Diet

• Eat the 12 powerhouse foods recommended by the Abs Diet for Women. The foods are the same as for the traditional Abs Diet, but the women's book contains chapters that focus on women's issues, such as losing baby weight.
  
  Choose from the following 12 categories of foods: nuts (especially almonds), beans and legumes, green vegetables (especially spinach), low-fat dairy products (cheese, milk and yogurt), plain instant oatmeal, eggs, lean meats (especially turkey), peanut butter and other nut butters, olive oil, whole-grain breads and cereals, whey protein, and berries (especially raspberries). The idea is to include at least three of these foods with each meal. You should eat six times a day on the Abs Diet for Women.
  
  If you like smoothies, they are perfect for this diet. Add your favorite fruit, whey protein and milk or yogurt to your blender to make a healthy snack. The book also has some great recipes for smoothies.
  
  

Exercise

• Exercise regularly to see better results with this diet. Lose belly fat by not only doing ab toning exercises but also aerobic exercise. Some great calorie burners are jumping rope, running, using the elliptical machine, high-impact aerobics and swimming. Exercise at least three times a week for 30 minutes.
  
  Incorporate strength training into your workout. Alternate your strength training and aerobic days for best results.
  
  Do abdominal exercises such as the bicycle and captain's chair. To do the bicycle, lie on your back on the floor. Have your legs out straight and your arms behind your head. Bend your left leg and twist your torso so that your left knee and your right elbow touch. Straighten out your body and repeat on the opposite side. Do 20 repetitions.
  
  The captain's chair is a piece of gym equipment, so unless you have one, you won't be able to do this at home. Hold on to the handles, bend your elbows and rest your forearms on the machine. Lightly press your lower back into the machine. Let your legs hang down then bring your knees up to your chest and lower them back down. You can also lift one knee at a time or lift your knees to each shoulder to work different muscles. Do 20 repetitions.
  
  You also can do yoga or Pilates to get a core work out and receive benefits such as relaxation and toned muscles. You can take classes for yoga and Pilates or you can purchase DVDs that provide great instruction. Gaiam makes quality exercise workouts that are easy to follow. You can find these in most stores that sell exercise DVDs or purchase them online at Gaiam.com or Amazon.com.
  
  Consider purchasing the exercise DVD that goes with the Abs Diet for Women. You can find it at Amazon. The DVD has sections for strength training, a cardio interval workout and two abdominal workouts. The total run time of the video is 54 minutes.