by Lorelei Cohen

Created on: February 27, 2010   Last Updated: March 05, 2010

Love handles are those little bulges of fat that accumulate just above the hips and to the side of the stomach. Termed love handles because of their ability to be grasped by our lover, these folds of fat can be quite worrisome to individuals who are self conscious of the fact that they are storing extra fat around their midsection.

If you are one of those individuals who are worried about the size of their love handles then be aware that spot reduction does not work on these specific folds of fat. If you want to lose your love handles, then you will have to initiate a plan to reduce your overall body fat, and this means burning more calories than you consume. Other than cosmetic surgery losing weight is really the only sure fire way that you are going to make those nasty old love handles go away.

However, there are a few quick tricks to reduce the size of your love handles or to make them look less pronounced. You can make your love handles look less noticeable by increasing the appearance of your upper body size. You can do this by wearing clothes that will enhance the image of a larger chest or shoulder area, or you can exercise your upper body to increase it's size, and therefore create the appearance of a smaller abdominal size.

Reduce your salt intake. Salt will make you retain water, and the fuller that your stomach is, then the thicker your love handles will appear to be. By reducing your salt intake, you can help reduce the appearance of bloating, and appear leaner.

Drink more water. Drinking extra water will keep your body from retaining extra water and this means that you will not appear more bloated, or round, than you actually are. The extra water will also help your body to metabolize the foods that you eat, and to help you to feel fuller with the food that you do consume. When you feel more satisfied, then you eat less, so make sure that you drink at least eight glasses of water per day. It really is important.

Decreasing the amount of alcohol that you consume will also hasten your waist loss program.  Alcohol generally contains large numbers of calories, and those extra calories have a tendency to store themselves in the stomach, and waist area. By simply eliminating alcohol from your diet plan you can decrease your calorie intake and increase your chances of a quicker overall weight loss.

Of course the best way for you to get your love handles under control is by reducing your calorie intake and by increasing the amount that you exercise, so that you lose weight. You simply need to initiate a responsible diet and exercise program. As you lose weight you will also lose the extra fat that you have stored around your midsection.

Eat a few extra vegetables with your meals, munch on an apple instead of potato chips or Cheezies, and exercise. Dance, lift weights, initiate a yoga program, swim, walk, run or jog, it really does not matter how you burn those extra calories off, just get out there and exercise a little more than you currently do. Although you cannot just focus on burning the fat from your midriff section, you can burn off your body's excess calories, excess weight, and overall fat through increased exercise. So start burning more calories than you take in and your love handles will definitely melt away.

Remember to always diet responsibly. Your body will thank you for it later.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_handles

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