Recently the former Spice Girl revealed her amazing new figure. So many of you have been asking just how she did it? Here we discover how she gets those washboard abs - and how you can too...

When Mel B was unveiled as the new face and body of lingerie company Ultimo last week, it was hard to believe how good she looked. Despite only having a baby last year, the mum of two has never looked better, showing off incredibly flat abs, streamlined thighs, an enviable bust and a nipped-in waist. "I am over the moon," admitted the 32-year-old former Spice Girl. "The photo shoot in LA was fantastic. I took every lingerie set home with me!"

Her newly-toned body comes after Mel finally found happiness in love with new husband, movie producer Stephen Belafonte, 32, who she married last June after a whirlwind romance. She said: "He melted my heart... but I'd been so, so hurt. I wanted to make sure this guy was gentle enough to have me believe again that it is possible."

A year ago, Mel's life was very different.

Her career was going nowhere fast - she has been the least successful of the Spice Girls in her solo work. But the biggest problem for the feisty Yorkshire lass was the run of bad luck in her love life that often resulted in her comfort eating in a bid to cope.

After her two-year marriage to dancer Jimmy Gulzar, with whom she had daughter, Phoenix Chi, Mel felt low, and turned to food to cheer herself up. Then there was her disastrous fling with Eddie Murphy in 2006, who dumped her in an interview, then denied being the father of her child.

So by the time she gave birth to her second daughter, Angel in 2007, she was two-and-a-half stone overweight and felt fat, frumpy and fed-up. "I was quite a slim pregnant woman, until my mum came to visit. I was having Sunday dinners every day. I just ate and slept," she admitted.

But then Mel's fortunes suddenly seemed to change - and her body with them. She embarked on a tough workout regime and landed a place on Dancing With The Stars.

The show's gruelling five-hour a day rehearsal schedule, combined with preparing for the Spice Girls reunion tour, ensured the baby pounds melted away.

Her hard work certainly wasn't in vain - she was narrowly beaten in the show's final and has managed to crack the US, where presenting work is said to be in the offing - and she's landed the $250,000 Ultimo contract. When asked about her fab new figure, she commented: "I've never been in better shape."

Melanie B's Workout & Diet

Mel, who lives in Los Angeles, says her sexy new look is down to her personal trainer Joey Kormier. She and Joey are often spotted power walking in the Hollywood Hills. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Matthew Perry are among his other clients.

He says: "Mel looks incredible - she's never been in better shape despite being a mum of two. She works hard and the results speak for themselves."

Mel weighed 11-and-a-half stone (160 pounds) after Angel was born. But she was soon doing 90- minute workouts six days a week and following a strict diet. Now she is back at her target weight of nine stone. "Mel has been a joy to work with," says Joey. "I started working with her five days after her baby was born. She was determined to get back her sensational looks - and she has."

The pair followed a routine, which included a Brazilian combination of martial arts and dance called Capoeira, yoga and swimming, and a healthy, balanced diet plan.

"The right food and nutrition are vitally important. Everything Mel eats is organic and she has flax seed oil, and salmon at least three times a week to help burn stomach fat," he says.

Mel confirmed this, saying: "He makes me eat salmon and I hate it. But I lost 10lb and a lot of inches in a little over a week."

Judging by her great new shape, it's certainly working for Mel - and we can show how it could work for you...

A bit of inspiration...

Your meal planner

Choose from one of the following each day. Try to get a good combination of cereals, lean protein (fish or chicken) and lots of fruit and veg a day.

Breakfasts

- Muesli with low-fat yoghurt

- Two slices of granary toast with peanut butter

- Banana milkshake using skimmed milk with low-fat banana yoghurt.

- Oats topped with a handful of blueberries. Made with skimmed milk

- Boiled egg with two slices of granary toast and a kiwi fruit

Mid Morning

- Protein shake (1 scoop in water or skimmed milk)

Lunches

- Smoked mackerel salad and a jacket potato

- Sardines in tomato sauce on two slices of brown toast

- Avocado and bacon salad, with one grilled rasher of bacon, half an  avocado, lemon juice, black pepper

- Tuna and sweetcorn sandwich on wholewheat with

- Jacket potato with spicy tomato salsa, soured cream and salad

Mid Morning

- Protein shake (1 scoop in water or skimmed milk)

Dinners

- Grilled trout with flaked almonds, new potatoes and vegetables

- Chicken in black bean sauce with sliced green pepper and rice

- Baked cod in foil with herbs, new potatoes, carrots, broccoli and green beans.

- Salmon steak with tomato and cucumber salad and couscous

- Wholemeal pasta with tomato sauce and grilled, Mediterranean veg

* Would you like a Diet & Workout Plan based on Mel B's body?

We can set up a plan in just 48 hours. More info here

DIET RULES

Ditch ready meals and sodas: The additives in many processed foods and drinks produce excess gas and can create a bloated, swollen feeling in your belly.

Reduce salt and sodium: It makes you retain water and it's hidden in everything these days, so read labels and watch the sodium content. Anything with over 1 gram of salt is not good.

Drink more water: Drinking 1-1.5 litres a day will help keep your weight steady. Plus, it will ward off the bloated belly look that dehydration causes.

Swap to wholemeal: White or refined grains in the form of cakes, cereals, bread and pasta are high GI carbs. They can over-stimulate the body's insulin response and make you store tummy fat. Swap for low GI wholegrain versions instead and tuck into granary bread, porridge, wholegrain pasta and brown rice.

5 FOODS TO EAT

(1) Low-fat yoghurt Studies show a couple of servings of low-fat yoghurt, semi-skimmed milk or soft cheese will help burn fat around your midriff.

(2) Almonds High in essential fatty acids, calcium and magnesium, which help banish water retention. The vitamin E balances your hormones to stop PMS cravings, too.

(3) Broccoli It's high in chromium, that helps the pancreas stabilise insulin release, which stops fluctuating blood sugar levels that lead to food cravings and bingeing.

(4) Salmon It's a great source of the protein leptin, which acts like a hormone in the body and controls your appetite so you don't over-eat.

(5) Mushrooms High in vitamin B3 (niacin). It helps your body convert protein into energy so you don't feel tired - and more likely to binge on sweet treats.

EASIEST TUM MOVE YOU'LL EVER DO

Forget killing yourself doing hundreds of sit-ups - it might be in vain.

"It's very easy to do them incorrectly," says celebrity fitness trainer Paul Botten. "And you can end up pushing your tummy to stick out even further - the exact opposite of what you want to achieve."

Your best bet for a flatter belly is either to lie over a fitness ball while you crunch, which forces your "core" back and stomach muscles to tighten or, better still, try the plank.

"The beauty of this move is that it takes far less sweat and effort than sit-ups - and you only need one spare minute a day to do it," says Botten.

The Plank

How To Do It: Lie face down then lift yourself up on your toes and forearms, with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. Hold for 10 seconds and build up to 40 seconds. Repeat three times a day. See video below