Flat Belly Rules

Belly fat not only looks bad, but is the most dangerous fat you can have on your body. When you decrease your waist size, you also decrease your risks of heart disease, diabetes and certain kinds of cancers.

As women get older and enter perimenopause and menopause, hormonal and metabolic changes create a more difficult challenge. We tend to get bloated and retain more water, and our waists also start to spread. But we can still look tight and trim. Before a photo shoot or special event, I take the following steps in order to show more muscle and get rid of the bloat:

• Limit all carbohydrates (only for short time--no longer than 2 to 3 days--and I still eat some complex carbs like oatmeal and whole-wheat bread).

• Limit sparkling and carbonated beverages including sparkling water.

• Eat more lean protein.

• Limit spicy foods.

• Limit cruciferous vegetables and other raw vegetables, since the fiber can cause bloating. These include cabbage, broccoli and brussels sprouts.

• Eat smaller meals 3 to 4 times a day.

• Limit salt, which causes water retention.

• Make dinner your smallest meal.

• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.

• Don't forget to hold your stomach in throughout the day and train those muscles constantly. I do ab work twice a day, even if I only have 5 minutes!