Denise Austin's Five Tips On How To Fight Belly Fat After 40: The Fitness Expert Unveils Her Secrets On Keeping Fit Into Your 50s

Denise Austin knows how to get rid of belly fat in your 40s.

The 55-year-old fitness expert is in better shape than most people half of her age. However, Austin tells Yahoo Health, it was a struggle to fight belly fat in her 40s.

"As soon as I hit 48, any fat that normally would have gone onto my hips or thighs traveled to my middle," Denise said. "It was frustrating, but I realized I needed to change up my workout and start watching my calories."

Now Austin is sharing her secrets on fighting belly fat in your 40s and beyond in a new book called Side Effect: Skinny

 "After 30 years in the business, I know what works for woman my age and what works for me, and I've put together a plan that will help you lose weight, taking it one week at the time," Austin said.

Austin shared five tips on how to fight belly fat in your 40s and beyond with Yahoo Health.

1. Burn belly fat with cardio.

"Lengthen or boost the intensity of your cardio workouts," Austin said. "You'll burn more calories per sweat session." The fitness guru says she prefers interval walking. "I love it," Austin said. "And it's really helped me keep off weight after hitting 50."

2. Work in some strength training.

"I'm really into compound exercises because they allow you to double the workout in half the time," Austin said. "If you're doing moves that target the entire body, like a squat with an overhead press or a lunge with a bicep curl, you can tighten and tone all your muscles in only seven minutes." 

3. Stay disciplined during the day.

"Another trick that really helps me stay on track is to only eat between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday through Thursday," Austin said. "It's really made a difference for me because it cuts out a lot of the extra noshing in the evening that can pack on pounds."

4. Drink green tea.

"I really believe that green tea is the key for all of us women who are gaining some weight around your middle," Denise said, pointing to research finding that green tea increases calorie and fat burn. "I think that's a big part of what's helped me. I now drink one cup every day." 

5. Plan a super food splurge.

"I think it really helps if you focus on losing weight one week at a time," Austin said. "Aim to eat healthy six days out of the week, and then enjoy what I call a super splurge on the seventh day. It helps you enjoy yourself and not feel so deprived, so you're ready to recommit to healthy eating the following week."