Fatty deposits on the back and sides of the waist are not just unsightly, they’re unhealthy, too. You can get rid of “love handles,” as they’re affectionately called, by making a few small changes to your lifestyle.
 

Lose Fat All Over

 
Excess abdominal fat is the cause of love handles. This is a dangerous, stubborn type of fat that can lead to metabolic disorders and even serious heart disease. To decrease the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes or suffering a heart attack, reducing the fat around your waistline.
 

There is no such thing as spot reduction. If there was, we would all look perfect with no problem areas. So don’t bother trying to target your abdominal fat and nothing else….you’ll fail miserably. In reality, if you want to get rid of love handles, you have to lose fat everywhere else, too.

 
Three things can help you get rid of love handles. Strength training will increase your lean muscle mass, which in turn will make you burn calories faster. Cardio exercise will help you lose fat even faster. And eat with a slight calorie deficit. This will keep your body from storing excess calories as fat. Check out:

http://www.thinagaincoaches.com/go/burnfatfeedmuscle

 
Build Stronger Obliques
 

The muscles that run down both sides of your abdomen are the obliques. They frame the internal group of abdominals frequently called the 6-pack. The strength to twist and turn when we need to is provided by the obliques. Unfortunately, they are all too often hidden by love handles.

 
Building stronger obliques will help you burn more calories, and will give you tight abdominal muscles to show off after the love handles are gone.
 

Do exercises that were found by the American Council on Exercise to be the very best ones for working your obliques: Bicycle crunches, captain’s chair leg raises, and vertical leg crunches. This will help you get rid of the love handles faster.
 

Bicycle crunches involve lying down on your back and doing crunches while alternately touching your elbows to your knees, giving the appearance of riding a bicycle. Captain’s chair leg raises require the use of a captain’s chair, which you can find in your local gyms. Vertical leg crunches are performed like regular crunches, but with your legs raised in the air 90 degrees off of the ground.

 
You can find step-by-step instructions on doing these exercises online.

 
Eat Fat-Burning Foods

 
Foods that are high in sodium and sugar contribute to the waistline. To lose fat and get rid of love handles, you’ll need to eat more foods that fight belly fat. Heart-healthy fats, like those in olive oil, nuts, and fish, are doctor recommended. So is calcium from green, leafy vegetables and dairy products. Get plenty of fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These foods are digested slowly, so they leave you feeling satisfied longer. Three cups a day of green tea will speed up your metabolism and ward off diseases.

 
Check Your Clothes
Your clothes and love handles: Make sure your clothes fit properly. Tight clothing, especially jeans, can create the illusion of love handles, even on thin folks. If you’ve worked hard to lose fat around the waist, don’t ruin the effect by squeezing into jeans that leave you “hanging over!”

—Coach Buck and Coach Darlene