Liz Vaccariello - Flat Belly Diet! for Men

FOR THE FATHERS, SONS, BROTHERS,
AND HUSBANDS WHOSE HEALTH MATTERS
MORE THAN ANYTHING

Liz and Milton

WE DEDICATE THE Flat Belly Diet to the readers of Prevention all 11 million of youwho have told us in no uncertain terms that belly fat is your biggest physical challenge.

Our gratitude to the Rodale family. For generations, through their magazines, books, and online properties, they have been committed to a special mission, that of giving people the tools and inspiration to live their whole lives. Our most heartfelt thanks to CEO Maria Rodale and former CEO Steve Murphy, whose leadership means Rodale is the kind of company where creativity is nurtured and the highest standards are setand metdaily.

Like magazines, books are a collaborative effort, and this one is no exception. Very special thanks to Gregg Michaelson, Karen Rinaldi, Beth Lamb, Jenny Sucov, Bill Stump, and Marlea Clark, who were there at the beginning. To Robin Shallow, who never met an idea she didn't improve, and Bethridge Toovell and Lauren Paul, who are tireless in their enthusiasm, support, and belief in this plan. Thank you, Steve Madden, for, among other inspired ideas, Fire Water.

You would not be holding this book in your hands without editor Andrea Au Levitt. All thanks to her dedicated team, including Marielle Messing, Carol Angstadt, Chris Krogermeier, Sara Cox, JoAnn Brader, Hope Clarke, and Liz Krenos. We couldn't have crossed the finish line without Heather K. Jones's devotion to reenvisioning and revising this plan for men and David Bonom's dedication to creating delicious Flat Belly recipes. Many thanks also to Myatt Murphy for his cheerful professionalism and lightning-quick creation of a brand-new, guy-friendly, crunch-less exercise routine to flatten those abs. We'd also like to extend our gratitude to the original members of our initial test panel, which was conducted in the summer of 2009. Thank you, Anthony Henry, Neil Smith, Alan Musselman, John Rau, James Doherty, Mike Sauer, Phil DiScala, Nelson Duran, Will Pelkey, Joe Moscone, Joseph Tuckman, Robert Gray, and all their families for providing us with the essential insights that helped us develop this book beyond daily meal plans.

Big hugs to Prevention's dazzling creative director, Jill Armus, and associate art director Maureen O'Brien, for their vision of Flat Belly Diet! for Men. And to Prevention fitness director Michele Stanten, who worked with Myatt to make Chapter one of the most authoritative sources of information on banishing belly fat with exercise.

Thanks also to Lauren Parajon, who became best friends with our test panelists, and to Diana Kelly, Amanda Junker, and Greg Presto, who captured their enthusiasm and excitement on videotape. To Susan Graves, Courtenay Smith, and Polly Chevalier for their wise counsel and endless and sunny support. And to the smartest photo team in the business, including Prevention's Helen Cannavale, Rebecca Simpson Steele, and Leah Vinluan. Our deep gratitude to original Flat Belly Diet! coauthor Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, and former brand editor Leah McLaughlin, who were critical to developing the original plan upon which this is all based.

Finally, thank you to Steve Vaccariellohusband and photographer extraordinairewho dropped 7 pounds in 4 days on the Four-Day Flat Abs Kickstart and convinced me that bellies of both sexes can and should be flattened! Speaking of families, kisses to Olivia and Sophia Vaccariello, and to Chef Kyle Shadix, MS, RD, Milton's restaurateur mom, Ann Stokes, and partner Bryan Giansantieach a culinary expertfor helping brainstorm and test recipes. We love you all!

IT'S NOT JUST women who struggle to keep their bellies flat. For better or worse, men are in the same boat when it comes to stubborn abdominal fat. Whether it's regularly pounding back beers with the guys, those killer cravings for fast food, or just plain old getting older, many men also start to see their waists expand.

I know firsthand that menand their loved onesare concerned about belly fat. I constantly hear stories from women who have a love/hate relationship with their bellies. But after publishing Flat Belly Diet!, I quickly discovered that men are worried about this troublesome part of the body, too. Many of you told me that your growing gut was making you feel chunky and unattractive and that you want to feel ripped and fit.

Belly fat does not have to be your destiny. My book, Flat Belly Diet!, which became a New York Times bestseller as soon as it hit stores in October 2008, was the first diet to put into practice new research that monounsaturated fatty acids (aka MUFAs) target stubborn belly fat. We tested it on women, we watched while , the results wowed us all. And since powerful MUFAs can fight belly fat for women and men, I've adapted this effective eating plan for your needs and appetites, so you can lose weight, get healthy, and (you guessed it) flatten your belly, once and for all!

However, before I plunge into how this diet plan will work for you, it's important to look at why you've picked up this book in the first place. Since you bought this book, I'm guessing you want to eliminate that extra weight around your waist or perhaps even take it a step further and be the envy of your friends with a firm six-pack. Perhaps a woman in your life found success using the original Flat Belly Diet! book, and you want to see if it can work for you. Or, maybe, like my husband, Steve, you actually tried the original Flat Belly Diet and loved the results (Steve lost 8 pounds in 4 days!), but wished it addressed more of the weight loss challenges important to you: Can I lose weight without giving up alcohol? How do I stick to a diet when I have to entertain clients for work? Will I be able to build muscle at the same time I lose fat?

Whatever your motivation, your bellyand the rest of your bodywill thank you for reading this book. It doesn't matter if your abs are rock hard or jiggly as Jell-O, they're the only set you have, and you need to work with them and respect them. Your belly is not only central to your confidence, but also to your health. Heart disease, diabetes, cancerthe biggest killers of menare associated with excess fat around your middle. So saying adios to your gut will not only give you a lean body, it will also maximize your health.

After seeing the difference that Flat Belly Diet! made in the lives of millions of women, I embarked on a new quest to find the best way for men to eliminate belly fat. I teamed up with D. Milton Stokes, a prominent registered dietitian with over 20 years of experience in food and nutrition (10 of them specializing in weight management and sports nutrition), to create a plan that works for you. Milton took the science and successful eating plan from the original Flat Belly Diet and combined it with the latest research specific to weight loss for men plus his experience with his own clients to develop a diet that targets belly fat in men. He's spent countless hours helping men get into shape and stay lean. He knows what a growing gut can do to a man's self-confidence and his health, and he understands the weight loss challenges that men face every day. And as a former restaurateur, he knows that real men need real food, even (especially!) when they're on a diet. He has spent his career helping men combat this belly fat head-on.