakfast:

1 cup Kashi 7 Grain Puffs

1 cup fat free milk

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce

1 glass of Sassy Water

Snack: Smoothie

1 cup of blueberries (frozen)

1 cup of fat free milk

Blend the two together and then stir in 1 tbsp flax oil.

Lunch:

1 cup cherry tomatoes

4 oz deli turkey

1 light string cheese

1 glass of sassy water

Dinner:

1 cup fresh cooked green beans

4 oz steelhead fish filet

1/2 cup roasted red potatoes with 1 tsp olive oil

1 glass of Sassy Water

Yes, it was boring but I wasnt hungry and the water made me feel pretty energetic. The night before I made the Sassy Water, packed the lunch and made the smoothie in a container to bring to work. I have to admit...that smoothie is nasty. It is just watery, unsweetened blueberries with an oily film on top but it goes down pretty fast.

The other part of this diet is that you are supposed to be eating about 400 calories, four times a day, four hours apart. This part is difficult for me since I have an ever changing work schedule and I never know where I am going to be when but I am trying.

I am down 1.6 pounds but I am sure that is just water...I dont care. I like being down.