Gwen Stefani's Diet & Exercise Plan

Gwen Stefani's abdominal muscles actually have a Facebook fan page, but the former lead singer for No Doubt admits that she always has to watch her diet. Stefani credits trainer Mike Heatlie and Beverly Hills personal trainer Gunnar Peterson with helping her create an effective, albeit strict diet and exercise plan.

The details of Gwen Stefani's daily eating plan are not featured in any book or an any website, but glimpses of her food philosophy appear in magazines and internet articles. "TMZ," the celebrity news television show and website, got hold of one of her hospitality request sheets, which performers use when they are in a hotel. Stefani requested vitamin waters, soy milk, organic vegetables such as beets, carrots, celery and spinach, organic almonds and cashews, and organic fruits, which include plums, melons and bananas.

Mike Heatlie may work as a personal trainer, but he strongly believes that significant weight loss is about proper diet, not exercise. In his book titled "Lose 10 Pounds and 10 Years in Five Weeks," he asserts that most people consume about 1,000 calories above their recommended daily allowance. Heatlie, who holds a master's degree in medicine and science in sport and exercise, tells his clients to eat smaller meals throughout the day, as opposed to three big meals. He recommends 100 g of fat, 120 g of protein and 50 g of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats each day. Heatlie tells clients to consume foods such as tomatoes, broccoli, salmon and oatmeal, while avoiding french fries, potato chips and processed foods.

Gunnar Peterson, author of the book titled "Core Secrets," warns that situps alone will not get you abdominal muscles like Gwen Stefani's. He advises cable machine training for the obliques, as well as medicine ball rotational exercises. Peterson recommends sitting in an upright position with your legs extended, but not locked. Hold a weighted medicine ball with both hands, and rotate your upper torso from side to side, tagging each hip with the ball. Perform a similar exercise on a stability ball. Lie on the ball, hold a medicine ball behind your head and rotate your upper torso so that your shoulder moves toward your opposite hip.

Both Heatle and Peterson favor total body workouts, which work multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This type of exercise enhances your muscle tone, but since it uses dynamic, large muscle movements, it also also elevates your metabolism and burns calories. The editors of "Fitness" magazine featured one of these exercises on their website. Stand with your feet hip-width apart while holding a set of 5 to 10 pound dumbbells. Begin with your elbows bent, holding the weights near your shoulders. Bend your knees and perform a squat. As you straighten your legs, straighten your arms toward the ceiling. Contract your gluteal muscles and kick one leg back behind you.