Love handles or the buildup of fat around the abdominal area and on either side of the hips is a common aesthetic concern. They are more evident when you wear clothes that hug your body. So, what causes love handles and how can you resolve them?
Causes of Love Handles
Excess fat that hangs over the sides of waist can distort your overall body contour. The main reason for love handles is fat accumulation, which can occur due to various reasons:
Age: Belly fat is particularly common in older adults.
Diet: Some foods cause belly fat to build up: food with trans fats, salted snacks, fried foods, low fiber and low protein foods, sugary snacks and drinks.
Sleep disorders: Common sleep disorders like insomnia can lead to accumulation of fat deposits, especially in the waist area and hips.
Lack of physical activity: People with busy schedules tend to skip exercise. Lack of physical activity and exercise contribute to excess body fat.
10 effective ways to get rid of love handles
- Eat healthy fats: A diet that is rich in healthy fats can trim your waistline. Choose healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, flax seeds, nuts, etc.
- Avoid sugary foods: Avoid candies, cookies, sodas, and soft drinks that contain added sugar. They are stuffed with more calories and less nutrients.
- Eat foods rich in fiber: Include high fiber foods like beans, nuts, oats, vegetables and fruits in your diet. These foods keep you full for a long time.
- Exercise: Burning more calories will help you cut down excess fat. Start with simple workouts and gradually increase intensity over time.
- Weight lifting: Weight lifting is one of the best physical activities to reduce body fat and tone the body.
- Manage stress: Stress affects physical and mental wellbeing. Along with weight gain, it can lead to other health issues like insomnia, migraine, and digestive issues.
- Try to get enough sleep: Sleeplessness raises cortisol levels that increase body weight. Some studies say that sleeplessness is a major reason for excess fat deposits and weight gain.
- Increase your protein intake: Add protein rich foods to your diet. It will help you maintain your weight once you attain your goal.
- Drink lots of water: Stay hydrated, and drink plenty of water and healthy fluids. Drink plain water or unsweetened tea instead of other drinks that are too high in added sugar.
- Avoid alcohol: Alcoholic drinks add calories. Drinking alcohol stimulates your brain cells and stimulates appetite and food intake.
Do Love Handles Affect Your Health?
Generally, love handles are not a serious concern, but can be considered an indicator of certain health issues, such as:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Type two diabetes
- Heart disease
- Liver dysfunctions
Love handles take time to develop and don’t usually go away soon. You need to put in effort and diligently follow a healthy lifestyle to lose those troublesome pockets of fat. Take care not to overdo things. It needs time, patience and consistency to reach your goal. Liposuction can help with stubborn love handles, but consider the treatment only when diet and exercise don’t work.
