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Some are blessed with bigger busts and slender legs while others are born with curvaceous hips and smaller waists. They are both shapes of beauty in their own way. The difference in these shapes not only makes up what you look like on the outside, but it plays a vital role in what is happening on the inside as well.

Do you need help with your diet and nutrition? Are you ready to start making a difference in your life and take the best care of yourself possible? eDiets can help with plenty of fantastic programs to choose from. Click here for a free diet profile.

The fruit tree of health knowledge begins with determining whether you are an apple shape woman or a pear shape. Chances are you already have an idea. The most precise way to determine your shape is by using a tape measure. Dr. Savard says, "Grab the tape measure and measure your waist and your hips, then come up with the ratio. If you are a pear then it's your thighs, butt and hips that acquire the extra cushion. The more apple shaped you are the larger your waist size is going to be relative to your hips, and the much greater your health risks are when it comes to chronic inflammation, heart disease, diabetes and cancer."

In Apples & Pears, the first step is to determine your body shape, then it's time to chew the fat about fat. The critical difference between the two shapes lies in the type of fat you have and where it's stored. "What's extraordinary about the difference in body shape is how nature has really made that kind of fat two completely different organs depending on where the fat is stored," Dr. Savard tells eDiets. "Pear-zone fat is passive and actually protects against heart disease, the smaller your waist and the bigger your hips, the smaller your risk of heart disease. Apple-zone fat, on the other hand, is harmful. Apple shaped women have visceral fat, the very active fat. This type of fat is an actual gland that releases chemicals and hormones right to the liver. If too much starts to get stored in the liver and in excess in the abdomen, then their waist size gets larger, their insulin level goes up and inflammation occurs."

You bend and turn, twist and burn, all in an effort to lose that gut, but your pooch persists. But what can you do?

Look at the food you're feeding your body and replace some of the belly busters with slimming stomach staples (as in crucial diet ingredients, not invasive surgery fasteners). You know you can't eat 4,000 calories a day and get great abs, but it's not just about the calorie count when it comes to a flat stomach - it's also about the food.

Looking for that extra little push to motivate you to be serious about losing weight? We're behind you every step of the way. Start today and you can lose 10 lbs. in five weeks. Click here to get a FREE diet profile.

 

According to a report from the experts at Framingham Nutrition Studies, certain foods lend themselves to bigger bellies. The study reported that women who ate 400 fewer calories per day, but chose less nutritious foods than the participants that made better selections, had a higher risk of abdominal obesity by nearly 2 1/2 times. Those making poor food selections also had a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart attacks according to the study's director of nutrition research.

The five foods you'll need for flatter abs will help you be healthier and leaner, plus, you'll be pleasantly surprised by some of the suggestions. Now start eating yourself skinny!

Dieting is tough. And every now and then we all get cravingsfor something a little sweet! Don't worry! Now you can satisfy that craving without feeling guilty afterward! Here are some delicious desserts that are tasty and won't ruin your waistline. Easy to eat and easy to make. Enjoy!

eDiets Director of Nutrition Services, Pamela Ofstein, reminds us to "satisfy those cravings by trying to keep each treat around 100 calories." Pick treats that are low in fat and full of nutritional good. Fruits, low fat dairy products (yogurt, cottage cheese), sugar free beverages, fat-free puddings or sugar free Jell-O are some quick and easy options. Just because treats are low in calories and fat, doesn't mean they don't taste great!

Here are some ideas for sensational summer treats:

7. Skinny Cow ice-cream sandwiches. These delicious ice cream sandwiches are 97-percent fat free and have only 140 calories! With flavors like chocolate mint and caramel swirl, they certainly hit the sweet spot!

6. Fresh berries fruit salad. Light, refreshing, and easy to make. Throw in some blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and add a dollop of non-fat whipped topping. Pamela says, "It is summer and we can all feel the heat. By including fresh berries either for a treat or part of a meal, not only do you get to eat something refreshing but those tasty fruits are loaded with anti-oxidantsand vitamins and minerals."

5. Yogurt pops. This yummy desserthas only 104 calories and less than one gram of fat per serving!

My flat-stomach secret: a banana a day. I eat it in the morning with cereal, as a postworkout snack, or in a smoothie, and I'm convinced it's cured me of those puffy, fat-feeling days. You know, the ones when your pants are a bit tight, your belly looks rounder and you feel a little swollen? One banana delivers 422 milligrams of potassium, which helps limit the amount of gut-bloating sodium in your body. (Even if you avoid the saltshaker, you may not be square with sodium if you eat lots of packaged foods. Up to three quarters of your sodium intake can come from processed goods.)

Try this refreshing recipe to work potassium-rich bananas into your diet:

CHAI FRAPPÉ

(makes two 115-calorie servings)

Storing a tray of iced chai tea in the freezer is the trick to having a cool, refreshing (and healthy!) drink in half the time you'd spend in the barista's line. Slice a banana into 1/2-inch pieces and drop into a blender. Add 8 iced chai tea cubes (regular or decaf). Pour in 1/2 cup lowfat vanilla soymilk, 1 tbsp honey and 1/8 tsp cinnamon. Blend until ice is crushed to a smoothie consistency.

Check out more tricks for looking and feeling leaner at Self.com, or get healthy recipe ideas delivered to you weekly.

I've never been a big fan of counting calories. In fact, in the past year, I have lost about 30 pounds without counting a single dietary digit. Sure, I know recording everything you put in your mouth can help peel off pounds, but I also know that obsessing over calories makes you more likely to eat lowfat, low-fiber foods that wouldn't satiate a starling.

Instead of crunching numbers, I munched on healthy food to become a weight loss success. If a food lover like me can do it, you can, too! Try these tips:

• Pick up produce. Have at least one fruit and veggie at every meal. On busy days when I know my lunch won't have a smidge of green in it, I have two fruits at breakfast; I toss berries or peaches into my nonfat Greek yogurt and sprinkle it with granola. I love asparagus, green pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, sprouts, endive and more. Fruits and veggies are high in fiber, which staves off hunger. Shoot for nine servings daily. It sounds like a lot, but if you don't have to be a rabbit to reach that goal. Eat a salad at lunch or dinner, and you're there.

• Snack smart. Add protein (such as a stick of lowfat string cheese or Parmesan) to your between-meal bites. Research suggests protein may enhance the effect of leptin, a hormone that reins in appetite. I love hummus and dip veggies into it instead of pita bread or crackers. Protein is also filling and can help curb cravings for chips, cookies and the like.

• Sip more water. Dieters who swapped sugary drinks for water lose weight, but those who gulped the most H20 peeled off the most pounds, according to a study at the meeting of Obesity Society in Boston. Don’t love agua? Try the flavored kind but check the label for sugar content (it should be below 8 grams per serving).

• Map out your meals. A little attention to portions can help you eat less and still stay satisfied. Start by using a salad dish (8 inches in diameter) and divide it into quarters to help keep helpings healthy. Half the plate should get veggies, top another quarter with lean protein (3 to 6 ounces of fish, chicken or tofu) and the last quarter with whole grains (1/2 to 1 cup of brown rice, sweet potatoes or whole wheat pasta).

• Eat every meal. When you wait longer than five hours between bites, your body may release extra cortisol, a hormone that can increase appetite. I call it "hangry." I get hungry and angry: My stomach starts to burn and my brain gets annoyed at every little thing. Then I eat whatever is in front of me, usually a cookie or other sweet, empty-calorie treat. I realize I'm putting out the "hangry" fires, but it is better not to get there in the first place!

For additional tips on eating healthy without hating it (and shedding pounds in the process), check out SELF's Eat Like Me blog, by Cristin Dillon, R.D

I'm a big believer in saving leftovers. Even if it's just a dozen berries or an entire giant meatball from dinner, I pop each in their own plastic container (I always save the ones I get after ordering takeout) and store them in the fridge.

It's perfect for when I need snack-sized portion, and it helps me eat less because I always have the perfect amount. (Meatball sandwich! Berries over yogurt!)

When I go out to eat, I try to eat about half the portion of pasta or chicken and then ask for the other half to get packed up nicely for the next day's lunch or dinner.

As editor of SELF, I get some pretty great tips from our readers as well as leading experts on how to make the most of every meal. Here are a few of my recent favorites:

• "I freeze grapes to make a quick, cool, healthy treat." Patti Moyer, South Daytona, Florida

• "Put your usual amount on a plate before eating and then scoop 25 percent of that into a container for another day," suggests Roger Gould, M.D., founder of ShrinkYourself.com.

• "Rather than toss ripe fruit that doesn't get eaten, I dice it up and store it in the freezer bag to use later, when I want to make smoothies." Liz Rilling, Omro, Wisconsin

• "I cook a week's worth of mini-frittatas on Sundays. I store cooled frittatas in the refrigerator individually in plastic bags, then microwave one to eat on my way out the door." Beth Shaw, Orlando, Florida

Get Beth's frittata recipe at Self.com.

The way to shape up fast is no secret. Weight training will sculpt and build lean muscle, which (unlike fat) burns calories on its own; cardio (brisk walking, biking, jogging, etc.) will shed the fat hiding those defined muscles. I'm a cardio fan from way back (I love how it feels to get my heart rate up), but who wants to slog away on a treadmill in a dull gym, going nowhere fast (or slow, as the case may be)? Not me! Especially when you can spend less time and get better results.

The secret is intervals. Study subjects who spent just 20 minutes mixing sprints with jogging lost three times the fat off their legs and butt in 15 weeks, compared to those who jogged steadily for 40 minutes, research from the University of New South Wales in Sydney finds. Intervals may spark fat-mobilizing hormones, and they amp your cardio capacity so your future runs will actually feel easier.

I like relaxing runs, but if you do the same slog every day, you can suffer from what's sometimes called "postman's syndrome"—named for those who do the same walk every day and yet their bodies never change. Your muscles become so efficient at a movement over time that if you do it day after day and eat the same way, you never overtax your system and burn more calories to lose weight.

The answer is to mix up your cardio either by changing your workout around or adding speedy bursts—meaning intervals. Intervals can be fun if you approach them right. Each one represents a mini goal—finish the 1-minute sprint, complete the 2-minute cooldown, and so on. I feel more pumped up doing this and never get bored. Check out Self.com's workout archives for tons of cool cardio plans.

If you’re a swimmer like me, you know your hair can take a beating from chlorine and constant postswim showering and styling.

To protect my hair from the pool water’s harsh, dehydrating chemicals, I always use a swim cap. Before I put it on, I finger-comb a thick hair mask through my hair. So then I’m getting a great workout and a deep-conditioning treatment. That’s my kind of multitasking. 

Of course, you also need to protect your hair when you’re on dry land: SELF found one study that showed five days of peak sun exposure (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) weakens hair by 36.2 percent -- and that weakness leads to lackluster, broken hair strands (possibly the reason your hair “won’t grow”). A hat or baseball cap will protect your hair, but that’s not always practical. (I can just see myself arriving at an important meeting with my floppy beach hat on.)  Much easier to do: Use a spray-on UV-protecting styler (many brands offer this technology -- check the labels.) Apply it to damp hair and style as usual. It can build up, though, so be sure to shampoo at the end of the day.