Reader Q&A: Which exercise will help me find my abs again?

In an effort to get in shape for spring/summer, it seems that everyone is thinking about toning up and/or slimming down. Case in point: Kristin J. from Salt Lake City, Utah who sent us a question for celebrity fitness and lifestyle coach, Ashley Borden.

Kristin, who like a lot of us out there is having issues with excess abdominal mass, asks, "What's the best exercise to [help me] find my abs again?"

Borden cut to the chase with her response saying that "If you can't 'find' your abs, it's not as much about your exercise as it is about your food." Truth is that you could have rock hard abs underneath a layer of belly fat and never even know it.

"It's important to have the right balance of protein, carbs and fat," says Borden. She notes that, "you have to eat well to have a muscular, toned body." She recommends eating several small meals throughout the day to keep hunger at bay and metabolism in high gear and points out that "good fats (like nuts, avocado and olive oil) are your friend and help you to not overeat sugar and flour."

Once you get your diet where it should be you need to "focus on burning body fat and you will rediscover your abdominal muscles again. You can do all the crunches you want till the cows come home," Borden jokes, "but if your food is out of control, you'll never see your abs."

Worried that your pores will get clogged from sweating while exercising? Makeup pro Terri Apanasewicz fills you in on which products/ingredients to avoid to keep your skin clear.