Health

'Flat Belly Diet' Targets Midriff

Secret Is In The Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acids

BOSTON (WBZ) ― Just in time for summer, there is a fast, easy plan to obtain a mid-section fit for swimsuit season. It's called, appropriately enough, the Flat Belly Diet.

The Flat Belly Diet says people can lose up to 15 pounds in 32 days, mostly around the middle and without a single crunch required.

"It just started like really, really melting off. And before I knew it, I was like eight inches down in the waist. That was really, really incredible," said Mary Anne Speshok. She has lost 55 pounds in 10 months on the Flat Belly Diet and for the first time, is excited about wearing summer clothes,

"I was always very self conscious of my stomach," said Mary Anne.

"Women across America were saying help me with belly fat," said Cynthia Sass, a dietitian with Prevention Magazine and co-author of the Flat Belly Diet. She says the secret to a marvelous midriff is MUFAs - the new code for Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acids.

"They help delay the emptying of the stomach, so you feel fuller longer," said Sass.

The MUFA hit parade includes olives, avocados, nuts, and dark chocolate. They are the so-called good fats.

"It satisfies you, so you're able to eat a less amount of calories and not feel hungry," said Mary Anne.

On the Flat Belly Diet you can only have 1,600 calories a day broken down into four, 400 calorie meals, including a small amount of MUFA with each. The weight comes off around the middle first.

"We don't exactly know the mechanism of how this works. It's probably a hormonal response, but we know that the research is out there and we've put people on this plan and found that it really does work," said Cynthia.

Critics say there is not enough science proving one diet can target belly fat. But it worked for Mary Anne Speshok.

"I can't even like believe it myself. Now I'm looking forward to putting on a bathing suit after decades," she said.

With the Flat Belly Diet exercise is optional, but encouraged. The book or online program has examples of a few specific exercises to target the belly, and there are recipes that include those all important MUFAs.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)