Those bulging muffin tops that you despise the most. Yeah! I am talking about Love Handles and how to get rid of them.
Well as the name suggests "Love Handles" there's nothing to be loved by them or love them. In my opinion love handles have the most ironic name in its own "Love Handles", eeehh that's the only thing that I hate the most in my body and I hope so do you.
Through my 20s I had been really struggling my way out to get rid of love handles as fast as possible. Searching for "how to get rid of love handles workout", how to lose love handles, love handles, love handles, love handles everywhere. No matter what I did, how many side crunches I did I couldn't get rid of those love handles. I couldn't find anything to my avail.
But now as I've grown, I figure out the way of losing them. In this post I am going to share with you my top 5 tips that you can use to your advantage. The techniques that I am going to share with you today are totally backed by science and something bigger than that "Personal Experience" of course.
Before jumping into how to lose love handles fast we should take into account what causes them in the first place.
What Causes Love Handles
The underlying cause of love handles is fat retention. Generally speaking, fat cells accumulate when your body takes in too many calories or you don't burn as many calories as you're consuming. Over time, these fat cells can become noticeable as they accumulate in certain areas, such as around your waist and hips.
Fat can accumulate anywhere in the body, but there are certain factors that increase the likelihood for retaining fat in the hip, lower back, and abdominal areas. Factors that contribute to love handle formation include:
- hormones, especially too much cortisol (Cortisol is the major and the most prominent culprit of anything bad happening to you, inside your body, from weight gain to weight loss to accumulation of fat, causing you to carry love handles around you all the time)
- age (belly fat accumulation is particularly common as you get older)
- lack of physical activity
- diet high in fats, sugars, and high-calorie foods
- sleep deprivation
- undiagnosed or untreated conditions that slow down your metabolism (hypothyroidism — or underactive thyroid — for example, makes it difficult to burn off extra calories)
Many people try to target this specific area with endless side crunches and other abdominal moves that target the obliques, muscles that run down the sides of the torso.
However, this is not an effective way to lose love handles
In order to get rid of love handles for good, you’re going to need to make dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes. That being said, let's jump into the strategies to get rid of the Love Handles once and for all.
If you want to Lose Love Handles fast naturally and in the most effective and efficient way then follow these advices and say goodbye to that love handle fat.
Strategies to get rid of Love Handles
1. Reduce your Body Fat Percentage
I am not going to bullshit you by saying that do these-these exercise and hundreds of crunches and later you will come out as a ripped Greek God ever existed. No, no, no, no... That's never going to happen, never in a million year. Note that down.
You need to be in a hypo-caloric state (consuming fewer calories then you burn) period. There's no way around it, no other way that you can trade for. I've made it clear in my previous blogs that you can't achieve your fitness goals unless or until you are committing to a healthy nutrition, at least fix it to the least.
Clear out all the junk and crap out of your diet.
Things you need to cut on-
- Sugars
- Refined foods
- Processed foods
- Fried foods
- Canned and Packaged foods.
These canned and packaged foods are not the real foods they are actually food like products that has been marketed in a way to make our lives easy. But they are doing the exact opposite, these food like products are making us unhealthy after every bite we take from them. These canned and packaged food are filled with preservatives and many other chemicals to increase their shelf lives.
Our Body is build to eat fresh food. All these chemicals are not suited for our body. Consumption of these results in Hormonal imbalance, Weight gain, Fat accumulation, Stress and so on.
Fill your Plate with Healthy Fats, Good Complex carbs and High quality Protein.
Healthy Fats Options:
- Avocados
- Whole Eggs
- Fatty Fish
- Nuts
- Chia seeds
- Cottage cheese
- Olive Oil, Coconut Oil
Complex carbs Options:
- Whole wheat Breads, Pasta, and Flour
- Brown Rice
- Barley
- Quinoa
- Sweet Potatoes
- Legumes
High Quality Protein Options:
- Chicken
- Lamb
- Fish
- Whole Eggs
- Whey Protein
- Milk
Fiber Rich Food Options:
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Banana
- Dried Fruits
- Nuts
- Whole wheat
- Legumes
- Brown Rice
- Oranges
- Apples
- Sweet Potatoes
2. Training
Train Smartly
Exercises that Hit your Lats:
- Lat Pulldown
- Pullps
- Chinups
- Single Arm Rows
- Seated Cable Rows
- Straight Arm Lat pulldowns
Exercises that Hit your Obliques:
- Side Planks
- Russian Twists
- Wood Choppers
- Oblique Crunches
3. Move Throughout the Day
Finding simple ways to increase the number of calories you burn throughout the day is an excellent way to lose excess body fat.
Many people lead sedentary lifestyles and work desk jobs that involve sitting for hours on end. Studies show that sitting for long periods of time isn’t good for your health or your waistline.
Creating a habit as simple as setting a timer every half hour to get up and walk to the water cooler can make a big difference for weight loss.
4. Cut Back on Alcohol
An easy way to cut calories and lose weight is to cut back on alcoholic beverages.
Drinking too much alcohol has been linked to obesity and an increase in body fat, especially in the midsection
Alcohol also increases feelings of hunger by stimulating brain cells that regulate appetite, which may cause you to consume more calories.
Plus, many alcoholic beverages are loaded with calories and added sugar, which can cause you to gain weight.
5. Stress Less and Sleep Enough
Being stressed out has a negative impact on both your mental and physical health, and can even cause you to gain belly fat.
This is because stress triggers the production of the hormone cortisol. Also known as the “stress hormone,” cortisol is produced by your adrenal glands in response to stressful situations.
Like stress, not getting enough sleep increases cortisol levels in the body, which can lead to weight gain. Try to get at least 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
Love handles can be a side effect of excess body fat, especially fat in the area of your hips and lower abdomen. Increased activity and healthier eating can contribute to shrinking love handles as part of overall fat loss, but it’s important to remember that this can also take some time.
Stick with your plan for a healthier lifestyle, and you’ll eventually reap both the aesthetic and underlying health benefits.
If you’re unable to lose weight despite diet and exercise, see your doctor for advice. They may order blood tests to check for possible underlying issues, such as hypothyroidism, or have recommendations for surgical procedures.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many simple and natural ways to get rid of love handles. Trying a new exercise routine, eating fewer processed foods and getting more fiber throughout the day can help you attain a slimmer waistline.
To lose fat and keep it off, you must make lasting changes to your diet, exercise routine and lifestyle. Though changing one aspect of your life may result in some weight loss, combining several of the above methods will give you a better chance of losing your love handles for good.
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