Every time I look at the infomercials or ads for rock hard abs or a bikini body I wish I had a remote control so I could throw it at the T. V. Despite what the ads say, the models are always young men and women with the slim or muscular few of us can attain.

Like many women (and men), no matter how fit I am, there is a genetic fat deposit on my abdomen. In fact, I was looking at a picture of myself when I was windsurfing at Lake Tahoe almost 20 years ago. I've a toothy smile, a too tanned body, taut muscles, a two piece bathing suit and a visible pad of genetically distributed abdominal fat. Back then, realizing how fit, not fat, I was, I laughed and said it was the reason that no matter what I did, my body fat would never drop below 22%.

Many men and women who watch their weight diligently still have a stubbornly protruding stomach. Research shows that in addition to a genetic disposition to deposit fat there, it's a natural consequence of aging. Skin doesn't sag only on the face. It sags everywhere - especially if you've been a yo-yo dieter where regained weight tends to be deposited on, then lost from, the belly.

All those gadgets recommended by the "fitness experts" I've never heard of, despite an active role in the fitness biz for more than 25 years, are unnecessary. You don't need complicated gizmos and gadgets to flatten your abdomen as much as your genes will allow. Here are some things that will help:

Don't belly up to the bar. There is such a thing as a beer belly. In a large study, women and men who drank more than 2 alcoholic drinks a day had the largest potbellies. Carbonated soda also triggers fluid accumulation that can bloat a belly. You will be surprised how many inches you will lose if you stop drinking alcoholic and carbonated beverages.

Start huffing and puffing. Exercise that, after a warm-up, gets vigorous triggers the release of fat to fuel the muscles. Follow that with a lengthy enough workout at a sufficient pace to make you slightly breathless and you will burn the liberated fat. Intervals that boost intensity for short periods of time accelerate the calorie burning process and keep your metabolism high after your workout. Crunch. You don't need a machine to strengthen abdominal muscles. While lying on the floor, hold each end of a 3-4 ft towel behind your head, resting your head on the towel. Flatten your lower back on the floor then lift your head-supported upper body about 12 inches off the ground. Lower then repeat. Build to 10 repetitions then, as you get stronger, repeat the set.

Forget desserts. Although no food is good or bad, eliminating the empty fat and calorie dessert-type foods from your diet can significantly reduce your calorie intake. Combine that with smaller portions and your exercise session will surely call on stored body fat for fuel and post-exercise calorie needs.

Attitude is everything. Stop focusing on whether you have some extra abdominal fat. Think about what you want on your tombstone when you die. Should it say, "No Abdominal Fat Here," or "Lived Life to the Fullest"? Personally I'm using the above guidelines and, for my tombstone, I'm going for the latter.