How To Lose Stubborn Love Handles
I received an email titled, “LOVE-HANDLES!! Help me lose them.”
I have been working on a routine that incorporates exercises that will help you work your love handles over time and effort. Personally, I like to work my “obliques” on days I work my legs, so I created the Legs and Love Handles workout seen below.
As with any abdominal fat-loss goal, you need to concentrate on three areas to help firm your midsection:
1. Healthy Diet
2. Cardiovascular and resistance training
3. Targeted abdominal exercises
*Note: You cannot target fat loss. Fat will be used as energy for your workouts and will be reduced after time performing cardio, resistance training and eating healthy.
As with any fitness and health goal, nutrition and exercise are always the main ingredients to success. Neither can be missing, or you will not have the energy to exercise or you will be part of the yo-yo diet crowd, buying a new diet book every year. Here is how I would break it down to get rid of those “love handles”:
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1. Healthy diet
The most important factor in acquiring washboard abs is eating a healthy diet. Here is a list of recommended healthy ways to help you lose a few inches:
- Drink at least three liters of water per day
- Eat five servings of vegetables and fruits per day
- Limit fried foods and cheese
- Limit processed sugar
- Eliminate fatty red meat only lean red meats
For a food plan that was developed by a nutritionist, see “Lean Down Meal Options” .
How To Lose An Inch Of Belly Fat In Four Weeks
Belly fat could be a sign that your health is at risk, with Type-2 diabetes and heart disease among the associated dangers. I carried out an experiment with the Trust Me, Im a Doctor team and a group of volunteers. We found that diet, rather than exercise, is the best way to rein in the belly.
Using our calculator below, you can work out how many calories you can consume to try to lose an inch in four weeks*. It tells you how many calories you need each day to maintain your weight, and you should reduce that figure by 500 calories to start reducing your weight and belly fat quite quickly.
* If you are underweight, you should not follow a weight-loss plan.
Eat Plenty Of Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel that helps slow down food as it passes through your digestive system.
Studies show that this type of fiber promotes weight loss by helping you feel full, so you naturally eat less. It may also decrease the number of calories your body absorbs from food .
Whats more, soluble fiber may help fight belly fat.
An observational study in over 1,100 adults found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber intake, belly fat gain decreased by 3.7% over a 5-year period (
Make an effort to consume high fiber foods every day. Excellent include:
- flax seeds
- blackberries
SUMMARY
Soluble fiber may help you to lose weight by increasing fullness and reducing calorie absorption. Try to include plenty of high fiber foods in your weight loss diet.
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What Can You Eat
Each volunteer was encouraged to measure portions based on the size of their hands.
Aim for a daily intake of:
- Three fist-sized servings of carbs
- Two palm-sized servings of lean protein
- Two cupped handfuls of vegetables or salad
- Two fist-sized servings of fruit
- Two servings of fat or oil covering the tip of your thumb.
You can also have 200ml/ pint of milk, or two 125g pots of natural or low-calorie yoghurt.
Generally, you can eat your usual foods, so long as you reduce the portion size. Avoid or limit sugary and high-fat foods, such as fast foods.
The speed of waist reduction varies from person to person, so even if you reduce your calorie intake by the suggested amount, your results may differ.
As time passes you will lose weight and you’ll need to recalculate your calorie requirement. At your new weight you’ll find your daily requirement has dropped. So you need to drop again to keep 500 calories below your daily requirement. By recalculating you will keep losing 1lb a week.
What Are The Four Steps To Help Blast Belly Fat
* FIGURE OUT YOUR BODY TYPE: Whether you’re an endomorph, an ectomorph or a mesomorph, you need to exercise and eat different.
* FOCUS ON NUTRITION: Cut all alcohol and processed foods for the duration of the 10 days and focus on nutrient-dense items.
* GET RID OF STRESS: As much as possible, limit anything that is stressing your body and mind.
* EXERCISE RIGHT: The best way to lose belly fat is often to unite several forms of exercise – such as steady state cardio, HIIT, resistance training and ab-focused workouts.
A good way to blast your belly fat if you’re an endomorph is to try a low carb diet and do more cardio than the other two body types.
Ectomorph
The ectomorph on the other hand tends to be naturally more lean, though Rachael warned they can in fact be ‘skinny fat’ and still have a muffin top.
Typical ectomorphs include Elsa Hosk, Karlie Kloss and Keira Knightley.
Because ectomorphs find it difficult to retain muscle, Rachael said ectomorphs should eat a high carb diet without too much cardio.
Instead, they should focus on their resistance training – even if it’s light weight work.
Mesomorph
Last but not least, the mesomorph is often thought as the best of both worlds.
While they store body fat more easily than ectomorphs, it’s easier for them to lose it than it is for endomorphs.
Famous mesomorphs include Gigi Hadid, Jennifer Lawrence, Adriana Lima and Irina Shayk.
Step 2: Focus on nutrition
Step 3: Reduce stress
Step 4: Exercise right
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Moderate Legumes And Cruciferous Vegetables
Legumes, beans and cruciferous vegetables are all highly nutritious and should certainly feature in your diet however, if you’re not used to them, they can unfortunately cause you to become gassy. The best way to introduce them? Slowly. Give your body time to adjust to these types of carbohydrates.
Try swapping a lunchtime meal for a veggie-heavy soup, too, as it’s a great way to get your five-a-day and fill you up, without the bloat.
Box of 6 soups, £22, RE:NOURISH
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Dab A Spot Of Vanilla On Your Wrists To Limit Sugar
In a study done by St George’s Hospital, volunteers who wore a vanilla-scented patch on the inside of their wrists reported reduced cravings for chocolate and other sweet foods compared to a control group. You can replicate the study with a little vanilla extract.
Taylor & Colledge vanilla bean extract, £7.05,
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Exercising To Flatten Your Stomach
How Much Belly Fat Do You Have
The most precise way to determine how much visceral fat you have is to get a CT scan or MRI. But there’s a much simpler, low-cost way to check.
Get a measuring tape, wrap it around your waist at your belly button, and check your girth. Do it while you’re standing up, and make sure the tape measure is level.
For your health’s sake, you want your waist size to be less than 35 inches if you’re a woman and less than 40 inches if you’re a man.
Having a “pear shape” — bigger hips and thighs — is considered safer than an “apple shape,” which describes a wider waistline.
What were really pointing to with the apple versus pear, Hairston says, “is that, if you have more abdominal fat, its probably an indicator that you have more visceral fat.”
Continued
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S For Beating Belly Fat
There are four keys to controlling belly fat: exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management.
1. Exercise: Vigorous exercise trims all your fat, including visceral fat.
Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week. Walking counts, as long as it’s brisk enough that you work up a sweat and breathe harder, with your heart rate faster than usual.
To get the same results in half the time, step up your pace and get vigorous exercise — like jogging or walking. You’d need to do that for 20 minutes a day, 4 days a week.
Jog, if you’re already fit, or walk briskly at an incline on a treadmill if you’re not ready for jogging. Vigorous workouts on stationary bikes and elliptical or rowing machines are also effective, says Duke researcher Cris Slentz, PhD.
Moderate activity — raising your heart rate for 30 minutes at least three times per week — also helps. It slows down how much visceral fat you gain. But to torch visceral fat, your workouts may need to be stepped up.
Rake leaves, walk, garden, go to Zumba, play soccer with your kids. It doesnt have to be in the gym, Hairston says.
If you are not active now, it’s a good idea to check with your health care provider before starting a new fitness program.
2. Diet: There is no magic diet for belly fat. But when you lose weight on any diet, belly fat usually goes first.
Continued
Naughty Step #: Give Yourself A Foodgasm
In The Naughty Diet, there are no forbidden foods. No calorie calculators. Because the only diet that works is one that understands we all have a need to feel good. Really good. In a famous study from the 1970s, two groups of womenone Swedish and the other Thaiwere fed spicy Thai food. The Thai group absorbed more ironnearly 50 percent more!than the Swedes. The authors conclude it’s because they liked it more. Pleasure makes you healthier! I call it the P-Spot, and in The Naughty Diet, you’ll learn how to find yours. “I found mine, and I didn’t just lose weight, but learned to relax in every food situation,” says Weena DeVora, 25, of Venice, CA. “Eating is now fun, for the first time.”
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Stop Drinking Diet Soda
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Just because it says the word diet on it, does not mean its diet-friendly. It is loaded with artificial sweeteners and encourages your taste buds to crave sweets, while spiking your insulin levels and causing your body to store more fat. According to a study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, people who drank two or more diet sodas a day had waist sizes that were six times bigger than those who didnt drink diet soda.
What Can You Expect When Following This Program And What Are Some Benefits
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How Do I Get Rid Of Belly Fat Without Exercise
Yes, You Can Lose Belly Fat Without Working Out Heres How
Choose Red Fruit Over Green
If you want to make a simple swap that’ll help you lose belly fat in 2 weeks, start eating red fruits over greens. That means Pink Lady over Granny Smith apples, watermelon over honeydew, red grapes over green ones. The higher levels of nutrients called flavonoidsparticularly anthocyanins, compounds that give red fruits their colorcalm the action of fat-storage genes. In fact, red-bellied stone fruits like plums boast phenolic compounds that have been shown to modulate the expression of fat genes.
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Are You Fed Up With Trying Diet After Diet Only To Lose And Regain The Same 510 20 Or 30 Pounds Over And Over Again Are Sick Of Suffering Through Diets Where You Need To Restrict Fat Carbs Or Calories
Would love to be back to the size you were in high school, but you feel too self-conscious to waste money on a gym membership?Do you want to lose fat, look great and disease-proof your body as quickly as possible without wasting a ridiculous amounts of time in the gym and wasting money on expensive supplements and diet pills?
Effective Tips To Reduce Belly Fat Naturally
If you are one of those who dont like to follow strict diet plans and want to reduce weight naturally, then weve got your back.
I myself dont like to exercise daily or dont believe in strict diet plans such as ketogenic diet or low-carb diet. So, peeps, here are a few tricks that you can try and can get the best results in no time.
Before you try these tricks, dont forget to read how to lose belly fat through doing yoga. Believe me its the best way to lose belly fat.
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Diet To Lose Inches Off Waist
You wont be able to lose or get rid of those last couple inches off your waist if youre not focusing on upgrading your diet. One of the hardest parts about losing inches off your waist is improving your eating habits.
Start by kicking out the bad foods that are causing belly fat in the first place. Usually, sugar and bad carbs are the worst offenders . Eating refined carbs, processed foods, vegetable oils, and sugar will cause you to never lose those inches off your waist.
Next, try eating a higher protein diet. Studies have found those eating more protein in their diet ended up reducing their waist circumference . Your body will not only burn more fat with a high protein diet but itll also keep and even build some lean toned muscle . This will help to lower your overall body fat too.
Also, dont be afraid to eat some good fats in your diet to lose those last couple of inches off your waist. Some of my favorite good fats include avocados, eggs, and extra-virgin olive oil. Youll better be able to control your blood sugar and insulin by eating good fats . You can check out my full list of good fats and protein sources on my Food List Cheat Sheet.
Last but not least you should be watching your caloric intake every day. I highly recommend keeping a food journal for at least a few days to track and measure how much youre eating daily. Then plug in this food into a calorie macronutrient counter such as Myfitnesspal.
Sleep More and Stress Less to Lose Even More Inches
Naughty Diet Step #: Stop The Shame Game
I polled thousands of women for a Naughty Survey that’s in the book. Nearly two thirds said they’ve been body-shamed by another woman for being too fat or too thin. And nearly 50 percent of all women admit to having consciously body-shamed another woman for her looks. Worse, most women body shame themselves! In The Naughty Diet, you’ll learn how to call a ceasefire, with help from experts like Dr. Alexandra Corning, from the University of Notre Dame. Her exclusive advice will free you from the “vicious downward spiral” that is chronic comparing, so we can all be happier and healthierforever.
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Cut Calories But Not Too Much
It is a well-known fact that you need to cut calories to produce weight loss.
One popular approach is to reduce your daily intake by 5001,000 calories to expect to lose approximately 12 pounds per week .
That being said, restricting your calorie intake too much can be counterproductive.
Eating too few calories can cause a major , or the number of calories you burn on a daily basis .
In one study, a group of people who ate 1,100 calories per day slowed their metabolic rate more than twice as much as those who consumed about 1,500 calories per day for four consecutive days .
Whats more, this decrease in metabolic rate may persist even after you start behaving like you normally do. That means you may have a lower metabolic rate than you had before you severely restricted your calorie intake .
Therefore, it is important that you dont restrict your calorie intake too much or for too long.
Bottom Line:
Eating too few calories may slow your metabolic rate, even in the long term. Therefore, it is important not to restrict calories too much or for too long.