Any women out there who've tried the Flat Belly Diet?

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itmeansflower
itmeansflower Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All, While I don't normally try fad diets, I've been considering the "Flat Belly Diet" by David Zincenko. Is there anyone out there who has tried it, or is currently on it, who can tell me if it's working for them? I'm particularly interested in comments from women because we all know men lose weight more easily!! Oh, and I know the plan uses protein shakes - any advice on that? I've read comments that the shakes, etc are expensive. But it might be worth it, at least for a month or two... Thanks! :)
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  • FitStrongHealthy
    FitStrongHealthy Posts: 220 Member
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    No, it won't be worth it. It's just a marketing gimmick to try and get money out of you. I wouldn't waste my money on it.

    CICO is all need.

    Eat at a calorie deficit.

    Exercise if it fits your goals.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Why not just try eating at a deficit?
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    itmeansflower wrote: »
    Hi All, While I don't normally try fad diets, I've been considering the "Flat Belly Diet" by David Zincenko. Is there anyone out there who has tried it, or is currently on it, who can tell me if it's working for them? I'm particularly interested in comments from women because we all know men lose weight more easily!! Oh, and I know the plan uses protein shakes - any advice on that? I've read comments that the shakes, etc are expensive. But it might be worth it, at least for a month or two... Thanks! :)

    So why try now?

  • wanttobefit300
    wanttobefit300 Posts: 157 Member
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    There is a Flat Belly Diet by the editors of Prevention magazine that works (at least for some people)--no protein shakes involved. My problem with it was it requires you to eat 4 400-calorie meals/snacks a day, each one containing a MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid). Too complicated for me.
  • itmeansflower
    itmeansflower Posts: 29 Member
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    Hello again, Thanks for all the input. To answer the questions, I am eating at a deficit, generally 1500-1600 per day. And I'm exercising. The reason I'm curious about the whole flat belly thing is because for me, that's where more of my extra weight has settled in the last 5 years. I haven't actually gained any weight since 2011. But I've been a big woman most of my life, and until 2009, I still had a waist. So I was wondering if there was any validity to the book claims. In any case, I've been on the waiting list for it at the library since March (not gonna waste a penny on it!). Guess I'll look it over and see if it makes any sense to me. Meantime, I'm staying the course on my own. Thanks again for the replies, I appreciate it!
  • alanlmarshall
    alanlmarshall Posts: 587 Member
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    No diet can make you lose from the belly, other than would come from losing fat everywhere from a caloric deficit. It's just a marketing ploy.
  • itmeansflower
    itmeansflower Posts: 29 Member
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    Yeah, I kinda figured. But I thought that if it's a healthy plan, it could't hurt to try it. That's all.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    wanttobefit300 wrote: »
    There is a Flat Belly Diet by the editors of Prevention magazine that works (at least for some people)--no protein shakes involved. My problem with it was it requires you to eat 4 400-calorie meals/snacks a day, each one containing a MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid). Too complicated for me.

    No it didn't work because of the diet

    It worked because it put you in calorie defecit

    ridiculousness is still ridiculous however it is packaged up
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited June 2015
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    itmeansflower wrote: »
    Yeah, I kinda figured. But I thought that if it's a healthy plan, it could't hurt to try it. That's all.

    Look if you want to try it because you think it looks like a way you could easily hit your calorie defecit and stick to it / learn lessons for maintenance then go for it

    it doesn't really matter how you get there .. just get to CI<CO

    to be brutally honest, with 143lbs to lose it's going to be a while until you're in flat belly status ... lots of CICO days and lots of resistance work and you will get there though

    good luck
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    itmeansflower wrote: »
    Hi All, While I don't normally try fad diets, I've been considering the "Flat Belly Diet" by David Zincenko. Is there anyone out there who has tried it, or is currently on it, who can tell me if it's working for them? I'm particularly interested in comments from women because we all know men lose weight more easily!! Oh, and I know the plan uses protein shakes - any advice on that? I've read comments that the shakes, etc are expensive. But it might be worth it, at least for a month or two... Thanks! :)

    I did CICO/MFP which is free, and got a flat stomach. No need to do fad diets or buy expensive protein shakes (unless you like them; then have at it).
  • jasminekerley1
    jasminekerley1 Posts: 1 Member
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    What is CICo
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    alanlmarshall wrote: »
    No diet can make you lose from the belly, other than would come from losing fat everywhere from a caloric deficit. It's just a marketing ploy.

    Yep. Shameless marketing ploy. Whatever next? The Thigh Gap diet?
  • markiend
    markiend Posts: 461 Member
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    calories in >> calories out

    what you take in , versus what you burn off
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    itmeansflower wrote: »
    Hello again, Thanks for all the input. To answer the questions, I am eating at a deficit, generally 1500-1600 per day. And I'm exercising. The reason I'm curious about the whole flat belly thing is because for me, that's where more of my extra weight has settled in the last 5 years. I haven't actually gained any weight since 2011. But I've been a big woman most of my life, and until 2009, I still had a waist. So I was wondering if there was any validity to the book claims. In any case, I've been on the waiting list for it at the library since March (not gonna waste a penny on it!). Guess I'll look it over and see if it makes any sense to me. Meantime, I'm staying the course on my own. Thanks again for the replies, I appreciate it!

    I've never heard about this book, but I've read in a few places that a central distribution of fat (belly fat) reflects high cortisol resulting from stress. How are your stress levels? Are you sleeping well? Menopause (or perimenopause) may have something to do with it, if that's something that might be coming up.

    I came across a few related blog posts, mentioned them here
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10187845/eat-exercise-less-eat-exercise-more-or-both
  • itmeansflower
    itmeansflower Posts: 29 Member
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    jasminekerley1 wrote: »
    "What is CICo?" -I have to ask this too; never heard of it. Also, what is "MFP"?

    To Rabbitjb: Yes I know I have a long road ahead, and I expect it to take maybe 2 years, possibly longer, to get there. If it I reach my end goal sooner, great, but I think it's best to take it a day at a time. And I don't actually, at this point anyway, have any expectations of achieving an actual "flat" stomach. That's something to be considered way down the road. (But flattER will be nice!) ;)

    Slightly off subject here, I've known for a long time that measurements can show progress better than the scale, but I wasn't expecting results this soon. I'm only 16 days in, after all, and basically 3+ lbs down. But I just took my measurements again, and am happy to report I'm down 1/2" in the belly/hips, 1/2" in the waist, and 1 & 1/2" in the bust (probably from swimming - i.e. backfat). Now that's a nice surprise!

    Have a great day, everyone! :)

  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    CICO when i started

    20 pounds in 15 days and a couple of inches.... You just lose weight because you created a deficit that's all. First start off is most water weight.
    My waist went from 46 to 33 inches now. ( in under a year) My hips from 45 to 38 now. All with only CICO. I walk and i swim. And thats it.

    For you this means you created a deficit. But when it makes you feel good go for it. Just remember you have a long way to go.
    After you are almost there ( goal weight) you would have to learn new habits again to sustain your weight, or you will gain.
    Or eat forever the way you chose to eat now.
    That is the problems with fad diets.... most of them work ( and cost a lot of money) when people create a deficit. But they dont learn the habits they need to maintain their (goal) weight with their fad diet.


  • MamaBirdBoss
    MamaBirdBoss Posts: 1,516 Member
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    You still have weight to lose. There's nothing magic about where it gathered. There's nothing magic about where you'll lose it from. Lose more weight, and you'll lose your belly.

    The diet's a sham.
  • itmeansflower
    itmeansflower Posts: 29 Member
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    Not a single one of you has told me ANYTHING new or anything I didn't already know. Not a single one of you has tried the Flat Belly Diet, which is what I asked about. Boy, ask a question and get everyone's opinions! Don't bother with any more of them, I'm closing this topic.

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