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Women are genetically predisposed to storing excess fat in their hips, thighs and buttocks. If you find you have "love handles," fatty deposits on your hips and obliques, then reducing overall body fat is the best way to get rid of them. Exercising and eating right will help women lose love handles.
Steps
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Focus on lowering your stress levels. Stress releases the hormone cortisol, which encourages your body to store fat. [1] X Research source Try meditation, yoga or changing your schedule to reduce your stress.
- The place that you store fat, may depend upon genetics; however, studies have shown a correlation between stomach fat and stress. [2] X Research source
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Get more sleep. [3] X Research source People who don't get at least 7 hours of sleep per night are more likely to store fat in their stomach, hips and thighs. [4] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public Go to source Give yourself 1 hour to decompress before you want to start sleeping. [5] X Research sourceAdvertisement
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Be more active. Love handles may have appeared slowly, over the course of a decade or more. This slow weight gain can be caused by a sedentary lifestyle, so try the following things to get moving:
- Buy a pedometer. Make sure you are walking 10,000 steps during the course of your daily routine. [6] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- Stand up while you talk on the phone, watch television or on the bus. You may think that sitting is unavoidable, but standing for just a few minutes can help with lower body weight loss.
- Add in a 30 minute walk every day, in addition to exercise. This walk can be done on your lunch break, in the morning or after dinner. Any added exercise will start to give you skinnier hips. [7] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
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Do cardiovascular exercise for at least 30 minutes 5 days per week. [8] X Research source For fast weight loss, you should increase this to 1 hour 5 days per week.
- Without a proper diet, it will be extremely hard to lose your love handles only by exercising.
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Go running. This exercise is the best way to reduce weight in your thighs, because it promotes quick body fat loss.
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Do high-intensity interval training (HIIT). [9] X Research source Do 1 to 2 minute periods of sprinting every 5 minutes during your aerobic workout.
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Do planks. [10] X Research source Get in a push up position. Hold it for 30 seconds to 2 minutes while breathing deeply.
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Do side planks . When you are in a push up position, transfer weight to your left hand and left foot. [11] X Research source
- Turn sideways so your right foot is on top of your left. Make sure your hand is right under your shoulder. Keep your body straight and hold the position for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Switch sides.
- If side planks are hard for you at the moment, try making them with a bent leg.
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Do side plank dips. [12] X Research source Get into your side plank position. Lower your left hip 2 inches (5cm), then raise it 4 inches (10cm). Do 10 dips on each side.
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Do side crunches . Get on your back with your feet straight up in the air. Raise your chest up, off your shoulders, using only your abdominals.
- Raise your hands in the air. Reach your right arm toward your right foot, by twisting at the waist. It should be a small movement. Repeat 20 times on each side.
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Reduce the number of processed foods you eat. Focus on cutting out sugary foods and processed grains.
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Replace soft drinks and alcohol with water and tea. Most sugar-filled drinks are between 150 and 300 calories. [13] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source These are considered "empty" calories, because they have few nutrients.
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Fill your plate half full with produce. The other half should be split between lean protein and whole grains.
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Eat a healthy breakfast that is between 300 and 600 calories. It is necessary to keep your metabolism from slowing down and storing more fat in your midsection.
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Keep a food diary. [14] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public Go to source Reduce what you eat by between 100 and 500 calories, reducing less on the days when you have a long workout.
- Most doctors agree that losing weight and keeping it off require small diet changes and reductions that you are committed to, rather than drastic diets.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat exercises can I do at home to lose back fat?Alphonso White is a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach at CompleteBody in New York City. With over 20 years of experience in the personal fitness industry, Alphonso specializes in fat loss, toning, and functional training. As an ACE Certified Personal Trainer (ACE-CPT), he creates structured, personal workout plans geared towards short and long-term fitness goals. Alphonso also holds a BS in Nutrition and Exercise Science from Queens College and is a Black Belt in Seido Karate.No single exercise will help with fat loss—it's a team effort that begins with reducing your caloric intake. Pull-ups, rows, and pulldown exercises are all excellent exercises to help you tone your back muscles, though.
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Tips
- Love handles have less to do with the gym and more to do with nutrition and diet. They are usually fat tissue that's accumulated on the side of your waist, and you'll need to be at a caloric deficit to lose fat tissue.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Sleep
- Stress reduction
- Pedometer
- Running shoes
- High-intensity cardio intervals
- Planks
- Side crunches
- Produce
- Healthy breakfast
- Food diary
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about losing weight, check out our in-depth interview with Laila Ajani .
References
- ↑ https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/stress-weight-gain
- ↑ https://news.yale.edu/2000/09/22/study-stress-may-cause-excess-abdominal-fat-otherwise-slender-women
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/prescriptions-life/201712/how-get-more-sleep
- ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/taking-aim-at-belly-fat
- ↑ https://psychcentral.com/lib/12-ways-to-shut-off-your-brain-before-bedtime/
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/10000-steps/art-20317391
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20046261
- ↑ https://www.military.com/military-fitness/weight-loss/lose-love-handles
- ↑ https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/high-intensity-interval-training-the-ultimate-guide.html
- ↑ https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20813896,00.html
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2VljzCC16g
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIgJkPjnFe4
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/nutrition/index.html
- ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-keep-a-food-diary-2019013115855
- http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/50-ways-to-lose-your-love-handles
About This Article
Article Summary
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The key to losing your love handles is being active and living a healthy lifestyle. Aim for about 2 ½ hours of cardio exercise a week. If running or hitting the gym isn’t your thing, try yoga, dance, or playing a sport. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. Avoid foods high in simple sugars like soda, cookies, and chocolate. It can take a little effort to get into the right routine, but once you get used to it, you’ll start seeing results! Try writing a food diary to keep track of what you're eating. For more tips, including how to do some simple weight-loss exercises at home, read on!
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