Love Handles: Tips, Exercises, Diet for Waist Fat

Love Handles: Tips, Exercises, Diet for Waist Fat - sharpmuscle
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Updated: June 12, 2023

An area of skin that extend outward from the hips, known as love handles. It is another name for the extra fat that sits on the sides of the waist and hangs over the top of the pants.

In addition to being a risk factor for many diseases, excess abdominal fat can make you feel bloated and discouraged.

Love handles, also known as muffin tops, can be a challenge to lose fat. To get rid of the muffin tops for good, you need to make changes in diet, exercise, and lifestyle.

Many people try to target this specific area with endless side crunches and other abdominal movements, targeting the oblique, muscular ones that drive the sides of the torso.

They are fat, and to burn fat you need a healthy diet and a rigorous cardiovascular program. The only way to reduce these love handles fat is to burn more fat for your body.

I suggest that eating more and more healthy food and following a well-rounded exercise program can help you burn more calories.

What causes love handles?

The underlying factors of love handling is fat retention. Fat can accumulate anywhere in the body, but there are some factors that increase the likelihood of maintaining fat in the hip, lower back and abdominal areas.

  • Hormones, especially too much cortisol
  • Age (accumulation of abdominal fat is especially common as you get older)
  • Lack of physical activity
  • Dietary fats, sugars and high calorie foods
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Unplanned or untreated conditions that slow down your metabolism (hypothyroidism – or underactive thyroid – for example, makes it difficult to burn excess calories)

Risk factors of love handles

Love handles are not dangerous, but they may indicate underlying risk factors for chronic diseases. Are included:

Stopping the love handle can boost your overall health. If you dream about having a flat stomach, then this article may be just what you need.

How to fix it?

Fortunately, several strategies have been shown to be particularly effective for reducing your waist size. Here are science-supported methods that will help you reach the goal of reducing your “love handles” fat.

1. Good amount of sleep

People who sleep very little are more likely to gain weight and increase waist circumference than those who sleep normally.

The study has repeatedly shown sleeping less than five hours a night for adults and less than 10 hours for children is associated with increased risk of weight gain. 1 2

In women, shorter sleep duration is associated with an increased waist size compared to those who get a good night’s sleep. 3 2

2. Reduce stress

Try to add some stress-relieving activities to your routine, such as yoga or meditation. Stress triggers the production of cortisol, increasing appetite and storing abdominal fat.

Stress is associated with the development of many diseases, and is also a common cause that people go to eat or binge-eat, often without hunger in the first place. 4 5

This can be particularly harmful in women who already have a large waistline, as they produce more cortisol in response to stress, which further increases belly fat. 6

3. Drink water to increase total energy expenditure

Drinking water can increase your metabolic rate, make you feel full and help relieve constipation, all of which can help you achieve the goal of flatulence.

There are at least three ways in which water can help you achieve a flat stomach:

  • It can help in weight loss by temporarily increasing your metabolic rate. In fact, drinking water can increase your total energy expenditure by 100 calories per day.
  • Drinking water before meals can make you feel full, so you will eventually eat fewer calories.
  • It can help relieve constipation and reduce flatulence.
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Drink a big glass of water before 1 hour of each meal. This can help you achieve your goal.

4. Do not consume heavy alcohol

Heavy alcohol consumption can contribute to weight gain, especially around your love handles areas.

If you want to reduce “love handles” areas fat, then you should aim to reduce or quit alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol contains 7 calories for each gram, which partly explains why alcoholic beverages are full with liquid calories. Beer has the same calories as sugary drinks, while red wine has twice as much.

Although moderate alcohol drinking is unlikely to reduce weight, heavy alcohol intake is associated with weight gain, especially around your pregnancy.

5. Do not drink sugar-sweetened beverage

Aromatic sodas, fruit juices, and energy drinks are usually filled with sugar and liquid calories.

Your brain does not register liquid calories like it registers solid calories. Therefore, they top everything you eat and contribute to weight gain. 7

It is also very easy to drink large amounts at once, resulting in abundant amounts of empty calories.

These drinks are also usually filled with fructose, which is directly linked to increasing abdominal fat.

One study has shown that each daily serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage increases the risk of obesity in children by 60%. 8

6. Eat healthy diet to reduce love handles

Eating healthy is important when you are trying to lose fat in love handles area of ​​the body. A healthy diet is not about strict boundaries, staying unreasonably thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it is about feeling great, having more energy, improving your health and boosting your mood.

These simple guide can show you how to plan, enjoy and stick to a healthy diet:

Cut on sugar consumption

Adding added sugar is one of the best ways to cleanse your diet. The added sugar is found in cookies and foods such as candy, sports drinks and soda. The term does not apply to natural sugars found in healthy foods such as whole fruits.

In addition to being associated with a case of health issues such as heart disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, eating too much sugar can increase body fat content, especially in the abdominal area.

Sweeteners such as table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), honey, and agave nectar all contain a simple sugar called fructose.

Several studies have shown that fructose, especially sweetened beverages, causes an increase in abdominal fat. 9

In addition, most sugary foods are full of calories yet contain few nutrients. Reducing the amount of added sugar in your diet can help reduce body fat, including love handles.

Cut back on your calories

It is a well-known fact that you need to cut calories to lose weight. Eating a few calories over a long period of time can slow down your metabolic rate. Therefore, it is important not to restrict calories too much or for long.

Decrease in metabolic rate can persist even when you start behaving normally. This means that you may have a lower metabolic rate before you severely restrict your calorie intake.

A popular approach is to reduce your daily intake by 500–1,000 calories to expect to lose about 1-2 pounds (0.5–1 kg) of weight per week.

Eating too few calories can drastically decrease your metabolic rate, or increase the number of calories you consume on a daily basis.

In one study, a group of people who ate 1,100 calories per day slowed their metabolic rate more than double compared to those who consumed about 1500 calories per day for four consecutive days. 10

Limit carbs intake

Choosing complex carbohydrates that contain more fiber than refined carbohydrates is a great way to lose weight and get rid of “love handles” fat.

Unlike refined carbs that leave you feeling hungry, complex carbs make you feel satisfied throughout the day and can help you eat less.

For nutrient-dense complex carbs such as sweet potatoes, beans, oats and brown rice, refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and white rice can help you shed belly fat.

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Studies have shown that your diet includes fiber-rich carbohydrates, which can help you lose weight, which can help thin the love handles. 11

Limit your carbs. Limiting your carb intake has powerful health benefits, especially for weight loss.

More specifically, studies show that a low-carb diet targets fat that stays around your organs and expands your waistline. 12

Some studies also show that you can significantly improve your metabolic health and reduce your waistline by replacing refined carbs with unsafe, whole food carbs. 13

Protein intake

Protein is one of the most important nutrient to lose weight.

High-protein diets can increase your metabolic rate, reduce your hunger, and help you maintain muscle during weight loss. They are also associated with lower abdominal obesity rates.

Our body burns more calories digesting protein than fat or carbs. Therefore, a high-protein diet may account for an additional 80–100 burned calories per day.

In addition, studies have found that people who eat more protein have slimmer waistlines than those with less protein. 14

How much protein you need depends on many factors, such as your age, gender, and level of activity.

Generally, you should aim to get 20-30% calories from protein on a daily basis. This can easily be achieved by including a protein source in every meal.

Healthy fat intake

Filling healthy fats such as avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds and fatty fish can make your waist slimmer.

Not only do healthy fats taste delicious, they help you feel full, allowing you to consume fewer calories throughout the day.

A study of more than 7,000 people found that when participants ate a high-fat Mediterranean diet with olive oil, they lost more weight and accumulated less abdominal fat than a low-fat diet. 15

It is recommended to eat fatty fish once or twice per week. Fatty fish is very healthy and rich in essential long chain omega-3 fatty acids. 16

Detox juice twice a week

It is best to drink the juice on an empty stomach, so I usually eat it in the morning, before I have something else for breakfast.

  • Research suggests that drinking juice made from fresh fruits and vegetables can improve your antioxidant and folate levels, including important vitamins like C and E. 17
  • A large study also suggests that drinking juice 3 times a week may be helpful in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, when compared to drinking juice less than once a week. 18
  • A review of several studies has linked laxatives to lower risk of heart disease, as fruit and vegetable juice may help reduce homocysteine ​​levels and markers of oxidative stress. (A high level of homocysteine ​​in the body is a risk factor for heart disease.) 17

Love Handles Diet Plan for Men and Women

1. Workout day diet plan for women
IngredientsQuantities
BREAKFAST MEAL
(Super oats meal)
Whey protein
or ProteinX
1 scoop
Oats1/2 cup
Banana1/3
Flaxseeds or Chia seeds1 spoon
Cinnamon2g
Revital
(for women)
1
MID-MORNING MEAL
Milk (non-fat)1 cup
Apple oor Pear or Orange1
LUNCH
(Paneer Bean Salad)
Paneer50g
Kidney Beans1/2 cup
Cucumber1/2
Tomato3 spoon
Cabbage or Green leaves
or Lettuces or Brocoli
1 cup
Carrot1 large
Walnuts20g
Avocado
(optional)
1
Vinegar1 spoon
MID-AFTERNOON MEAL
Whey protein
or ProteinX
1 scoop
Banana1
Peanut1 spoon
Peanut butter1 spoon
DINNER
(rice veggies boil)
Soya chunk30g
Brown rice1/2 cup
Cauliflower1/2 cup
Chic peas (cooked)1/2 cup
Green bell pepper1/2
Tomato2 spoon
Onion2 spoon
Coconut oil1 tbs
Salt + pepper + garlic powder
Ketchup1 spoon
Lemon1/2
Fish oil or Flaxseed oil1g
1 hr BEFORE BED
Almonds (crushed)12
Milk (non-fat)240ml
Cinnamon1 pinch
Cardamom (green)1
IngredientsQuantities
PRE-WORKOUT MEAL
Amino energy
(supplement)
1 scoop
Water (cold)200ml
OR
Coffee1/2 tbs
Water (hot)240ml
POST-WORKOUT MEAL
Whey protein
(supplement)
1/2 scoop
Water240ml
OR
Milk (non-fat)240ml

Micro-Breakdown: Calories = 1490; Protein = 140g; Carbs = 120g; Fat = 50g

2. No-workout day diet plan for women
IngredientsQuantities
BREAKFAST MEAL
Oats1/2 cup
Banana1/2
Cinnamon2g
Whey protein or ProteinX1 scoop
Revital
(for women)
1
MID-MORNING MEAL
Milk (non-fat)240ml
Whole wheat bread1 slice
Peanut butter1 spoon
LUNCH
Roti1
Paneer50g
Cucumber1/2
MID-AFTERNOON MEAL
Milk (non-fat)1 cup
Roasted channe1 cup
DINNER
Brow rice1/2 cup
Black lentils (cooked)1/2 cup
Yogurt (low-fat)1 cup
Fish oil or Flaxseed oil
(supplement)
1g
1 hr BEFORE BED MEAL
Non-fat milk240ml
Crushed Almonds12
Cardamom (green)1
Cinnamon1 pinch

Micro-Breakdown: Calories = 1530; Protein = 101g; Carbs = 205g; Fat = 34g

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3. Workout day diet plan for men
IngredientsQuantities
BREAKFAST MEAL
Oats1/2 cup
Whey protein1 scoop
Banana1/2
Chia-seeds or Flaxseed1 spoon
Cinnamon2g
Multivitamin
(supplement)
1
MID-MORNING MEAL
Casein or Whey protein1 scoop
Apple or Pear or orange1
LUNCH
Paneer50g
Kidney Beans1/2 cup
Avocado or Broccoli
(optional)
1/2
Lettuce or Cabbage or Green leaves1 cup
Cucumber1
Tomato3 spoon
Carrot1 large
Walnuts20g
Vinegar1 spoon
CLA (supplement)1g
MID-AFTERNOON
Whey protein1 scoop
or ProteinX2 scoop
Peanut butter1 spoon
Peanut1 spoon
Banana1
DINNER
Soy chunks50g
Chickpeas1/2 cup
Brown rice1/2 cup
Cauliflower1/2 cup
Green bell pepper1/2
Onion3 spoon
Tomato3 spoon
Salt, pepper, and garlic
powder
Ketchup1 spoon
Lemon1/2
Fish oil or Flaxseed oil
(supplements)
1g
1 hr BEFORE BED MEAL
Casein or Whey protein2/3 scoop
Milk (non-fat or Almond)240ml
Flaxseeds (ground)2 spoon
Cinnamon1 pinch
CLA (supplement)1g
IngredientsQuantities
PRE-WORKOUT MEAL
Amino energy1 scoop
Water (cold)200ml
OR
Coffee1/2 tbs
Water (hot)240ml
Milk1 spoon
DURING WORKOUT
Xtend1 scoop
Water750ml
POST-WORKOUT
Whey protein1-2 scoop
Gatorade200ml
or Water240ml
OR
ProteinX (sugar free)2 spoon
Milk (non-fat)240ml

Micro-Breakdown: Calories = 1950; Protein = 203g; Carbs = 127g; Fat = 70g

4. No-workout day diet plan men
IngredientsQuantities
BREAKFAST MEAL
Whey protein1 scoop
or ProteinX2 scoop
Oats1 cup
Banana1/2
Cinnamon2g
Multivitamin
(supplement)
1
MID-MORNING MEAL
Milk (non-fat)240ml
Whole wheat bread3 slice
Peanut butter1 spoon
LUNCH
Roti2
Paneer80g
Cucumber1/2
CLA (supplement)1g
MID-AFTERNOON MEAL
Whey protein1/2 scoop
Oats cookies
(Britannia)
3
Dry Roasted channe1 cup
Milk (non-fat)200 ml
DINNER
Yogurt (low-fat)1 cup
Brown rice1 cup
Black lentil (cooked)1/2 cup
Fish oil or Flaxseed oil1g
1 hr BEFORE BED
Casein or Whey protein2/3 scoop
Milk (non-fat)240ml
Whole wheat bread1 slice
Peanut butter1 spoon
CLA (supplement)1g

Micro-Breakdown: Calories = 2177; Protein = 143g; Carbs = 309g; Fat = 41g

7. Love Handles Workout Routine

Fat reduction cannot be done only with spot exercise. While strengthening and resistance activities can help with muscle tone and flexibility, they do not shrink fat cells.

For optimal results, try to combine cardiovascular exercise with weight training and targeted movements. If you are trying to lose weight and body fat overall, you may need five hours of moderate exercise per week.

Even if you can’t fit in a full-on workout every single day, you’ll just reap the benefits of being more active. Here are just a home workout routine that target the back, abdomen and hip areas:

DaysExercises
MondayAbs
TuesdayUpper body
WednesdayLower body
ThursdayAbs
FridayUpper body
SaturdayLower body
SundayNo-workout

Abs routine

ExercisesReps
Cat cow stretch10 reps
Sit up10 reps
Knee raise10 reps
Oblique crunch10 reps
Plank side hip dip10 each side
Plank side bridge10 reps each side
Spiderman plank10 each side

7 exercises back to back without any rest. Perform 5 rounds and do 1 minutes rest between rounds.

Upper body

ExercisesReps
Wide push-up10 reps
Stretch walk10 reps
Close push-up10 reps
Shoulder push-up10 reps
Hindu stretch10 reps

Back to back 5 exercises, no rest between 5 exercises. 5 to 8 rounds, 1 minute rest between rounds.

Lower body

ExercisesReps
Wide-jump squats10 reps
Back lunge10 reps each side
Split lunge10 reps each side
Mountain climber10 reps each side
Diagonal calf raises10 reps

5-8 rounds, 1 minute rest between rounds. There are no rest between exercises, 5 exercises back to back.

Sources

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