How to Get Rid of Love Handles Fast

Get Rid of Love Handles

Nobody is thrilled about love handles. Despite their affectionate name, they don’t make us look good and can be a major blow to one’s self-esteem. In the paragraphs that follow, we will talk at length about how to get rid of flabby stomachs and love handles. Is there a treatment that can produce faster results? How do exercise and diet compare? Read on for all the details.

What Are Love Handles?

The jargon “love handles” describes pockets of fat protruding above the hip bones that can become even more prominent when you wear tight clothes. (Other ways to say love handles include muffin top and spare tire.)

Even though the name is endearing and romanticised, there is nothing romantic about love handles from a medical and cosmetic standpoint.

Waist circumference isn’t just a matter of aesthetics. Numerous studies have demonstrated that if you carry weight in the midsection, you have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes or coronary heart disease.

Thus, shedding the extra fats around your belly, including those love handles, can benefit your appearance and health alike.

Then again, it’s not an easy thing to do. When you lose weight, you don’t spot reduce fat. That is, there is no way to target fat loss in a certain area of the body through diet. So, it can be quite challenging to lose love handles.

But there are certain treatments and methods you can go for to provide lipolysis (breakdown of fats through water and enzymes) and get rid of love handles.

Young overweight woman looking in mirror and touching her fat belly

What Procedures Get Rid of Love Handles and Excess Fat

Below are the treatments that are known to spot reduce fat in the body. Check out more about their mechanisms of action, as well as their pros and cons.

ReduStim

ReduStim is a BioMagnetic hands-free device that allows you to reduce fat in the abdominal area, hips, knees, and calves. It comes in the form of a special device that is connected to a suit which covers pretty much everything from the waist down.

The technology combines alternating controlled micro pressure and low-frequency magnetic fields, targeting and removing both visceral fat and subcutaneous fat. This enables you to get rid of love handles.

ReduStim has been tested for more than 15 years now. A series of treatments with the device can help patients lose fat that is equivalent to 6 cm of waist circumference or two dress sizes. Since it comes with various settings, it can be customised to fit all kinds of people.

Advantages of the therapy:

No metabolic constrains
No side effects
Minimal discomfort
Non-invasive and painless
No downtime
Versatile and customisable

Additional benefits of ReduStim:

The treatment can burn visceral fats
It lets you manage settings in a breeze
It could improve fatty liver disease
It helps you lose body fat both in the lower body and upper body alike
The treatment can minimise the risk of heart disease, reduce the probability of female and male fertility caused by a higher BMI, as well as lower polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Disadvantages of ReduStim

There are no known disadvantages to ReduStim. But you should know that it doesn’t work on weight loss. You can lose a significant amount of fat, but that won’t show on the scale. Hence, if you gain some weight and body fat, respectively, after the procedure, it may compromise the results.

Cryolipolysis

Cryolipolisis is a non-invasive, fat-reduction treatment that uses a hand-held device to freeze stubborn fat cells and kill them in the process. It was designed to target problem areas in the body such as love handles, thighs, back fat, and excess fat under the chin.

The procedure involves placing an applicator over the targeted areas that vacuums the skin and then cools the fats to a pre-determined temperature. During the process, patients experience a cooling sensation, but there is no pain. One session takes 30-60 minutes.

Benefits of cryolipolysis for body fat removal:

It is an outpatient procedure
A single session can treat multiple areas of the body
No incisions are required
No anaesthesia is required

Disadvantages of cryolipolysis

The skin may remain irregular after healing
It is suitable for patients in good general health
Cryolipolisis does not affect visceral fats
Weight gain can undo the results

Liposuction

Liposuction is a widely discussed procedure, and you probably already know how it works. It’s usually performed on areas with stubborn fatty tissues like the waistline and buttocks. The treatment uses a cannula to suck out or vacuum fat cells through small incisions in the skin.

Medications and anaesthesia are employed to numb the targeted areas and make patients feel comfortable during the process. Liposuction is a surgical procedure that should be carried out at an accredited facility.

Advantages of liposuction for body fat removal:

It can enhance your self-esteem
Fat reduction in the targeted areas
The fat cells that are eliminated with liposuction never come back

Disadvantages of liposuction:

There is a risk of contour irregularities
Some areas may become numb
Fluid may accumulate under the skin
There is a risk of infection
As you gain weight and especially belly fat, you can undo the results
Liposuction does not remove visceral fats

Abdominoplasty

Abdominoplasty also goes by the name tummy tuck. It involves making an incision into the belly skin, realigning muscles, separating the skin from the abdominal wall, as well as removing extra skin and abdominal fat.
In the end, the belly button is put back in place, and everything is stitched together.

This is a surgical procedure that is performed under general anaesthesia and has a long recovery. Although the results last indefinitely, existing fat cells can still increase in size. This means you should commit to healthy eating and find time to work out even after you get a tummy tuck.

Benefits of abdominoplasty for body fat removal:

It not only removes fat but also tightens abdominal muscles
It can alleviate back pain and improve posture

Disadvantages of abdominoplasty:

There is a prolonged recovery period
It will leave a small scar on the lower abdomen
Weight gain can undo the results
Abdominoplasty does not remove visceral fats

Diet Changes That Can Help You Lose Body Fat

Healthy eating and Diet concept

We do want to point out that diet solely will not get rid of love handles and stubborn fat in other areas of the body, but it can positively affect your life. For one, minding what you eat can decrease the feelings of hunger and improve digestion, which will result in an overall slimmer waistline.

On that note, it is recommended that you add more soluble fibre to your diet. This means increasing your intake of foods like veggies, nuts, beans, oats, and fruits. Studies suggest that just by eating more fibre, you can lose some of your belly fat and lower your risk of heart stroke and liver disease, among other things.

Further to this, you should try to eat fewer carbs and cut out sugary foods. Make sure to consume lean proteins and more healthy fats (fatty fish, avocado, olive oil, etc.). This will keep you full longer.
Needless to say, ditch fried foods in favour of whole foods. Did you know that people who stick with whole grains lose more body fat than individuals that choose processed foods instead?

With that said, select brown rice over white rice, sweet potatoes to regular potatoes. Say no to white bread. You want to opt for complex carbohydrates. Also, stay away from alcohol and fizzy beverages that add liquid calories to your diet.

And finally, losing body fat is also a matter of maintaining a calorie deficit. The number of calories you eat daily plays a huge role in fat storage. There are many calculators online that can help you keep track of what you eat.

Don’t get too obsessed, though. Talk to a specialist if you need assistance with that.

All in all, losing weight is not easy. It requires lots of effort and attention on your part. One thing to keep in mind is that hormones can impede weight loss, no matter how hard you are trying.

Thus, you should consult a doctor if you have any underlying health conditions before you begin your weight loss journey.

Cardiovascular Exercises That Can Help You Lose Fat

The following abdominal exercises can help you reduce the appearance of love handles and prevent health issues. They work both on your core muscles and other body parts.

Mountain climbers

Get on all fours but make sure your hands are positioned slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your body should be straight, don’t bend your knees yet. It’s like you are in a plank position.

As you hold this position, begin to slowly bring one knee toward your stomach.

Now, alternate between legs fast as you are bringing your left knee and your right knee close to your chest. Keep your body in a straight line. Repeat 15-20 times.

Side planks

Lie on your left side, and your legs should be straight and stacked on top of each other (your left leg should be under your right leg, respectively). Keep your core strong. Now, lift your hips off the floor, all the while standing on your left elbow. Breathe in and out.

Hold this position for a while. Then go back to starting position. Repeat on the other side. This time your right foot should be below your left foot, and you should lie on your right elbow.

Bicycle crunches

Lie flat on the floor. Lift your legs, knees bent. Now slowly extend one arm with the opposite leg. Go back to starting position and repeat with the other arm and leg. Make sure to keep your back flat on the ground the whole time.

You should also consider weight training and resistance training. By doing so, you can build lean muscle and enhance your metabolism, which in turn will make your body burn fat even when you are at rest.

Russian twist

Russian twists begin with a seated position, your knees bent. Your spine should be at a 45-degree angle from the ground. Keep your elbows in front of your chest, lock your fingers. Rotate the trunk to the right and then to the left, using your abdominals only. Repeat 14-16 times.

If you have never exercised before and you have no idea what to do, ask fitness trainers or wellness professionals to put together an exercise program for you that will help you not only lose belly fat but also tone your muscles. Physical activity is essential for every human being, regardless of whether you want to lose weight or not.

FAQ

What exercises can help reduce love handles?

Exercises that can help tone your midsection and minimise the appearance of love handles include abdominal scissors, mountain climbers, push-ups, side plank, woodchoppers, and Russian twists.

Are love handles visceral?

It depends on how much fat you have. If your waistline measures more than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men, this means you have visceral fats. If your waistline measures below those numbers, it can be concluded you have subcutaneous fat.

Does cardio help with visceral fats?

Yes, aerobic exercise can burn visceral fats and liver fat, at that.

How much cardio does it take to burn visceral body fat?
If you want to shed visceral fats, you should regularly engage in aerobic exercise or cardio. Try to include 30 minutes of cardio into your regimen every day.

What foods help burn belly fat?

These include red bell peppers, diluted vinegar, edamame, broccoli, yoghurt, and beans. Make sure to eat a diet rich in lean protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs. Avoid consuming more calories than you need by removing soft drinks from your regimen.

What is a stress belly?

This is a sign that shows how much stress can impact abdominal fat cells. It is by no means a medical condition. The term simply goes to show that high cortisol levels are linked to more fats around your abdomen.

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July 2022