Love handles can be extremely difficult to get rid of because this is usually one of the last places that seems to lose the fat as you are working your way down. The thing is that love handles cannot be gotten rid of simply by targeting the problem area with exercises as just with other areas of your body you cannot spot reduce the fat. Getting rid of your love handles like getting ripped abs takes a commitment and lifestyle change that will reflect that commitment. Luckily for you the pursuit of both goals can and will be undertaken at the same time but if you want to lose your love handles be prepared to put forth some effort.
Your physique begins in the kitchen. Meaning that if you want to change you body in a significant way then you are going to have to change your diet in a significant way. This doesn’t mean a crash diet with temporary results this means implementing highly nutritious foods and getting rid of the processed garbage. To get rid of the love handles the first step is to change the way you eat.
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The most dramatic change I ever noticed in my body just by a simple change in diet occurred when I was a teenager. I used to drink lots of soda and then one day I just decided to experiment and cut it out of my diet completely. Within a few weeks I was noticing weight loss without any other changes in diet or exercise. If you know that you are one of those people who has a hard time sticking to a strict diet make a simple change like I did first just to get that first change to be complete. Then add another few small changes like replacing simple carbohydrates (white breads, cookies, etc.) with complex carbs like brown rice and fibrous carbohydrates like broccoli.
Protein is very important for adding lean mass. The more lean mass you have the more calories you will burn throughout the day and hence the more fat you will lose around your waist. High protein foods include fish, chicken, eggs, turkey, beans, lentils, lean cuts of beef, etc. A neat trick for when you are grocery shopping is to stick around the perimeter of the store as most stores will have the fruits and veggies plus meats around the edges while the center of the store holds all of the processed junk food.
If you’re keeping score so far that’s:
- High protein
- Low sugar
- Complex carbs not simple ones
- Also, be sure to eat fat. That’s right eat fat to lose fat. It is important to distinguish between good fats and the one’s where too much is unhealthy. Good fats should come from sources such as nuts and omega-3 fats from fish. You can supplement with fish oil to help lose some fat and for heart health.
Okay so now that we have our baseline dietary rules in order we can get to the exercises that will help to shape your oblique muscles that are currently buried under the fat known as your love handles. Now as I said we cannot simply spot reduce the fat off of our trouble areas by doing more and more exercises. These oblique exercises should be included in your regular fitness routine that should be comprised of resistance training and cardio.
Exercises for obliques (love handles):
These exercises shouldn’t completely make up your ab workout but a couple of them per workout should do it along with diet and other physical activity.
Side bends: Grab light dumbbells and bend to one side of your body and return to an upright position. Now switch to the other side.
Hanging leg raises (twisting): Hold on to and hang from a pull up bar. Bring your knees up and slowly twist them to the side before returning to hanging position.
Side leg raises: Lie on your side keeping yourself up with your elbow. Keep the leg that is on the ground slightly bent and underneath the leg that will be raised into the air. Raise that leg that you are not resting on as high as you can but when you come down don’t let it hit the floor. Then roll over to the other side and raise that leg. Make sure you contract the oblique muscles and not use your hips.
Twisting crunches: Lie on your back with your hand behind your head. Start out as you would for a crunch but twist your torso so that your right elbow comes across to your left knee. Return to the original position and change sides for the next rep.
Losing love handles is not something you can simply do a few exercises for and see lots of change in the area within a couple weeks. To get rid of love handles fast you need to start introducing a stricter diet and having a workout plan that includes weights, cardio, and specific exercises like the ones above that work your oblique muscles. Remember that while you won’t change your body over night all of the little changes do eventually add up to a complete transformation and it is up to you to be consistent with the work and diet.