THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE HANDLES AND HOW TO LOSE THEM

Despite their name, there isn’t much love for love handles. Love handles are another name for the excess fat that sits at the sides of our waist and over hangs our pants, much like a muffin top.

This side fat exists because of sheer physiology and genetics – and there is not much we can do to defeat that. For men, love handles are hard to lose because most of their fat cells are located in this area. For women, our bodies like to deposit fat in the hip and thigh area too which creates the illusion of love handles.

Whilst many people try to target this specific area with endless crunches and other oblique exercises, the dead weight still clings on for dear life. While these facts may sound dismal (you can’t do much to alter your genetics) there are dietary, exercise and lifestyle factors that we can control to help melt that muffin top.

Reduce stress Hip and belly fat can be a result of high levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. When the body is in a constant stressful state, cortisol raises blood sugar levels and can cause insulin resistance. This leads us craving sugary and fatty foods. To keep waist-widening stress at bay, engage in stress relieving activities such as yoga, socialising with friends, going for a stroll or taking a nice hot bath.

Don’t obsess over your core You’re not going to see your abs if there’s body fat in the way, so doing a 100 sits up a day is not going to be effective. You don’t necessarily lose fat in the area you train, in-fact the majority of research suggests that ‘spot reduction’ doesn’t work. However, it is worth noting that specific targeted exercises when combined with cardio, strength training and a healthy diet can indeed lead to fat loss.

Eat a healthy balanced diet To get rid of the fat that covers your waist and stomach, the first thing that needs to be addressed is your diet. Focusing on full body workouts and eating a healthy diet to create an overall calorie deficit is the only real way to lose fat from any region of the body.

Avoid the fads Excessive dieting can wreak havoc on your hormones. Not only is this bad news for your metabolism, it can mess with your sleep quality, energy levels, mood and strength. Following a realistic diet that does not eliminate any vital nutrients is much more sustainable. Not only will the fat fall off, but you will feel healthier, more energetic and not lose lean muscle.

Cut back on alcohol Alcohol contains 7.1 calories per gram. Moderate amounts of alcohol have been shown to increase body fat (especially around the midsection) due to its calorie content as well as its appetite-enhancing effects.  Alcohol can also mess with your digestion, making it difficult for your body to absorb nutrients like amino acids and B vitamins, and impairs protein synthesis.