Very few women over the age of 25 have flat stomachs, even those with bodies that are otherwise flawless. Top New York City trainer, Leandro Carvalho, claims that your belly is “the easiest part of your body to change….much easier than trying to reshape your legs or behind.” Allure Magazine challenged Carvalho to reshape the tummies of some Allure staff members, designing different workout and diet regimens to yield results in a six-week period.

An athletic photo editor, complaining of muffin top, was given a home routine of crunches, some using a medicine ball. She found the 25-minute routine challenging at first, but then it got boring. After doing it two or three times a week for the six-week period, she lost 4 pounds and 2 inches. She says she’ll keep up with the program, but would like to add a class or personal trainer for more accountability.

In spite of high school basketball and rigorous exercising, a photo shoot producer was never able to get rid of her mushy tummy. She met with Carvalho three or four times a week for 90 minutes, but Carvalho said that 70 percent of her results would be based on what she ate, so he told her to stop eating cheese, pasta and potatoes. As a result, she lost 4.5 inches, but zero pounds. She is planning to keep up with her new diet although she won’t be exercising as vigorously.

An editor who swore she exercised daily still couldn’t get ride of her stomach flab. She started a regimen of abs classes, involving weights and balance, at Equinox. After six weeks she was thrilled with loosing three inches and five pounds.

If you’ve hit a wall with diet and exercise, there are plastic surgery procedures appropriate for your body type. Generally, liposuction works best if you have more fat than loose skin. Mini-abdominoplasty is the ticket for someone with more loose skin than fat and a small but noticeable belly. A full abdominoplasty is a good procedure if you have an obvious protrusion below the belly button or a tummy so loose you can grab a large roll, as well as hip rolls and loose thighs.

The only person qualified to determine which procedure will work for you is a board-certified plastic surgeon. Contact the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery for a referral.