How do you trim down slightly oversized obliques as quickly as possible? I'm in good shape and eat extremely healthily, but my sides are a constant disappointment.

Jocana

Jocana, you're in a select group. You don't have a weight problem, you have a fat storage problem. You're storing fat in the first area that your body accumulates excess avoirdupois, and unfortunately, that's the last place you'll lose it.

Now Jocana, if you've been doing exercises like side bends with dumbbells, or trunk twists with a weight bar, you might have actually built up your midsection. After all, if you use weights you're going to thicken the muscle fibers that you're training -- so cut it out!

In order to lose weight anywhere on our bodies we have to reduce our overall body fat. You can't just do crunches and expect the fat to disappear from your middle. If you're not already doing so, you need to do some weight training for your entire body. You can do a simple circuit of exercises like the ones I recommended to Stripes. Weight training will allow you to increase your lean muscle mass, and decrease the amount of fat stored on your body.

When you get down to one or two problem areas, it's wise to have your percentage of body fat calculated. If you are above, or near the top of the range for your age group, you know there is room for improvement, and weight training and increasing the amount of aerobic exercise you do will help you reduce the total amount of fat stored on your body. If you are in the middle or bottom of the range for your age group, you need to ask yourself, "Is all the extra effort worth it to lose a couple of more pounds?"

If you are healthy, and your diet is relatively low in fats, and you have enough energy to do what you want to do, then give yourself a break. A lot of people would like to get to the point where they just have a few pounds to lose.

Now, you can still try to firm up your midsection by modifying your abdominal routine. Stronger Abs and Back (Human Kinetics, www.humankinetics.com), is a recent book written by Greg Brittenham, the strength coach for the New York Knicks. You'll find up-to-date information about ab training, and some new wrinkles on the old theme of crunches that have helped me work my abs more efficiently.

Post your questions and comments on the Fit by Friday message board!