If you're one of those people who does abdominal exercises like crazy to have abs like Janet Jackson or Gwen Stefani, don't stop doing them, because exercise is a powerful weapon. However, keep in mind that there are other ways of helping to flatten your abdomen even more.

To find out about some tips to help you get a flat stomach, continue reading.

There are days in which the firmness of your abs doesn't have anything to do with your daily exercise, but rather with your menstrual cycle or what you ate or drank. Retaining water as well as accumulating gas in the stomach can sabotage even the nicest of figures.

These tips will help you flatten your abdomen quickly, and they don't have anything to do with exercising.

Avoid soda.

Soda adds calories to our diets without provide us with any kind of nutrients. Sodas contain carbon dioxide, citric acid, phosphoric acid and fructose.

Excess calories coming from any foods or beverages can increase fat accumulation around the abdominal area as well as other areas of the body.  Soda is highlighted here, because it is a common beverage that people tend to drink too much of.   Portion control/moderation of all foods and beverages is important to keep fat from accumulating on the body.

Don't overdo it with salt.

Salt is made up of sodium and chloride. You should control your intake of sodium. This element is found not only in salt, but also in many other foods. Read the nutrition facts labels found on packaged food items and check the amount of sodium they contain. The American Heart Association recommends that all healthy adults eat less then 2,300 milligrams of salt (approximately 1 teaspoon).

Check your medicines.

Some medicines, such as birth control and steroids can cause fluid retention.  Consult your doctor if you think this is happening to you.

Mark your calendar.

For women, three to seven days before your period menstrual cycle, it is not uncommon to gain a couple of pounds (mainly water) due to hormonal fluctuations.  There's not much you can do about this since hormonal fluctuations are inevitable. You can still take the other precautions above and try to minimize the amount of fluid you retain.

Remember, doing exercise helps you stay fit and improves your health. Complement it with the tips mentioned above to get the flat abs you've dreamed about.

Source:  American Heart Association.  http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4708