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Love handles aka the stubborn fat on the sides of the waist is something many people struggle with. It often leads to depression and disappointment in oneself, not to mention all the effort put into exercising only to see little results or no improvement at all.
The good news is that changing your diet and working out regularly can get rid of fat all over your body, including around your abdomen.
In this article, we will explain why you have love handles and how you can get rid of them. In addition, we’ve included some exercises for revving up your metabolism so that you’re burning fat 24 hours a day.
Why Do We Have Love Handles?
The main reason why we have love handles is because of our lifestyle and eating habits. When we overeat, we eat more than what we can burn so the extra calories get stored as fat in different parts of our body, such as the sides and abdominal area.
The other reason is that our genes and hormones cause us to gain weight around the waist, hips, or thighs. Unfortunately, losing love handles is not as easy as burning fat all over your body because these are areas where stubborn fat accumulates.
Finally, lifestyle choices like drinking alcohol and not getting enough sleep can also lead to love handles.
How To Get Rid Of Love Handles?
Here are some simple steps you can take to detox your body and lose weight all over, including your tummy area:
1) Reduce Stress Levels And Get More Sleep
When our bodies are constantly stressed due to work, school, or family life, the levels of cortisol in our body go up which leads to weight gain. In addition, a lack of sleep puts the body under stress and affects hormones that affect hunger.
2) Eat More Fiber
High fiber foods help you stay full longer and feel less hungry because it takes more time to digest these. Also, fibers swell with water trapping toxins and fat to be naturally eliminated from the body. Fiber also helps lower levels of estrogen in your body so that you don’t store belly fat.
3) Eat Your Fruits And Veggies
These foods are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients that flush out toxins and provide all-around health benefits for your body especially if you’re trying to lose weight.
4) Eat Breakfast
Not eating breakfast in the morning can cause you to overeat during lunch and dinner hours, which we already know will result in unwanted fat around your waist area.
5) Drink Plenty Of Water
Drinking plenty of water keeps your metabolism going and helps the body release toxins through sweat and urine. What’s more, water is great for flushing out excess sodium, which can lead to bloating.
6) Drink Green Tea
Caffeine content in green tea helps you burn fat faster. It also speeds up your metabolism and promotes detoxification in your body.
7) Avoid Added Sugars
Added sugar is one of the culprits that lead to additional calories in your body. The more added sugars you avoid, the fewer calories there will be for fat storage.
8) Eat Healthy Fats
Fat is not the enemy. Healthy fats are necessary for optimal health, so try to incorporate nuts and avocado into your diet as much as possible.
9) Eat Less
Reducing your calorie intake is definitely not easy, however, it is an important step when you’re trying to lose weight. When you eat less, there will be fewer calories for fat storage in your body.
10) Exercise Regularly
Simply walking every morning or evening for 20 minutes will get your metabolism going and help you burn more calories. Also, incorporating weight training into your routine can actually prevent the loss of lean muscle mass that usually happens when you lose weight quickly.
Some great exercises to get rid of love handles, with help from the BetterMe fitness app, are:
- Bicycle crunches
- Planks
- Deadlifts
- Hanging leg raises
- Alternating toe touch
- Russian twists
- Mountain climbers
- Kettlebell swings
- Burpees
- Side plank dips
- Woodchoppers
- Bridge
- Bird dog
Do Love Handles Pose Risks?
It depends. To know what kind of fat you’re carrying around your waistline, use a body fat caliper. If your waist circumference is greater than 40 inches for males and 35 inches for females, then you carry visceral fat.
Visceral fat poses greater risks to the body because it surrounds your internal organs and causes inflammation in these areas. It can also affect your circulatory system, heart health, and liver function.
Subcutaneous fat, on the other hand, is not as dangerous because it’s just under your skin and can be easily gotten rid of.
The Bottom Line
Love handles are caused by many factors but they have two solutions: control your calorie intake and increase your daily physical activity. Both can be achieved simultaneously with a little diet and exercise.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. A licensed physician should be consulted for the diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
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This content is brought to you by Clare Kamau
Photos provided by BetterMe.
The post What Is The Cause Of Love Handles And Can You Get Rid Of Them Once And For All? appeared first on The Good Men Project.
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