I’ve been corpulent for a few years now, and recently I set out on a quest—nay, an odyssey—to get rid of flab. Exhausted by the glut of weight loss options available, I decided to do some research. I was (and am) primarily concerned with my prodigious belly and love handles, which stick out like a clown at a funeral. While scouring the web, I kept coming across either companies or people who promised to or wanted to get rid of love handles quickly . . . or overnight. Other problem areas—such as spare tires, saggy underarms, kankles, man boobs—were also (supposedly) an easy fix. After much reading and talking to experts, I found out that spot treating “love handles” is the wrong approach. To get rid of love handles, you’ll simply need to reduce your overall body fat.
That being said, there are people (precious few) who would benefit from spot-treating love handles. Where people store fat is primarily the result of genetics (thanks, Dad). Some people are blessed with the ability to spread it throughout the body, while others seem to accumulate fat in certain areas, and love handles are a common culprit. If you are fit and trim save for your slight bulges, then doing exercises to get rid of love handles by targeting the external obliques and latissimus dorsi can help reduce fat and create muscle tone, but even that may not work—and then liposuction may be an option. Remember, the weight loss industry is morbidly obese with schemes that make getting rid of fat both unrealistically fast and unnecessarily complicated. Weight loss is hard, but it isn’t complicated. With discipline, resolve, and a little knowledge, you’ll get rid of your love handles. Below, you’ll find scientifically researched, healthy ways to get rid of love handles and body fat in general.
Get Rid of Love Handles
Since you need to get rid of total body fat to get rid of love handles and you don’t want those love handles to return, a lifestyle change is in order. Fad diets, pills, and absurd contraptions peddled by celebrities don’t work. Your doctor will tell you this. Changing how you live isn’t easy. Start out by assessing where you are—try journaling about your goals, your weaknesses, and impediments to change in your life, such as finding time to exercise. If you’re going to get rid of love handles and have lovers lustily grabbing at your firm stomach, you’ll need to remove these roadblocks to true change.
If you want to get rid of love handles, you’ll need to consume fewer calories than you expend each day. The average healthy person should be getting 2,000 calories a day, but if you are trying to lose love handles and fat in general, you’ll want to ingest somewhere between 1,400 and 1,800 daily. If you reduce your daily caloric intake much further, you’ll suffer energy loss, reduced cognitive function (extended brain farts), and other health problems related to inadequate nutrition. When adjusting your diet, keep in mind that losing more than 1—2 pounds a week is not recommended.
Diet is the most crucial variable in weight loss. Mad scientist philosophies abound where diet is concerned, and depending on age, gender, and genetics, individuals have differing nutritional needs; however, there are some basic principles to consider. To get rid of love handles, you’ll need to limit the intake of high energy density foods (saturated fat, starchy carbohydrates, red meat) while making low energy density foods (fruits and vegetables) the foundation of your diet. These foods have few calories per gram, so you can eat them almost without limit. Fruits and veggies also contain essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that prevent disease.
Aerobic exercise and weight training will accelerate weight loss. For getting rid of love handles, aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, sustained exertion, etc.) is more important than any abdominal exercise. It is not only essential to get rid of love handles, but will have many benefits beyond your appearance, such as increased energy, improved moods, and greater physical health. My doctor recommended that I increase my heart rate and breathing for at least 40 minutes as many days a week as possible, but anything helps. Weight training, or anaerobic exercise, will increase muscle mass, which leads to increased metabolism. So lifting weights and working those obliques will help you burn fat faster and develop muscle tone.
Yes, there are “love handles exercises” (left), but they don’t work as advertised. Abdominal exercises like side bends do burn calories, but these anaerobic exercises are mostly about building and toning muscle, and you won’t see results if said muscles are hidden under fat folds of shame. Without weight loss through diet, aerobic exercise, and lifestyle changes, the love handles exercises are without merit; however, if you’re dealing with slight love handles or just a little flab, you may see results in a matter of weeks. Rather than looking up exercises on the Internet, go to a local gym and have a personal trainer safely demonstrate how to strengthen your whole core. Specifically targeting certain areas while neglecting others can lead to imbalance and injury.I Can’t Get Rid of Love Handles: Liposuction
Some individuals may be more prone to love handles because of genetics, which greatly affects where we store our fat. Genetics also curses some with fat cells that are stubborn to change and just won’t shrink. The love handle region is one of the most common areas liposuction is used for. The benefits of liposuction are that the fat cells removed are gone for good, and that same area will be resistant to storing fat in the future—you will become almost impervious to love handles. The downside of liposuction is that it is surgery, and all surgeries present risks. Liposuction is also expensive, and insurance companies won’t pick up the tab. Cosmetic operations should be considered an extreme last resort when all else has failed. It is best for those who have healthy, elastic skin and are fit or only moderately overweight.
