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Three Parts:Eating Right To Lose Love HandlesIncorporating ExercisesTracking Progress and Staying MotivatedQuestions and Answers

Everybody has a problem area when it comes to losing weight. For some, weight gathers in the hips and thighs, while others struggle to lose fat from their arms. Regardless of your specific problem area, the only solution is to lose overall body fat. Spot treatment, toning up, or losing weight in one place, is next to impossible. You'll need to change some aspects of diet, exercise, and your lifestyle to help lose weight and tone up your your stomach.


Part 1
Eating Right To Lose Love Handles

  1. 1
    Skip fad diets. Extreme dieting may yield instant results, but unless you can maintain the fad diet forever, you will likely gain the weight back the moment you resume your normal lifestyle.[1]
    • Plus, many fad diets, like those that involve eating overly processed foods, can be unhealthy in the long run.
    • Most health experts will say to skip the diet and make small lifestyle changes. These are easier to make and keep up long-term.[2]
  2. 2
    Reduce your caloric intake. Unfortunately, there is no way to lose fat from one region of the body only. If you want to get rid of your love handles, you will have to lose overall body weight by reducing the amount of calories you consume on a daily basis.[3]
    • Calculate the amount of calories you eat in a day by reading food labels and keeping a food journal. There are also plenty of free online calorie counters/calculators available that help you keep track of your calories and look up the calorie content of various foods.
    • If your goal is to drop the weight quickly, then reduce your intake by 500-750 calories each day. Eating within this range can help you lose 1-2 pounds per week when coupled with regular exercise.[4]
    • Though anything under 1200 calories is not sustainable in the long run and is not recommended. Very low calorie diets may result in nutrient deficiencies long-term.
  3. 3
    Eat a balanced diet. Your diet should be composed primarily of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. A balanced diet including all of these food groups will help make sure you're consuming adequate amounts of each nutrient daily.[5]
    • Also consume a wide variety of foods. For example, don't just choose to eat an apple a day. Alternate between apples, berries or oranges.
    • A balanced diet also means that you're consuming appropriate portion sizes of each foods. Following the right portion size can also help you lose weight.[6]
  4. 4
    Focus mostly on lean protein, fruits and vegetables. This combination of foods helps you lose weight, but specifically the body fat stored around your stomach.[7]
    • Many studies have shown that a lower carb, higher protein diet helps you lose the fat store in and around your abdominal organs.[8] This eating pattern can really target the fat found in love handles.
    • To get in enough protein, aim to have a 3-4 oz serving at each meal and a 1-2 oz serving at each snack.[9] This will help you meet your daily needs.
    • Fill the rest of your meals with a fruit or a vegetable. Some health professionals recommend eating 5-9 servings daily while others suggest making half of your plate a fruit or vegetable.[10]
  5. 5
    Limit carbohydrates. If you're focusing mostly on protein, fruits and vegetables, you'll want to minimize the amount of carbs you eat each day. This will help promote speedy weight loss from your love handles.[11]
    • Carbs are found in a wide variety of foods including: dairy products, grains, starchy vegetables, fruit and legumes.
    • Don't cut out carbs completely. Minimizing starchy vegetables and grains is an easy way to follow a low-carb diet. Many of the nutrients found in these food groups can be found in other foods as well.
    • Limit yourself to 1-2 servings of carbohydrate rich foods daily. Make the rest of your food choices a lean protein or vegetable.
  6. 6
    Limit processed foods and junk foods. Many highly processed foods or junk foods are higher in calories.[12] Limiting these foods can help aid in overall weight loss and the loss of unwanted love handles.
    • The best way to avoid eating unhealthy foods is to not keep junk food around the house. If you buy healthy foods, then you will eat healthy foods.
    • Cook your own meals at home when possible, as most restaurant foods are slathered with butter, sugar and oil. When cooking at home, ditch the butter and use olive oil or cooking sprays instead.
    • When ordering out, cut down on calories by asking for the dressing/sauce on the side, and choose protein-rich foods over pizza and pasta.
  7. 7
    Stay hydrated. Maintaining adequate hydration is important to your overall health. However, drinking enough water each day can also help support your weight loss.[13]
    • When you're trying to reduce your body fat and lose weight, drinking adequate water can help you feel full and more satisfied throughout the day.[14]
    • Aim for at least 8 glasses daily, but you may even need up to 13 depending on your age, gender and activity level.[15]
    • To help curb hunger and speed weight loss, try drinking a full glass of water before meals and snacks. This can help you feel fuller faster and may help you eat less overall.
  8. 8
    Watch your snacks. Plan out healthy snacks like carrots, celery, apples, and yogurt for in between meals. Higher calorie snacks may prevent you from losing weight or even cause weight gain.[16]
    • Most snacks should be around 100-150 calories if you're trying to lose weight.[17]
    • Also, only snack if you're truly hungry or there's more than 4-6 hours between meals.
    • For many people, weight gain has nothing to do with what they eat during their meals, but rather, what they eat in between their meals. Get out of the habit of snacking on foods mindlessly while standing in front of the refrigerator or rummaging in the cupboard.
    • Avoid late-night snacking by drinking tea or chewing on gum at night, and set a time for yourself, like 7:00 pm or 8:00 pm, after which you cannot eat anymore food.

Part 2
Incorporating Exercises

  1. 1
    Do bicycle crunches. One exercise that helps tone your stomach, but particularly your love handles or obliques are bicycle crunches.[18] To do this exercise:
    • Lay flat on your back with your hands behind your head. Raise your legs so that they are 1–2 feet (0.3–0.6 m) above the ground.
    • Bend your left knee and bring it toward your head and twist your body so that your right elbow meets your left knee.
    • Now, straighten your left leg and do the same thing on the other side, touching your right knee to your left elbow.
    • Do 15-20 of these for one rep, increasing reps as you get stronger.
  2. 2
    Do Russian twists. This twisting exercise may be slightly easier to do that traditional crunches, yet it focuses on strengthening your love handles and obliques.[19] To do this exercise:
    • Sit on the ground with your back straight and your feet extended out in front of you. Bend your knees slightly and keep your feet flat on the floor.
    • Bend backward slightly so that your back is at a little less than 90 degrees. Hold a 5-10 pound dumbbell in your hands and twist your body toward the left, lowering the dumbbell halfway to the floor.
    • Bring your body back to the original position, and then do the same thing on the right side. Repeat 20-25 times.
  3. 3
    Do side planks. The plank exercise is a great move to help tone your entire core, but making modifications to make it a side plank specifically targets your obliques.[20] To do this exercise:
    • Start off in a side plank position with your right elbow supporting you, and your left arm resting on your hips. Make sure that your body is totally straight, and hold the position for 30-60 seconds.
    • Repeat on the other side with your left elbow supporting you. You can flip flop a few times between sides.
  4. 4
    Try total-body toning classes. Yoga and pilates help tone up your entire body, and produce long, lean muscles. These types of exercises are perfect for those who do not want to get "bulky."
    • Join a yoga studio, or sign up for total-body toning classes at your gym if you are a member.
    • Try online yoga videos or DVDs. These may be cheaper than going to a yoga studio or paying for a gym membership.
  5. 5
    Get aerobic exercise. Getting enough cardiovascular exercise not only improves your overall health but helps burn calories and reduce your overall body fat.[21]
    • There are a variety of exercises that you can do. Try jogging, walking uphill, hiking, biking, dancing, and kickboxing.
    • You should get at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 5 times per week to maintain your overall health and lose weight.[22]
    • If you don't have enough time to do a formal exercise, then try to incorporate more activity into your daily life. Walk to your destination rather than driving, do chores around the house, go window shopping, and so on.

Part 3
Tracking Progress and Staying Motivated

  1. 1
    Take measurements. To help see how far you've come, it's a good idea to track your measurements. This will help see how much fat you've lost from your hips or stomach.
    • Use a tape measure to measure around the smallest part of your waist, the lower part of your waist (2 inches below your belly button) and your hips.
    • Measurements can help you keep track of your progress, and are more helpful than numbers on the scale, since muscle weighs more than fat.
    • Don't forget to take an initial measurement so you have a starting point to use.
  2. 2
    Weigh yourself. Losing your love handles means losing extra fat, and in turn, overall body weight. Regular check-ins with the scale may also help you keep off your body fat long-term.[23]
    • Weigh yourself 1-2 times per week in the morning before you have eaten anything. Remember that clothes and shoes weigh something too, so weigh yourself naked or in just your underwear.
    • Keep track of your weight so you can measure your progress. If you gain weight or lose too much you'll be able to pick up on the trend more quickly if you're tracking.
  3. 3
    Keep a food journal. Studies have shown that people who keep track of the food they eat by writing it down lose more weight than people who don't.[24]
    • Food journals help you stay organized, and hold you accountable for the decisions you make so that you are more conscious of your choices.[25]
    • Choose either a pen and pencil style journal or consider downloading an app on your smart phone.
    • Track all meals, snacks and beverages. This can be helpful information if you notice a weight gain or unwanted weight loss. You can see what food choices may have led to those changes.
  4. 4
    Find an exercise or diet buddy. Losing weight with somebody else can be a major source of inspiration. Studies show that those people who had support were more successful with weight loss.[26]
    • Work out together to make exercising more fun, and keep each other motivated when one of you feels like giving up.
    • Ask friends, family members or coworkers to support you or ask them to join you on your new diet and exercise program.

Questions and Answers

    Don't see your question? Ask it here:


    • Always talk to your doctor prior to making any changes to your diet or exercise program.
    • Exercise alone will not help you lose stubborn belly fat. Toning exercises help build muscle underneath the fat, but do not target the fat itself. The only way to lose fat is by eating less.

    Sources and Citations

    1. http://www.upmc.com/patients-visitors/education/nutrition/pages/fad-diets.aspx
    3. http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/abdominal-fat-and-what-to-do-about-it
    4. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20047752
    5. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Healthyeating.aspx
    6. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Healthyeating.aspx
    9. http://www.choosemyplate.gov/protein-foods
    10. http://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables
    12. http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/goodfood/pages/what-are-processed-foods.aspx
    13. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/qa-can-water-really-help-you-lose-weight
    16. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/healthy-diet/art-20046267?pg=1
    18. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/abdominalcorestrength1/qt/Bicycle_Crunch.htm
    19. http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/russian-twist
    20. http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/10-best-exercises-women/slide/3
    21. http://www.military.com/military-fitness/weight-loss/lose-love-handles
    22. http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/
    23. http://www.apa.org/monitor/nov07/daily.aspx
    24. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/articles/2008/07/08/4-ways-a-food-diary-can-help-you-lose-weight
    26. http://www.healthywomen.org/content/article/get-motivated-workout-you-wont-cancel

    Article Info

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    Categories: Featured Articles | Personal Fitness

    In other languages:

    Italiano: Perdere Velocemente le Maniglie dell'Amore, Português: Perder Pneuzinhos Rapidamente, Español: perder las llantitas de forma rápida, Deutsch: Fettpölsterchen rasch loswerden, Русский: быстро избавиться от жира на боках, Français: perdre rapidement vos poignées d'amour, 中文: 快速减掉赘肉, Bahasa Indonesia: Menghilangkan Kelebihan Lemak di Sekitar Pinggang dengan Cepat, Nederlands: Snel afkomen van love handles

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