Hate Your Love Handles? Here’s How To Get Rid Of Them
No matter your nickname for the curves around the waistline and lower back, a spare tire or (the more pleasant-sounding) love handles are the top trouble spot for many women and men.
So how to get rid of love handles, exactly? Well, it’s more than just fat-burning workouts, though that’s a good start. You need to also look at losing fat via diet changes and choosing the right core-centric exercises to reduce your middle.
#1
We endearingly refer to them as love handles. Or maybe you prefer to call it your muffin top. Either way, excess fat sitting on the sides of the torso is tough to lose.
“You have to cross-train your core like you cross-train the rest of your body,” says celebrity trainer Kira Stokes. Of all the waist-whittling exercises out there, ones that target your oblique muscles will zero in on this area. A general rule to keep in mind: Any move where you’re reaching to the side works your obliques.
So how to get rid of love handles, exactly? Well, it’s more than just fat-burning workouts, though that’s a good start. You need to also look at losing fat via diet changes and choosing the right core-centric exercises to reduce your middle.
#2 Fight Love Handles With Food
Anonymous. "A strict diet until you no longer have it. Count your calories and eat fewer calories than you need to maintain your weight.
Since having a high percentage of body fat is responsible for love handles, it stands to reason that one of the best ways to get rid of them is to take a look at your diet. No matter how much you work those abdominal muscles, there is no such thing as spot reduction and until you lean out through a well-balanced program of proper nutrition and exercise, those love handles aren’t going anywhere.
One of the first things you should eliminate is addictive sugar. At first, with the exception of giving up that morning doughnut, cutting out sugar may sound relatively easy. But the reality is that sugar is in virtually all processed foods and drinks.
The easiest way to avoid sugar? Avoid manufactured foods and choose vegetables, fruits, nuts and lean protein like fish and chicken. Another trick to help you lose weight is to make sure you are eating smaller meals throughout the day (aka, mindful eating). Oftentimes when we want to shed a few pounds, our natural tendency is to NOT eat. The problem with that is what usually happens, at the end of the day we are starving, and we go on a nearly unstoppable binge of eating everything in sight. Simply by cleaning up your diet, you’ll be surprised just how much better you feel and look.
#3 Keep your self hydrated
Drinking plenty of water is critical for losing your love handles. When your body is dehydrated, it’ll do everything in its power to hold on to water and trick your brain into thinking it's hungry rather than thirsty, she says. Shoot to drink a gallon every day.
A 2016 study found that when men and women increased water intake, their sugar and fat consumption went down
#4 Squeeze into some Spanx
Shape wears are very comfortable to wear and they can be worn as easily as a slip under all types of clothing. They are available in various shapes, styles and sizes. You have to first identify your trouble spots and then select the shape wear accordingly. Shape wears can smooth out or conceal those uneven sections around your body and instantaneously make you look & feel better in just about everything you wear.
The best ways to eliminate them are exercise and proper diet but these two ways require time and dedication. If you can’t wait for the effects of diet and exercise, then shape wear is the best way to hide those love handles and to appear slimmer.
#5 Trust a tailor
Mass-produced clothing can't possibly flatter every figure so ask around for recommendations for a tailor in your area. You don't have to bring them every single item in your wardrobe but make an investment for your key closet staples and ask for their direction before your next shopping trip. This might not be the trick in how to get rid of love handles but it can certainly help hide them in the meantime.
#6 Add in Some Exercise
Once you get your diet under control, it’s time to address your exercise routine. Maybe you don’t currently have one, that’s alright. You are a clean slate, and we can get you set on the right path with the best way to workout in order to burn unwanted fat while at the same time building strength. And after all, that is exactly what you are trying to do. You want to change your BMI so that you have more muscle and less fat. Decreasing our percentage of body fat is what gets rid of love handles!
However, don’t let that discourage you. There are more efficient methods of working out that will help you reach your goals quicker. Your best option is burst training. Also known as interval training, burst training combines short, high intensity bursts of exercise with slow, recovery phases. This is then repeated during an exercise session. The big difference is, you will be training at a higher intensity, usually around 85–100 percent of your maximum heart rate compared to the typical 50–70 percent with moderate, endurance activities.
Here’s an example of a short burst workout:
1.Pick a few basic moves, that you will do for 4 rounds. Let’s say squats, jumping jacks, push-ups and running in place.
2.Perform each of these moves for 45 seconds with 15 seconds off before beginning the next move.
3.Try to work as hard as you can during those 45 seconds. Maybe try challenging yourself to see how many reps you can get in each of the working phases, that tends to keep you focused and working harder.
4.Take a minute off between each round.
5.Once you’ve completed all 4 rounds, you just successfully did a 20 minute burst training session … congratulations!
#7 Set a "stand up" calendar reminder
Simply moving more during the day can mean a tighter figure, without any traditional exercise whatsoever, so set a calendar reminder on your phone or work computer to simply stand up once an hour. You might start by standing up an sitting right back down but it will likely turn into a quick stretch or a quick walk to refill your water for a win-win
#8 Leafy Greens
Greens are vital when it comes to how to get rid of love handles fast at home as they provide the nutrients required by the body, while at the same time filling your stomach with healthy fiber and a high amount of proteins.
Make sure every meal you eat has a vegetable in it. Seriously. Sneak spinach in your morning omelet. Keep pre-cut veggie sticks in your fridge at work.
#9 Final Thoughts
Love handles don’t have to be something we learn to love and live with. We CAN break up with them, and we should! Carrying around excess weight is ultimately unhealthy and puts a lot of unnecessary stress on our hearts and our joints. Even though there is not exactly one trick to making them disappear, through a combination of better eating habits and incorporating more movement (and some very tough, effective exercises) into your day, you can definitely get rid of them.