The term “love handles” is quite misleading. In fact, there’s no love lost when it comes to the fat on the sides and front of your belly. Love handles are “stubborn fat zones,” the first area where men accumulate it and the final place where it departs. Even though you’ve spent hours on the elliptical and at the abs station, it can often feel difficult to burn love handles off your body.
While changing your lifestyle and changing your workout routine are important for transforming your body, diet is even more important for losing fat on your back and sides.
Incorporating whole foods—nothing processed, packaged, or chemically altered—as your major source of nutrition is the most critical component of reducing any fat on your body, especially from your back and stomach. You can construct a nutrition plan that will help you lose obstinate love handles by focusing on fruits, vegetables, grass-fed meats and eggs, healthy fats, and anti-inflammatory roots and herbs.
I compiled a list of The top dietary, health, and lifestyle tips to help you start losing weight. There are no quick-fix gimmicks here—just tried-and-true rules to help you stay in shape for the rest of your life.
1. Don’t restrict your carbohydrate intake (especially pre- and post-workout)
Sweet potatoes, black rice, and oats are examples of healthy complex carbs that keep your metabolism active and provide long-lasting energy. When your body is denied of this energy, it enters famine mode, and fat burning becomes a secondary concern.
2. Use Stevia instead of sugar
Although artificial sweeteners have no calories, they can cause your body to accumulate and retain fat. Wean yourself off fake sugar because research suggests it can boost carb cravings, stimulate appetite, and increase fat storage. Wean yourself off of fake sugar because research suggests it can boost carb cravings, stimulate appetite, and increase fat storage.
3. Concentrate on fats that are good for you.
It may seem contradictory, but you must eat fat in order to lose weight. Eating a diet rich in avocados, nuts, seeds, olive/coconut oil, and fatty seafood will reduce belly fat.
4. Make the switch to organic.
Do not squint your eyes. The extra buck you save at the grocery store will go a long way toward improving your health. Organic meat and milk have roughly 50% more omega-3 fatty acid, according to research. Eating grass-fed meat and full organic cage-free eggs. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been proven to increase belly fat loss in both of these foods.
5. Add a little spice
Fresh or dried turmeric or ginger aids the body’s battle against inflammation, which is a direct cause of undesired back and belly fat retention.
6. Take a swig from the (water) bottle
It’s vital to drink plenty of water if you want to lose your love handles. When you’re dehydrated, your body will try everything it can to hold on to water and fool your brain into believing you’re hungry rather than thirsty. Aim for a gallon of water per day.
7. Plan your meals ahead of time.
Focus on consuming complex carbs before and after your workout, when your body will use them for energy rather than storing them as fat. To avoid hunger, try to keep your meals modest and consistent throughout the day (every 3 hours for a total of 5-6 meals).
8. Reduce the amount of alcohol consumed
Cutting alcohol alone can sometimes make a significant difference in your love handles. A beer or a glass of wine has over 100 calories, if you think about it. You’re putting on a lot of unneeded calories if you have a glass of either to unwind after work or go hard on weekends. Always keep liquid calories in mind.
9. Limit your caffeine intake.
It’s alright to have one to two cups of coffee, but not a whole pot! All of the extra sugars and milks aren’t helping either. Coffee can be consumed black, flavored with agave nectar, or infused with vanilla beans. You can also spice things up by drinking 2-3 cups of unsweetened, caffeine-free green tea.
10. Protein bars.
“Most of them are so heavy in sugar that they should be classified as candy,” adds Lowe. If you’re dead set on eating them, go for bars with only a few grams of sugar and ingredients that you can pronounce.
11. Include greens in your diet
Make sure to include a veggie in every meal. Make a spinach omelet for breakfast. Pre-cut veggie sticks can be kept in the fridge at work. Make every effort to include more in your diet, as only a small percentage of Americans consume the required amount each day.
12. Keep dairy to a minimum
Use agave and almond milk instead of sugar and cream in your coffee. Similarly, instead of butter, try olive oil or coconut oil; and if you must have cheese, choose hard cheeses over soft cheeses.
Muscle Hacker 