How to Jumpstart the Flat Belly Diet

Written by Liz Vaccariello, editor in chief of Prevention magazine, the Flat Belly Diet claims you can lose up to 15 pounds in 32 days if you follow it correctly. The first four days of the diet call for a low-calorie anti-bloat jump-start that is supposed to acclimate you to the diet and get you on track to healthier eating.

Things You'll Need

• 8 liters water
• 4 tsps. freshly grated ginger
• 4 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 medium lemons, thinly sliced
• Bunch of mint
• Avocados
• Olive oil
• Flax oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Nuts and seeds

Tips For You

1. Drink one entire recipe of the Flat Belly Diet's Sassy water every day, which is made from two liters of water, one tsp. fresh grated ginger, one medium sliced cucumber, one lemon and 12 mint leaves. Make one recipe the day before you start the diet and then one each for the following three days. You will be drinking the whole 2 liters of water and ingredients every day of the jump-start.
2. Eat four 300-calorie meals and include some monounsaturated fatty acids with every meal. This includes avocado, flax oil, olive oil, sunflower oil and nuts and seeds. Don't eat red meat and do eat legumes (black beans, soybeans), whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat pasta), fruits, vegetables and lean meats like turkey and fish.
3. Avoid caffeine or sparkling beverages as these cause bloating.
4. Start an exercise plan that includes cardio like brisk walking or jogging and weight training or resistance exercises like push-ups, sit-ups and lunges. The cardiovascular exercise will increase your metabolism and burn more calories and the weight training will make sure you don't lose muscle mass while you do lose fat.