Table of Contents
Introduction
No matter how much acceptance the humble “dad bod” garners, love handles will continue to be hated, and why not?
They are ungainly and stubborn and worst yet, the pesky bulging masses of lard are quick to make an appearance. Let yourself go even a bit and you will end up with the notorious side butt.
The good thing is that it is completely possible to rid yourself of love handles.
And, for all you boys out there who don’t have the time or the inclination for the vanity of the famed six pack, well, the thing about flank fat is that it will eventually creep sideways to give you the dreaded beer belly.
And as you know, a jiggly tummy is bad for the ticker and just about every organ in your body!
So, whether you have health or aesthetic reasons to read up on how to lose love handles for men, follow the three pronged approach discussed in this article to get guaranteed results.
The not so lovely truth about love handles!
This isn’t just a myth- love handles are truly hard to drive out and to keep away.
Even diligent gym goers and disciplined eaters can end up sporting these omnipresent fat-spills, and this is attributed to three factors that are responsible for seeming invincibility of love handles:
- Think of the midriff as the storage point for fats. So, whenever there is extra fat available, it is sent to the cells in this area before any other part of the body. Hence, the lower side of your torso is always the first to pile on the pounds.
- The fat storage in the area would not be such a problem if the retained triglycerides would have a role in the normal functioning of your body. If that were the case, the fats would get stored and eventually they would also get depleted.
- However, the fat cells in the lower torso are specifically meant to cater to the body’s emergency needs. In other words, your body will not tap into this energy resource unless it faces an existential crisis like the shortage of food. And that is what makes it so hard to trim the midsection.
- Yes, those love handles are all subcutaneous (sits under the skin) fat, so they certainly don’t spell as much trouble as the dangerous visceral fat. However, there is a growing body of evidence which states that any kind of fat in the midsection can pose a problem for the internal organs. And if that’s not enough, the darn subcutaneous fat is notoriously resilient to regular weight loss initiatives.
Hence, given the nature, the resilience and the location of the spare tire, it’s obvious that you will need to combine proper nutrition with the right workout routines and top it all with an optimal mindset to fight off these rolls of fat.
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Nutrition: What you put inside your body is bound to show on the outside!
Don’t let anybody tell you that it’s possible to get rid of those love handles without changing your diet (1).
Truly, there are no magic pills that can zap away the middle age spread. Plus, your body will fight you tooth and nail to hold on to its emergency store of energy.
In other words, you will have to create a faux-crisis to compel your body to dip into this energy source. Sure, a drastic diet is one option. But, let’s get real; starvation is neither a sustainable nor a healthy approach to fat loss.
Instead, opt for continual calorific deficit, which can be done with these 6 simple and realistic tips.
1.Know where you are headed in terms of your calorie intake.
There are two rules of thumb to remember if you are going for a modest drop of 1-2 lbs/week.
· Aim for a deficit of about 500 calories/day, which won’t leave you going crazy with hunger.
· Don’t go past the lower threshold of 1500 calories (depends on your weight, of course).
To lose a pound of fat, you will need to use up/give up 3500 calories. Now, the thing about subcutaneous fat is that it’s denser, heavier and is spread wider than visceral fat.
This means that a deficit of 500 calories per day/loss of 1 lb of weight/week would make the results demotivating-ly slow in the beginning.Plus, you may pare the gains, if any, over time courtesy of your body’s energy control mechanism (2).
So, yes you will need to curtail intake by 500 calories but you will also need to shed a few hundred calories more by way of expenditure- in other words through exercise. That is coming up in the next section.
But, for starters, take stock of your total calorie requirement/day; there are several online tools that will help you to calculate this magic figure.
Simply deduct 500 calories from your daily calorific requirement and you will come to the actual number of calories that you ought to be consuming.
2.Go real with your food to rid yourself of love handles.
Undoubtedly, there is no dearth of juices, bars and shakes that promise to melt away the fat, but there is one crucial aspect of the weight loss equation that these products don’t address- HUNGER.
The hungrier you get, the more likely you are to toss out those fitness goals and simply succumb to the feeling of satiation.
On the other hand, when you eat real foods, you not only keep yourself full, but also give your body the nutrients it needs to plow through the toughest of workout regimens.
Another plus is that these foods are good for the noggin, so you won’t have to deal with the depression and irritation that come with starvation. So, give up on those protein bars, artificial sweeteners, junk foods, colas, energy drinks and sugar laden snacks.
Raise your hands if you said, “What’s new; I’ve heard that one before”. Well folks, let’s talk actual figures for a bit.
It only takes 13-18 crisps/chips to put a shocking 120-150 calories in your body. So, you would eat right through your daily quota of calories in about 130-180 crisps or chips.
Now, that may seem like a lot, but if you consider the rate at which most people munch on these snacks, that’s about 20-30 minutes of mouth work.
In other words, you will have to sustain yourself for 24 hours on what you ate in a matter of 20 minutes?
Is that even possible? Hell no! So, this is stellar advice and one that you must follow if you are serious about deflating the spare tire.
3.Eating your way to a “muffin top-free” physique.
Raw, whole, plant-based foods support the system and give your body the nutritional boost it needs to reach your fitness goals. 80% of what you eat should include:
- Leafy greens that cleanse and detox the body and provide healthy fibers. Your best choices would be spinach, kale, chard, beet greens, purslane and water cress.
- The essential 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day that will keep hunger pangs at bay.
- Take your pick from the bright colored offerings of nature such as tomatoes, eggplant, sweet potato, artichoke, green peas, turnip, zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, broccoli, cabbage, celery, oranges, berries, figs, watermelon, kiwi, apple, rhubarb, grapefruit, pear, peach, pineapple, tart cherries, pomegranate, papaya, guava and passion fruit.
- Seeds and legumes that help you to load up on plant protein. Opt for lentils, black beans, chickpeas, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds.
- Spices and herbs that add flavor and antioxidants to your food. Go for ginger, garlic, turmeric, rosemary, oregano, coriander/parsley, black pepper, cinnamon, jalapeno and paprika.
4.Do carbs and fats the right way to fight off the side butt.
Both these macronutrients are frequently vilified to the point that several diets recommend their complete elimination.
But, your body needs these nutritional groups just as much as the others. Plus, the fact is that no matter what you eat, once you munch past your calorific requirement, the excess will be stored in the midsection, regardless of what form it came in.
So, instead of giving up on carbs and fats entirely, opt for their healthier versions-
- The complex carbs: These take both more time and energy to digest, which means you remain feeling full for longer.
- The release of sugar into the blood stream is more gradual and it takes more energy to digest them.
- Choose quinoa, brown rice, black rice, couscous, oats and whole wheat.
- The healthy fats: These fight off hunger pangs and cravings, so take your pick from avocados, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, extra virgin olive oil, fatty fish and full fat yogurt.
5.Lean proteins can help significantly to trim the midriff.
It’s no secret that proteins, whether animal-derived or plant based make the digestive system work harder.
The extra investment of energy means many more calories lost in processing the food. Plus, protein is needed to build muscle mass.
So, choose proteins from soures such as lean red meat, poultry, cage-free eggs, cottage cheese, tofu and casein.
6.Size and time both matter in your fight against love handles.
Dividing your daily calorific intake over 5- 6 meals is an effective way not just to boost your metabolism but also to keep binge eating and cravings at bay.
However, with so many meals, it is easy to overshoot your calorie requirement, so plan your meals in advance and exercise strict portion control.
Ideally, about 45-50% of your calories should come from complex carbs, 20-25% from fats and 25-30% from proteins.
Keep in mind that that is just one suggestion for portion distribution. There are many other philosophies and methods out there that certainly work.
Space your meals 3 hours apart; this way, you don’t put yourself in the position of being ravenously hungry.
Also, restrict your consumption of complex carbs to before and after your workout sessions if possible. This lowers the likelihood of the calories being stored as fats.
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Exercise: Only the right type of training will defeat those love handles!
Yes, you need to watch what you eat but the right type of exercise is just as important for melting away fat.
In fact, several studies point out that only if you combine right dietary measures with appropriate physical training can you get the desired results.
Here are 5 tips that will help you to choose what works and stay away from what does not.
1.Jogging won’t help as much.
Steady state cardio is more a mind-pleaser than a fat-burner. In essence, it creates the illusion of you working out but offers dismal results at best.
Sure there are experts out there who say that even some workout is better than no workout. But, that’s only when you have hit rock bottom in terms of leading a sedentary lifestyle.
But, if you are serious about losing the spare tire, low-paced aerobic exercise may not be as efficient as you think.
So, either be prepared to push yourself hard, or keep the cardio for warm up and cool down, or for when you have an extra ten minutes to spend.
2.HIIT works and it works well.
Even the International Journal of Obesity (3) attests to the effectiveness of high intensity interval training in trimming body fat.
And, you will need to achieve overall weight loss if you eventually want to get rid of the bulge around the belly.
Let’s also get one thing straight- targeted fat loss is a fallacy. When it comes to body fat, you either lose it all over or you don’t lose it at all.
So, assuming that you could do with shedding a few pounds, HIIT would help your cause the most. The thing about exercise intensity is that it has a direct impact on energy expenditure (EE).
It’s a no-brainer that the more intense a workout routine, the more energy you will spend to complete it.
But, the EE does not stop just there. High intensity training also increases the resting energy consumption, so you continue to burn calories even after you are done exercising.
The only problem is that continuous high intensity training is not sustainable nor physically possible for many, and that’s where you lookup high intensity interval training.
Alternating short bursts of high intensity training (about 20 seconds) with twice as much recovery time (about 40 seconds of low intensity exercise) gets you significant benefits without depleting your physical resources.
- For your high intensity training, take your pick from intensive use of rowing (machine), jump rope, skipping, fast running, jumping jacks and others.
- You will know you are working out intensely enough if you cannot utter full sentences while doing the exercise. The minute that happens, you are basically pushing yourself to 85% of your body capacity.
- For recovery/low intensity work, you can choose an ab-specific exercise such as the sideway plank, Russian twists, partial sit-ups, bicycle crunch, butterfly sit-ups and barbell roll outs.
The goal is to pick coordinating exercises that do not involve a massive change of scenery or tools.
3.Never underestimate the importance of warm up and cool down routines.
Start with dynamic stretching exercises such as side lunges, t-pushups, high kicks, kneeling extension rotation and even sun salutations.
These will help to prep the muscles for what’s to come. End the routine with static stretching that will push the lactic acid out of the muscles.
Warm up and cool downs are integral to safe and effective workout regimens.
4.The rules are different for the skinny fat guys.
So far, a lot has been said about the importance of overall fat loss in tackling love handles. But, what about the guys who don’t have a lot of fat to begin with, except for in the midsection?
Losing more weight for these guys would mean ending up with a smaller frame than what they started with but with just as much fat in the midriff.
If you are that skinny fat guy, focus on weight training or resistance training to lose weight while building muscles. Include exercises that not just target the abs and the external oblique but also work the muscles in the chest and the back.
Building chest and back muscles does not have a direct impact on the lateral obliques. However, it does create the illusion of a more toned and trimmer midsection.
5.Don’t go overboard with your workouts.
Yes, you need to train hard but you can always overdo a good thing. So, aim for 20- 30 minutes per day, including the warm up and cool down, for 5 days a week.
It’s best to start at the 10-15 minute mark and gradually work your way up to 25-30 minutes. Also, it is very easy to hit a plateau and get bored if you continue to use the same routine day in and day out.
So, include more than one HIIT routine in your workout regimen for the week or change the routine every week or alternate between HIIT, strength training and circuit training. The idea is to not let your body get used to a specific regimen.
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Mindset: The mind leads the body
Last, but certainly not the least, is the role of your mind in the battle against love handles.
If you can’t keep up with your fitness routine or end up quitting midway, you certainly won’t be the first or the last guy to do so.
Once that happens, people tend to blame the lack of time, fatigue, pain and just about everything around them for the slip up.
In reality, there is only one factor to blame- the mindset. The Buddhist call it the monkey mind because it’s all over the place, all at once.
So, unless you train your mind before you start training your body, you won’t get too far with your plans. Here are a few tips that will help:
1.Be realistic with your goals.
A surefire way to set yourself up for failure is to set unrealistic goals. Of course, you won’t be able to meet overly lofty goals, and when that happens more than once, you are bound to lose focus and motivation.
So, start small and work your way up. Don’t aim for a six pack and impressively well-defined external obliques when you are starting with a “Santa” belly.
Instead, aim to bring down the girth first and then slowly but steadily work yourself into the position where body fat is no longer a big issue and only muscle building is required.
Along the same lines, set realistic timelines. If you are expecting to go from flab to fit in 10 days, you will only have disappointment staring back at you from the mirror at the end of your journey.
In essence, don’t go easy on yourself, but be grounded in reality.
2.The changes should be sustainable.
There is only so much deprivation and discomfort that your body and brain can handle before your mind steps in and convinces you to give up.
Instead, go the sustainable way with your fitness and dietary changes.
Moderation is the key to both long-term adherence and long-term success, so don’t try to do too much at once. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to make several radical changes at the same time.
3.Negativity certainly won’t get you too far.
No matter how hard you work out at first or how judiciously you follow your diet plan, if you let negativity prevail in your thoughts and self-talk, it will pull you down.
If you continue to feed your mind negative and disparaging statements like- “I cannot do it”, “This is too hard”, “I am never going to lose these love handles” or variations of these, rest assured that the negativity will turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
This negative narrative is lethal to your internal drive and it will smother your grit and determination like a parasite.
Don’t indulge it, and don’t let it take control of your mind. Use positive self-affirmations, realistic but timed-goal setting and even an accountability buddy if need be, to keep the negativity out.
Bonus Tips: Showing your body some RESPECT!
1. Limit your intake of caffeine, and instead, spike your water with green or white tea. Simply cold infuse your water with a tea bag to get the buzz of caffeine along with the calm of L-theanine; not to mention the antioxidants from the tannins and the flavanoids.
2. You are 60% water, so replenish your H2O stores with 2-3 liters of intake every day. In fact, start your day with a glass of water. If you can add the juice of half a lemon to it, even better.
3. Neither love nor age can have as much of an impact on the appearance of unwanted love handles as much as stress. If are serious about losing those love handles, lower your stress levels with activities such as tai chi, forest bathing, mediation, yoga and others.
4. One drink when the occasion absolutely calls for it won’t do much harm, but the booze will lead to the bulge if you start to drown your stress and troubles in alcohol.
5. Nothing harms the body as much as the lack of sleep. When you don’t get the required zzz’s there is a significant uptick in the level of cortisol (stress hormone) in the body. In other words, you are throwing your system off whack and creating the need for fat storage.
6. Sure Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s cheat meals are nothing short of orgasmic. But, have you seen his physique? Unless you have a bod to match, you will have to be more modest with your cheat meals. And forget all about a cheat day. If The Rock only gets a cheat meal per week, of course you get no more than that!
Resources cited:
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4429709/
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5639963/
Other references:
- https://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-tips/9-mindset-mantras-more-muscle/
- https://goodmenproject.com/health/6-ways-to-develop-the-fitness-mindset-cmtt/
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2012/09/03/why-love-handles-and-belly-fat-are-so-dangerous-to-your-health/#600804117fca
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-fat#1
- https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/not-so-sexy-side-love-handles/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12569205
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27152424
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21804427
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4628648/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5384053/
- https://www.military.com/military-fitness/weight-loss/lose-love-handles
- https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/nutrition/25-foods-to-eliminate-your-love-handles/ss-BBoAIST
- https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/how-to-get-rid-of-love-handles
- https://www.fitfatherproject.com/how-to-get-rid-of-love-handles/
- https://blog.menscience.com/how-to-lose-mens-love-handles/