The Skinny on Fat Stores Reduction

As the body ages, fat begins to find its way to places not so much of our choosing. If you've been battling problem fat areas on your hips, stomach or even back, the good news is that yes, it is possible to make those problem spots go away.

Here are three basic steps to saying goodbye to troublesome bulges:

Lose weight if necessary: Find out from your doctor how close you are to your ideal weight and whether you're carrying excess fat. Using the body mass index (BMI) provides a reliable indication of both. If you do find that you need to lose fat, a recent two-year study suggests focusing on a low-carb diet where you derive the bulk of your fat from healthy vegetable and fish sources (as opposed to the Atkins-style bacon-on-lettuce routine) will put you squarely on the road to reduction. And, as an added benefit, as you lose fat throughout your body, including from your stomach and around your organs, you reduce your risk for all sorts of nasties ranging from heart disease to diabetes. You know you can't go wrong improving your diet, and you'll lay the groundwork for fixing those problem areas.

Get fit: You can do a thousand or even a million sit-ups and it's not likely to reduce the amount of fat in your belly. The reason? Your abdominal muscles and the belly fat sitting above them have nothing to do with each other. That being said, if you focus on an overall fitness and toning program—with your doctor's blessing of course—you're likely to tone up problem areas along with the rest of your body. Make sure your routine includes plenty of aerobic exercise, at the very least three times per week at 20 minutes per session (preferably more). Since getting in shape is great for your skin, mood and health, you can't help but come out a winner… even if you still need help with the fatty bulges.

A safe alternative: Once you're in shape and within 15 pounds of your ideal weight, if you still have an annoying pair of saddle bags or a poochy belly, you might be feeling pretty frustrated. Sadly, where we store our fat is genetically determined, and what our genetics think is a good idea doesn't always correspond to how we want to look in swimwear. In short, some of us get lucky — and for the rest of us, there's SmartLipo laser assisted liposuction. This treatment works to reduce local fat stores — and is a minimally invasive procedure with little or no recovery time. SmartLipo uses a laser that zaps fat and tightens the overlying skin. This procedure is extremely effective removing the trouble spots that weight loss and fitness routines haven't managed to touch.

Having problem spots can actually work as a call to action. Those areas carry with them the opportunity to improve your appearance and your overall health. You'll get healthy and, with a little help from cosmetic dermatology procedures, you can achieve the smooth, svelte look you've been wanting. With that in mind, as you move from milepost bulge to milepost bikini, make sure you have some fun!