The risk of developing fat around the waist region is greater in men than in women according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Love handles are pockets of fat that droop down on the sides of the stomach.
When you have abdominal fat, you are at high risk for chronic conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high triglycerides. Anatomically, love handles cover the muscles known as the obliques. The game plan to remove this fat includes a balance of healthy eating and exercise. To do this fast, you need to be disciplined.
Step 1
Stop eating doughnuts. Give up all foods that are high in sugar, sodium and saturated fat, such as sausages, bacon cheeseburgers, chili dogs, french fries, wings and spare ribs. Choose foods that are high in nutrients and lower in calories like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy.
Step 2
Reduce your calories to promote full body weight loss. To lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week, the Centers for Disease Control recommend a 500- to 1,000-calorie daily reduction. Track your calories for a day and then make your reduction. Include food and liquid calories.
Step 3
Increase the frequency of your meals to keep your appetite under control. Prepare meals that are balanced with protein and complex carbs, and space them no more than three hours apart. A bowl of low-fat cottage cheese with fruit mixed in is a meal, for example.
Step 4
Drink water instead of beer. Alcohol and beverages like sweetened tea, soda and fruit punch, are all high in calories and can sabotage your progress. Avoid all beverages that contain calories, and choose water. The Institute of Medicine recommends that men get about 15 cups a day. Consume a glass of water right before you eat to help fill your belly.
Step 5
Execute a form of cardio that you enjoy. Work out three days a week on alternating days, and aim for 45 to 60 minutes. Do your cardio in an interval format. Start with a light five-minute warm-up, then exercise at a high intensity for 30 seconds. Reduce your intensity to moderate for 60 seconds and continue for the rest of your workout. This type of training burns fat efficiently.
Step 6
Lift weights to fire up your resting metabolism. Every pound of muscle you gain has the potential to burn an extra 30 to 50 calories a day, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Perform compound exercises that work more than one muscle at a time. Push-ups, shoulder presses, bent-over rows, dips, leg presses and deadlifts are compound exercises. Aim for 10 to 12 reps, do three or four sets and work out on three noncardio days a week.
Step 7
Perform abdominal exercises that target your obliques. This will tone your sides as you lose the fat. Do exercises like hanging oblique knee raises, bicycle crunches, side plank lifts and Russian twists. Aim for 15 to 20 reps, do three sets and work your abs after your cardio sessions.
