Authored by Victor Roffel in Weight Issues
Published on 11-27-2009

The flat belly diet has been barraged with both good and bad reviews. Celebrity Rachael Ray recommends this diet on her show along with several women who have reported great progress. Claiming to have the ‘secret’ to fat loss, the flat belly diet has been used by many with mixed results. The flat belly diet has indeed some components that are beneficial to the individual who looks to lose weight but it is these very reasons that cause individuals to have mixed results.

The flat belly diet claims that exercise is not necessary; following the diet alone will give the individual the results desired. Although it is possible to lose weight and fat with just diet alone, exercise is still crucial for overall health and well-being. By not exercising, individuals will suffer from lack of cardiovascular health, lack of hormones that are released during exercise and many more. Exercise is essential and vital for the individual who wants to lose weight and fat and not put it back on.

Since exercise is not part of the flat belly diet, calories are restricted to 4 400 calorie meals. This amounts to 1600 calories a day. There are a lot of problems with this approach to weight and fat loss. First, every individual is different in their basal metabolic rate. This means the rate of which calories are burned. By assuming every individual will lose weight and fat from a 1600 calorie diet is foolish. Some people who have a very low metabolism will instead gain weight from the diet. Some individuals who have a very high metabolism will lose not only weight and fat but also muscle mass. Loss in muscle mass will result in lower metabolism and the individual will soon find himself being skinny but with a high body-fat percentage. Having small meals spread over the day is actually good for overall weight and fat loss. This will elevate metabolism and stabilize insulin levels. However, 1600 calories is not ideal for every individual. Instead of 1600, the individual should alter the calories to suit their own needs. Smaller meals can be added to further stabilize insulin levels and increase metabolism.

Monounsaturated fat is the cornerstone of the flat belly diet. There is nothing wrong with the concept of increasing the intake of monounsaturated fat. In fact, monounsaturated fat is very good and healthy for individuals. The main problem with the application of monounsaturated fat in the flat belly diet is that it is emphasized a little too much. Although it is very beneficial for overall health, it should not be in the expense of other macronutrients. Monounsaturated fat is healthy but moderation is still the key.

The flat belly diet is not a cure-all solution. The overall concept is good but the area of failure is that every individual is different and a cookie-cutter program will not work for everybody. Try out the flat belly diet if you wish but keep in mind that there are areas of the program which can be tweaked to be better.

Source:

• Rachael Ray Show – On the Show – Flat Belly Diet –