Love Handles - The Rebel Chick

Two word answer… Absolutely nothing! I for one would love to get rid of my love handles once and for all. I am sure there are some who like having a little something to hold on to in your significant other, but I would prefer not to have any, I simply cannot “handle” them anymore. Yes, they start off small, merely an extra pinch worth of flab, but neglect the gym for too long or have one too many sweets, and they have a nasty way of creeping up on you, and before you know it, your love handles are out of control and here to stay!

So if you are sick of the rolls of flab living rent free around you, here’s some information about what causes them, and how to lose love handles.

What causes love handles to form in the first place?

If you strip it down, the root cause of love handles being formed is a build-up of fat or fat retention in the area. Now the reason as to why the fat cells are accumulating in the first place, and secondly why they are accumulating around your midsection, could depend on a number of factors.

Hormonal imbalances, specifically too much cortisol
Age, belly fat tends to increase you get older
Lack of physical activity
Poor diet or Binge eating junk
Lack of proper sleep
Untreated conditions like hypothyroidism that slow down your metabolism
Too much alcohol
Exercise that’s limited to cardio
Excess Stress

How can lose my love handles?

Women (and men) all around the world are self-conscious about their love handles. Unfortunately, losing love handles alone isn’t the easiest thing to do. But banishing them from the temple of your body isn’t entirely unachievable either. You can melt away your pesky love handles by following these great tips:

Clean up your diet. Switching up your diet is the first and foremost thing you can do. Clean eating is the way to go. Eliminate any junk snacking from your diet, and stick to healthy whole foods.
Cut down your alcohol intake. Limiting or cutting out your alcohol consumption completely will also help reduce your love handles, not to mention all the extra health benefits you get when you reduce your intake of alcoholic beverages.
Consume more Green tea. Green or white, brewing and drinking tea has been linked to the breakdown of fat. Green and white teas also block the development of fat cells, and facilitate the conversion of existing body fat into energy… plus green tea is delicious!
Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate. Water, or lack thereof has been liked to fat gain. So don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Drinking water and staying hydrated is essential for weight loss.
Try to avoid processed grains and starches. Excess stomach fat, is what love handles are made of. Limiting your intake of processed grains like flour will allow your body to burn that fat much more easily. Opt for complex carbs instead like vegetables and oat bran. The nutrients, fibre, and antioxidants in complex carbs keep you energized and full for longer periods than refined carbs like white bread.
Get your Cardio on. Cardiovascular exercise is not just limited to aerobics, running on the treadmill or zumba. There are many other ways to get your heart pumping and burning fat. Simpler, easier cardio options include cycling, swimming, walking at a fast pace, and swimming etc.
Remember to Pair Cardio with other exercises. If your regular workout routine is limited to cardio only, it may be causing your love handles to remain where you don’t want them. You would be better advised to include muscle workouts and floor exercises to your routine as these exercises, paired with the existing cardio you already do, help blast the fat.
Relaxation is key. Finally, make sure that you are getting enough sleep and try to minimize the stress in your life. The stress hormone, cortisol, makes your body go into panic mode… remember how people panic shopped for toilet paper and hoarded it. Just like that your body under stress wants to hoard extra fat. Practice some relaxation techniques like deep breathing and meditation when you feel stressed to keep yourself and your body calm.

So love handles, even though they have “love” hardcoded into their name, aren’t something we love. At least I don’t, my friends don’t, and I am quite confident that most women from around the world are also in the same boat.

However, losing love handles takes time. So don’t expect them to magically disappear overnight. Don’t get discouraged if the process takes longer that you had anticipated. Your efforts will be worth it in the end when you manage to regain the figure of your youth.