Love handles are another name for the excess fat that sits at the sides of the waist and hangs over the top of pants. Also known as a muffin top, this fat can be hard to lose but is possible with the right nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle changes.
In order to get rid of love handles for good, you’re going to need to make dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes.
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.
Here are 17 natural ways to get rid of love handles.
1. Cut out Added Sugar
Healthy eating is key when you’re trying to lose fat in any area of the body. Ditching added sugar is one of the best ways to clean up your diet.
Added sugar is found in foods and beverages like cookies, candies, sports drinks and sodas. The term does not apply to the natural sugar found in healthy foods like whole fruit.
Aside from being linked to a slew of health issues, such as heart disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, eating too much added sugar can lead to an increased amount of body fat.
Many studies have shown that fructose, especially from sweetened beverages, causes an increase in belly fat.
2. Focus on Healthy Fats
Filling up on healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds and fatty fish can help slim your waistline.
Replacing less nutrient-dense foods with healthy fats may help you lose body fat. This could be as simple as adding a few slices of tasty avocado to your meal.
3. Fill up on Fiber
Adding foods rich in soluble fiber to your daily routine may help you get rid of stubborn love handles. Soluble fiber is found in foods like beans, nuts, oats, vegetables and fruits.
It helps keep you feeling full for a longer period of time by slowing down digestion and decreasing feelings of hunger.
One study showed that when people increased the amount of soluble fiber they ate by just 10 grams per day over five years, they lost an average of 3.7% of their visceral fat, a harmful type of belly fat.
4. 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.
Investing in a pedometer is a great way to track your steps and see exactly how much you are moving during the day.
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.
Engaging in any kind of physical activity can help you lose your love handles, but adding weight training to your routine may be especially beneficial.
The terms weight training, strength training and resistance training are generally interchangeable. They all mean contracting your muscles against some form of resistance to build your strength.
Like stress, not getting enough sleep increases cortisol levels in the body, which can lead to weight gain.
Studies have shown that sleep-deprived people tend to weigh more and have more body fat than those who get enough sleep.
Focusing on working out the part of your body that bothers you the most may be tempting, but exercising the whole body may be a more effective way to slim down love handles.
Spot training is not a worthwhile way to lose stubborn fat and has been shown to be ineffective in several studies.
Adding high-quality protein to your meals can help you lose fat and maintain a healthy weight. Protein helps keep you full between meals and may even reduce the urge to snack.
Furthermore, studies have shown that diets rich in protein are more effective at reducing belly fat than diets that are low in protein .
Including high-quality protein sources like eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, seafood, poultry and meats in your meals may help reduce excess fat, including love handles.
Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise is defined as any activity that raises your heart rate for an extended period of time.
Aerobic workouts help burn calories and reduce excess fat on the body, which can help slim down love handles.Swimming, working out on the elliptical machine or simply going for a brisk walk are all excellent ways to get into an aerobic workout routine.
Experts like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. That’s about 20 minutes per day.
Properly hydrating your body is a must for optimal health.
Though water is the best fluid to drink, many people tend to reach for sweetened beverages like sports drinks, teas and juice when they feel thirsty.
The calories and sugar found in sweetened beverages add up and can cause you to gain fat around the waistline.Choosing fiber-rich complex carbohydrates over refined carbohydrates is a great way to lose weight and get rid of love handles.
Swapping refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta and white rice for nutrient-dense complex carbs like sweet potatoes, beans, oats and brown rice can help you shed belly fat.
Unlike refined carbs that leave you feeling hungry, complex carbs keep you feeling satisfied throughout the day and may help you eat less.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) might be one of the most effective workouts for losing body fat.
HIIT workouts involve short bursts of intense aerobic exercise, each followed by a recovery period. These workouts are quick and effective, and numerous studies have shown that they can help you lose body fat.
Focusing on your food and paying more attention to how you feel while eating can help you shed pounds from your midsection.
Mindful eating is a practice that can help you gain control of your eating habits and may lead you to consume fewer calories.
Mindful eating involves paying attention to hunger and fullness cues, eating slowly without distraction and understanding how food impacts your mood and health.
It can be difficult to find an effective workout that you actually enjoy.
Fortunately, pilates is a beginner-friendly exercise method that is beneficial for toning the abs. The practice helps improve flexibility, posture and core strength .
Adding pilates workouts to your routine may even help you lose weight and shrink your waistline.
An easy way to cut calories and lose weight is to cut back on alcoholic beverages.
Plus, many alcoholic beverages are loaded with calories and added sugar, which can cause you to gain weight.
While drinking small amounts of alcohol has been linked to health benefits like a reduced risk of heart disease, drinking too much isn’t good for your overall health or waistline.
One of the simplest ways to get rid of love handles is to eat a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods.
Highly processed foods like fast food, fried foods, sweets and TV dinners contain ingredients that aren’t good for health.
Preparing meals made with whole foods at home, rather than opting for premade dishes, may be another great way to lose love handles.
The Bottom Line
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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