5 Steps to Losing Love Handles
It’s a common question I hear mostly from the guys:
“How do I get rid of my love handles?”
The famed “love handles” or the fat the hangs over the sides is stubborn and annoying! I know because have struggled with handles myself. Unfortunately, there isn’t an exercise or a machine in the gym that will take them away. The good news is that there IS something you can do about this unwanted extra fat.
Follow these 5 steps as I did and you will be on your way to the best possible body you can achieve!
1. Cut the sugar. Ideally, end sugar altogether! Since many people I know tell me this is too drastic, cutting down on sugar should be your #1 priority when it comes to losing love handles. This extra fat around your waist is evidence of too many carbs. If you drink soda, quit, immediately. Only eat dessert on special occasion. Otherwise substitute fruit for your sugar cravings.
2. Don’t overemphasize working out. You can do 1,000 crunches a day, get on one of those machines in the gym that make you twist, do side lifts, back lifts, foot lifts until your ears bleed, but none of this will take care of your handle menace. Walking, running, biking, stairmaster, treadmill- all are great exercises for helping burn this fat away- but if your diet is bad, your workouts will do you little good. Strength training is also recommended, but don’t be fooled into thinking you can “spot reduce”.
3. Eat a lot. Okay, I don’t mean to eat more calories. I mean eat more often. Snacking will help you burn this fat! Shoot for 4-5 times a day (including meals). Just stick with the good stuff for snacks- fruit, almonds, cottage cheese, protein bars, etc. If you eat often your body will continue to burn fat all day long as it’s digesting.
4. Take the stairs. This isn’t hard. If you’ve only got a few floors to go don’t take the elevator or escalator. Something this little can make a huge difference in how much cardio you’re getting over the course of a week.
5. Eat fat. Yes. Eat fat to burn fat. Just be careful of what kind of fat. Nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados are all good for you and will help you to keep away pesky blubber. But stay away from trans fats or “partially hydrogenated fat” at all costs, as it’s terrible for your health and can stay in your body for months! I tend to eat almonds often throughout the day, and it keeps me satisfied and keeps me from overeating.
Courtney on Sat, 27th Nov 2010 6:29 pm
You mention a lot about almonds and walnuts, but what about other nuts like macadamia, cashews, and peanuts? Are they as healthy as almonds? What makes almonds so healthy? I’m new to the program and am very much enjoying it. I have a lot of weight to lose and have greatly benefitted from the nutritional information and psychological connection. Thanks!
Kevin on Sun, 28th Nov 2010 11:24 pm
Hi Courtney,
The problem with peanuts are that they are not actually nuts, but legumes. They can be problematic for many people in terms of digestion and other issues.
As far as the other nuts, they are still healthy and contain monounsaturated fats, but with cashews in particular, you’ll need to watch your intake- they do contain a significantly higher amount of carbohydrates than other nuts. Also, I would try not to rely too much on nuts in general for fat, because they all contain a high amount of omega 6 fatty acids- and you will want to minimize these in relation to omega 3 intake….but this could be getting way too far ahead if you are simply trying to kick a carb addiction at this point.
I hope this helps! Good luck on your journey, let us know if you have any other questions.