A Flatter Belly for Good!

3 customized food and exercise plans to lose inches and zap flab

By Denise Austin , Denise Austin is the author of several books including Sculpt Your Body with Balls and Bands and the host of two Lifetime Television fitness programs.

For most of my life, I've put on weight in my thighs, not my tummy. But in my mid-40s, things began to change. (Sound familiar?) The little bites I'd sneak off my daughters' plates or the sweets I occasionally allowed myself started to settle right below my belly button. If I slacked off on my ab exercises, my tummy became poochy and soft almost instantly.

I'm well aware of the health dangers of an expanding waistline: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, even cancer. At the same time, I don't want to give up eating the foods I love. And I don't want to exercise even harder and longer than I already do. (I know you don't want to either.) To find a better way, I consulted some of the country's top doctors and researched the medical literature. I learned that many women have one of three different tummy types--peri- or postmenopausal, metabolically challenged, or stressed. Because each type gains abdominal fat for different reasons, each needs its own fat-burning strategy. So I started designing several unique fitness routines and testing them on women like you. The result: the three innovative, customized eating and exercise plans here. Try one for 4 weeks, and you could lose up to 14 pounds and 11 inches off your waistline, hips, and thighs--just like the women who road tested these plans! You'll start seeing results in as little as 2 weeks.

To get started, ID your specific tummy type. Then check out your customized plan on the following pages and get ready for a slimmer, firmer midsection.

What's Your Tummy Type?

Peri- or postmenopausal

The signs You:

Are over age 40

Used to gain fat in your hips and thighs, but now it goes right to your abdomen

Have stopped menstruating or are experiencing perimenopausal symptoms (hot flashes, erratic menstrual cycles, night sweats)

The cause Falling estrogen and a declining metabolic rate

The fix Maximize calorie burn, reduce calorie intake

Metabolically Challenged

The signs You:

Have been warned about having high triglycerides, blood pressure, or fasting blood glucose

Have been told that your HDL (good) cholesterol is low

Have a waistline of 35 inches or greater

Have a waist-to-hip ratio* of 0.8 or higher

The cause Out-of-whack insulin levels

The fix Balance your blood sugar

*To determine your waist-to-hipp ratio, divide your waist measurement (taken at the narrowest point) by your hip measurement (taken at the widest point). For example, if your waist is 30 inches and your hips are 38, divide 30 by 38 for a ratio of 0.79.

Stressed

The signs You:

Feel anxious at least once a day, often over everyday situations like getting out of the house in the morning

Have a never-ending to-do list that leaves you feeling overwhelmed on most days

Can't find time for yourself

Notice abdominal weight gain during major life events?a new job or house, a child leaving home

The cause Stress hormones like cortisol in overdrive

The fix Learn to relax

Workout Basics for All Types

Cardio Each tummy type has a customized prescription that spells out how long and how often to work out. You get to choose the type of activity (walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, Spinning, or step aerobics). The goal: burning fat to reveal your firmer abs.

Total-Body Strength-TrainingEveryone does at least two sessions per week for head-to-toe toning and boosting metabolism. In a Korean study, women who combined cardio and strength-training lost almost three times as much belly fat as those who did only cardio. For a sample workout, go to www.prevention.com/tummytype.

Core Moves All types do the belly-firming Core Moves twice a week. For faster toning, add an extra session.

Peri- or Postmenopausal

Exercise Rx 45 minutes of moderate to vigorous cardio at least 5 days a week and an extra strength-training workout each week

The increased cardio will help make up for the decline in calorie burn that accompanies menopause. Menstruation requires about 300 to 500 calories monthly, so when you stop menstruating you have a surplus. In addition, you're losing muscle--your body's calorie-burning engine--at a faster rate. Doing three strength-training workouts a week instead of just two can help you regain more muscle and rev up your metabolism.

Diet Rx Eat 7 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits dailyAn easy way to cut calories--without feeling hungry--is to load up on veggies and fruits. Their high fiber and water content fills you up faster, so you feel satisfied on fewer calories. To hit your daily quota, eat 2 produce servings with each meal and add 2 more as between-meal snacks.

Up your fiber intake Aim for 25 to 30 g a day. A recent Danish study found that women who ate more fiber gained less weight with age, particularly around their middle, than women on low-fiber diets. Besides fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains are good sources of fiber.

Meditate more Stress and aging interfere with the functioning of your adrenal glands, which normally produce hormones that keep abdominal fat in check. Meditation and exercise have been shown to bolster these hormone levels.

Day 1: 45 minutes cardio, 10 minutes strength-training Day 2: 45 minutes cardio, 10 minutes Core Moves Day 3: 45 minutes cardio, 10 minutes strength-training Day 4: 45 minutes cardio, 10 minutes Core Moves Day 5: 45 minutes cardio, 10 minutes strength-training

Your Smartest Snack

Berry Flax SmoothieOne glass of this delicious smoothie provides almost half of your daily fiber requirement plus two servings of fruit to keep your appetite under control. It also satisfies even the biggest sweet tooth without derailing your weight loss.

Recipe In blender, combine 2 c fresh or unsweetened frozen raspberries, 4 Tbsp calcium-fortified orange juice, 6 oz fat-free vanilla yogurt, 1 Tbsp flax meal or flaxseed, and 1 Tbsp wheat germ. Blend until smooth. Makes 2 8.75 oz servings Per serving: 166 cal, 7 g pro, 28 g carb, 3 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 12 g fiber, 58 mg sodium

Metabolically Challenged

Exercise Rx 20 minutes of cardio intervals at least 5 days a week and a third strength-training workout each week Adding high-intensity intervals to your cardio workouts will get you fit faster. And the more fit you are, the more efficiently your muscles will burn sugar for energy, keeping insulin levels low and belly fat at bay. Simply alternate 3 minutes of moderate exercise with 1 minute at a vigorous pace. Do an extra day of strength-training to build more muscle. (The more muscle you have, the lower your blood sugar will be.)

Diet Rx Rein in sodiumIt bloats your belly and can raise blood pressure in sensitive individuals. Try to wean yourself off high-sodium items such as processed foods and canned soup, and don't add salt to your food.

Cut back on fast foodUniversity of Minnesota researchers found that people who ate fast food more than twice a week gained an extra 10 pounds over 15 years, compared with people who ate fast food less than once a week. Besides expanding your waistline, the saturated fat in fast food can further elevate your risks of diabetes and heart disease, conditions this tummy type is particularly susceptible to.

Always eat some protein Carb-laden meals like toast with jam or pasta with tomato sauce quickly break down into sugar, causing insulin levels to skyrocket. Protein-packed foods such as peanut butter and lean turkey meatballs break down more slowly, preventing spikes in insulin.

Day 1: 20 minutes cardio (intervals), 10 minutes strength-training Day 2: 20 minutes cardio (intervals), 10 minutes Core Moves Day 3: 20 minutes cardio (intervals), 10 minutes strength-training Day 4: 20 minutes cardio (intervals), 10 minutes Core Moves Day 5: 20 minutes cardio (intervals), 10 minutes strength-training

Your Smartest Snack

Crunchy Cottage Cheese BowlFor a healthy dose of blood sugar-stabilizing protein, try this delicious breakfast or snack recipe. It's also loaded with healthy mono-unsaturated fats to protect your heart.

Recipe Top 3/4 c 1 percent fat no-salt-added cottage cheese with 2 Tbsp low-fat granola cereal and 1 Tbsp unsalted sunflower seeds. Makes 1 serving Per serving: 220 cal, 24 g pro, 17 g carb, 6 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 5 mg chol, 2 g fiber, 55 mg sodium

Stressed

Exercise Rx 30 minutes of moderate cardio exercise most days of the week plus a couple of yoga sessions each week Exercise can counteract stress and its negative side effects by bolstering brain levels of calming, feel-good chemicals called endorphins. Before you start panicking about how you'll fit it in, take a deep breath and keep reading. This tummy type should focus on accumulating activity by aiming for 10-minute bouts throughout the day. For even more stress reduction, add two yoga sessions a week, or substitute yoga for weight lifting. Yoga builds strength, but even more important, it lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Diet Rx Eat frequentlyHunger can stress the body and trigger the release of cortisol, a hormone that encourages the storage of fat in the abdomen. To keep your hunger under control, split your meals and snacks into five or six minimeals.

Get 7 to 8 hours of shut-eye a night Chronic sleep deprivation can raise cortisol levels. It can also drive down levels of the appetite-control hormone leptin, making you feel hungry.

Laugh more Here's a tactic anyone can stick with! In a study conducted at Loma Linda University, men and women who watched a humorous video had 30% less cortisol in their blood not only while watching the tape but also up to 24 hours later.

Day 1: 30 minutes cardio, 10 minutes strength-training Day 2: 30 minutes cardio, 10 minutes yoga Day 3: 30 minutes cardio, 10 minutes strength-training Day 4: 30 minutes cardio, 10 minutes Core Moves Day 5: 30 minutes cardio, 10 minutes yoga

Your Smartest Snack

Vegetable and Onion Dip Crunchy foods help dissipate stress. Try this low-cal alternative to chips.

Recipe Coat saucepan with olive oil cooking spray and heat over low to medium heat. Add 1/2 c chopped onion. Sauté 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent. In bowl, mix onion with 1/2 c fat-free sour cream, 1/8 tsp onion powder, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp light canola oil mayonnaise. Cool and use as a dip for 2 c raw veggies. Makes 1 serving Per serving: 229 cal, 10 g pro, 43 g carb, 2 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 22 mg chol, 5 g fiber, 214 mg sodium

7 Core Moves for All Types

This routine includes the most effective exercises for strengthening and sculpting your midsection. According to research at Auburn University, Pilates-based moves have been shown to firm the abdomen faster than standard crunches. Other studies have found that you use more abdominal muscle fibers when doing a crunch on a fitness ball compared with doing it on the floor. 1. Pilates Modified Roll-Up

Lie on back with arms overhead and knees bent, feet flat on floor. Exhale as you bring arms over chest. Contract abdominals and squeeze inner thighs together as you curl head, shoulders, and back off floor, bringing ribs closer to hips. Use abs, not arms, to power the movement. Keep chin toward chest as you roll up to sitting position. Sit tall and pull abs in toward spine as you inhale. Exhale, contract abs, and roll back to starting position, trying to feel every vertebra touch the floor. Do 8 to 10 times.

Easier option: Hold on to backs of thighs.

2. Pilates Single-Leg Stretch

Lie on back with knees bent in toward chest, hands just below knees, toes pointed. Pull abs toward spine as you exhale and raise shoulders off floor. Extend left leg and pull right knee closer to chest. Inhale and switch legs, bringing left knee toward chest and extending right leg. Continue alternating legs 18 to 20 times.

3. Pilates T-Stand

A. Sit with legs extended to left side with left foot crossed over right. Place right hand on floor beside right hip; rest left hand on left leg. Inhale and use abdominals to lift right hip off floor, sweeping left arm up toward ceiling.

B. Exhale as you slowly sweep left arm forward, rolling torso toward floor and reaching left hand under body. Feel upper back open up. Then inhale and use abs to unfold and lower to starting position. Do 4 to 5 times and then repeat on opposite side.

Easier option: Bend bottom leg and keep knee on floor.

4. Crunch on Ball

Lie faceup on a fitness ball with knees bent and feet on floor. Mid and lower back should press into ball, and hips should be just off ball. Extend left arm overhead and grasp left elbow with right hand. Then tuck tailbone in and lift hips, feeling lower tummy and buttocks tighten. Exhale as you pull navel in and lift head and torso. Imagine curling the bottom of rib cage and pelvis toward each other. Inhale as you lower, lying all the way back on ball. Do 10 times.

Easier option: Place both hands behind head.

5. Heel Tap

Lie on back with heels on top of a fitness ball and arms at sides, palms down. Lift right heel an inch off ball and trace the curve of the ball with heel, lowering right foot and leg to floor. Keep abs tight and hips and back still. Lightly tap floor with heel and then lift leg back to starting position. Repeat with left leg. Continue alternating legs 18 to 20 times.
6. Side Crunch with Ball

Lie on right side with legs extended, left heel on a fitness ball and right leg just behind the ball. Extend right arm on floor in front of you, left hand behind head. Exhale as you lift head and shoulders, squeezing through side of midsection. As you lift, bend left knee and roll ball in, bringing left knee and left elbow toward each other. Lower to starting position. Do 8 to 10 times, then switch sides.

7. Roll-Out

Kneel in front of a fitness ball and place sides of hands on ball, palms facing in. Keeping abs tight, roll ball away from torso, extending arms and lowering hips toward floor. Roll back to starting position. Do 8 to 10 times.

Easier option:Keep hips over knees.

From Prevention.com