I’d always been lucky enough to have a relatively flat stomach. Then, when I turned 33, it happened—the dreaded pooch appeared. And I’m not alone: In a Health.com poll, 83 percent of you said your tummy is your number-one body complaint. “Women tend to gain in their abdomens as they age because metabolism slows and body-fat distribution shifts to the belly,” says Brent Moelleken, MD, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California.

Your hectic life plays a role, too. “When you get stressed, your body produces increased levels of cortisol,” Moelleken says, “which is often associated with higher levels of deep-ab fat.” Think you’re doomed? You’re not. Here are some surprisingly effective ways to tighten your tummy.

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By Julie Taylor