When it comes to muscle and fitness, all the men want washboard abs and the women want a nice flat tummy. Many believe you can spot reduce the belly and waist-line.

But the truth is, if all you do is exercise your abdominal muscles, you are sure to be disappointed.

There is more involved in protruding abdomens than weak muscles.

Your flabby stomach and poor muscle fitness may be accompanied by and contributed to by a flabby self-esteem. The more your self-image sags the more you lose control over your looks, fitness and health.

This emotional deficit causes many people to turn to food for solace. Naturally the more emotionally uplifting foods are the fats and refined carbohydrates. The more of these you eat the less good you feel about yourself so the more you eat and the fatter you get. It's a viscious circle.

If you try to halt the downward spiral by exercising only those muscles under the flab you eventually get more despondent at the futility of it.

A woman's fat stores are primarily located on the thighs, hips, waist and abdomen. As the fat thickens and the muscular casing around the abdominal cavity weakens from lack of exercise, the belly bulges more and more.

The internal muscles that keep the pelvis on an even keel give way under the strain, tipping the pelvis forward, and the tummy gets bigger still.

The constant pressure on the spine from all the weight in the front puts strain on the low back muscles, fatiguing and weakening them, leading inevitably to all kinds of low back problems.

This problem cannot be corrected by dieting along or spot exercising the stomach muscles. To flatten the stomach you not only have to strengthen the sagging muscles, you also have to rebuild your self-image, overcome your desire for fattening foods, and redesign your nutritional intake.

If you really want to reduce that big spot that leads the way wherever you go, attack it from 3 directions.

1. Reshape your body image.

Set aside a few minutes several times every day and tell yourself exactly how you want to look, shapely and lean. Concentrate on the desired image in detail and feel as though you already have it.

Your mind stores these images. Subliminally they reprogram your subconscious. Though you won't hear the messages, your body will. Something deep within you will stir the urge to begin a diet and to improve your muscle fitness with an exercise program.

When you consciously make the decision to acquire a flat stomach, your inner computer sets about making it so.

Once you are in control of your appetite you gain some pride in your accomplishment and begin to restore your self-esteem. A big fat belly and high self-esteem are incompatible.

2. Set up a sound nutritional program. Eliminate all refined carbohydrates and reduce your fat intake to as low as possible. Cut out any foods in cartons, boxes, cans and jars. Shop from the fresh produce section of the supermarket.

Cook less and eat more raw foods. These are higher in fibre and lessen time in the digestion system, thus decreasing the absorption of any fat in the food.

Eat fowl without the skin. Eat fish which contains the essential omega fatty acids. Protein is also obtained from lean red meat which is also a good source of iron and B12.

Steam, bake and broil rather than fry.

3. Build your muscles and fitness The midsection muscles crisscross to form a strong protective cage around the inner organs, and stabilize the whole trunk. If fat and flabby, these muscles will sag and distend the abdomen and impair the inner organs.

A good bodybuilding program is the best way to burn off your excess, unsightly fat and replace it with firm shapely muscle. Sit-ups and crunches alone won't get rid of that big gut. They are an important part of the solution but you must work every part of your body for overall fitness. Work out systematically at weights and aerobics for 20-60 minutes on as many days of the week as you can. Only by the diligent application of this three pronged approach will you reduce that pot spot and get that flat smooth tummy. And if you really want them and continue to work hard with this approach you can even develop washboard abs.