Mrs. Butterworth takes on the MUFA diet

Four months ago, I made one of the most universal New Year’s resolutions – to lose weight. Like most folks, my post-Christmas gut was the catalyst for this diet decision.

“Good Lord,” I sighed, poking at my midriff pooch and ham-sized thighs. “I’m a 5’8” Mrs. Butterworth.”

And so began my diet search, as I skimmed several websites for a convenient, budget-friendly weight loss program. While mail-delivered meals like Jenny Craig fit my busy lifestyle, they didn’t comply with my fixed income. And point-counting weight loss groups like Weight Watchers, although economical, meant yet another weekly meeting or online subscription. I’d all but abandoned my diet search until I stumbled onto a fairly new plan designed by Prevention Magazine, The Flat Belly Diet.

“Eat the foods you love and never go hungry” read this New York Times bestseller, written by Prevention Magazine editors Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass. “Zero exercise required!”

A glutton who’d skipped several months at the gym, I was dubious of these marketing claims. Wasn’t my ample fluff the result of these very behaviors? Yet I was seeking a painless strategy to shed 15 pounds, so I committed myself to the fad diet.

The Flat Belly Diet, a modified Mediterranean diet plan, starts with a four- day cleanse that’s all but painless. This “anti-bloat jumpstart” targets belly fat by banning salt, excess carbohydrates, sugars, fried and spicy foods, carbonated drinks – everything that tastes good. The 1,200-calorie cleanse is complimented by a beverage called Sassy water – a homemade concoction containing water, sliced lemon, cucumber, grated ginger and mint leaves.

I’d read reviews that this “anti-bloat jumpstart” was a hunger-free cleanse.

Well, that wasn’t true.

Ravenous, I suffered through small servings of steamed carrots, green beans, low-sodium turkey breast and cream of wheat for four long days.

When the cleanse finally ended, the real adventure began.

On day five, I graduated to a 1,600-calorie diet that consisted of four freshly prepared meals. Served every four hours, these meals included a staple ingredient – a MUFA (pronounced “moo-fah”).

Purporting a 91 percent success rate, The Flat Belly Diet attributes its waistline reduction to MUFAs, commonly known as monounsaturated fats. Said to suppress hunger between meals, these MUFAs include dark chocolate, olives, oils, nuts and seeds, which are incorporated into all of the plan’s recipes.

While I’d never been much of a cook, preparing meals became a creative adventure for me, discovering MUFAs that magnificently blended themselves into dinner plate masterpieces. Whether the creamy meat of an avocado, the buttery taste of toasted pine nuts, or the bitter-sweet morsels of dark chocolate chips, I embraced these MUFAs as necessary staples to my daily meals.

Admittedly, I didn’t follow this plan precisely. Despite the diet’s claims, my hunger was rarely satiated by the MUFA-rich meals. And so, I modified it to my satisfaction, still maintaining a monitored eating routine. And after three months, I reached my weight goal of 135 pounds.

Although I’m no doctor or nutritionist, I’m convinced the best weight loss plan includes a produce-packed diet with limited saturated fats, such as those found in animal products and meats. Likewise, I’m convinced that some marketed diet programs are unhealthy, such as The Flat Belly Diet’s “zero exercise required” motto. Be careful what you believe — exercise is important in a healthy weight loss routine.

My best advice is to consult your doctor or nutritionist before embarking on any weight loss program. And for a successful diet, delve into healthy meals that you’ll enjoy as you eat. Bon appetit!