Please help me lose these love handles....

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NumbrsNerd
NumbrsNerd Posts: 202 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, all! I would appreciate a few workout tips if you have the time and don't mind.

I have some pretty hefty love handles, most of which are determined by my natural shape. I'm very high waisted: the narrowest point of my waist is about two inches above my belly button. I measure my waist about an inch below my belly button, and that measurement is only 1- 1 1/2 inches less than my hip measurement at the widest point.

Can you share your best "love handle" workout moves? I work all of my abs, but I'd love to really target this trouble spot. I know I can't change my general shape, but I can try to make it less jiggly!

I don't have a gym membership. I workout at home, and I have a universal gym, several exercise balls, hand weights of multiple sizes, medicine balls, kettlebells, etc. And I can probably buy other equipment if needed, if there is some great move I am missing out on. Right now, my weekly workouts include walking and some jogging (both on the treadmill and outside - working up to running - and I tend to stick to interval workouts), the elliptical, weight lifting (trying to work up to heavy lifting like some of you lovely ladies of whom I am so very jealous!!), and a 15 minute Pilates DVD (There is a 30 minute option, but I haven't done it yet). I mix up my workouts, so I can't say that I do any one thing a certain number of times per week, but I do get in an hour or more most days of the week (5-6 days per week).

Thanks for your time and input.

Replies

  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
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    There is no exercise that will eliminate your love handles. You may build you obliques under your love handles, but the love handles will still be there. The only way to lose them is to lose body fat. And you can't spot reduce body fat (short of liposuction). You lower your overall body fat, and the fat comes from wherever it comes. Lower it enough, and the love handles will go away.

    Sorry, I know that isn't what you want to hear. But that's just the way it is.
  • cwaters120
    cwaters120 Posts: 354 Member
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    There is no exercise that will eliminate your love handles. You may build you obliques under your love handles, but the love handles will still be there. The only way to lose them is to lose body fat. And you can't spot reduce body fat (short of liposuction). You lower your overall body fat, and the fat comes from wherever it comes. Lower it enough, and the love handles will go away.

    Sorry, I know that isn't what you want to hear. But that's just the way it is.

    ^^^ THIS. He's right - I agree. It isn't what ANYONE wants to hear but it IS the truth. Just keep burning calories and watching your intake (food AND sodium) and you'll get where you want to be :bigsmile:
  • Green_eyed_beauty
    Green_eyed_beauty Posts: 101 Member
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    There is no exercise that will eliminate your love handles. You may build you obliques under your love handles, but the love handles will still be there. The only way to lose them is to lose body fat. And you can't spot reduce body fat (short of liposuction). You lower your overall body fat, and the fat comes from wherever it comes. Lower it enough, and the love handles will go away.

    Sorry, I know that isn't what you want to hear. But that's just the way it is.

    ^^^ THIS. He's right - I agree. It isn't what ANYONE wants to hear but it IS the truth. Just keep burning calories and watching your intake (food AND sodium) and you'll get where you want to be :bigsmile:

    They are both right ^^^ sadly!
  • NumbrsNerd
    NumbrsNerd Posts: 202 Member
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    Okay - then let me rephrase - please give me some good oblique exercises to build muscle where there is none, even if it will still be hidden under fat for a while. I know I can't spot target fat. I will continue working on total body fat loss but I'd like to work that trouble spot.

    I'm not looking for a magic solution or to hear that 1,000 oblique crunches per day will make my love handles magically disappear. I'm a work in progress. I've gone from 221 lbs and very unhealthy (high cholesterol, failed plaque artery test) to 183 lbs, and I've still got quite a ways to go. (I don't know how to make my ticker appear on my posts).

    Thanks for the input though.
  • immnamna
    immnamna Posts: 5
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    Well said! Very concise and straight truth.
  • Charweezie
    Charweezie Posts: 115 Member
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    There is no exercise that will eliminate your love handles. You may build you obliques under your love handles, but the love handles will still be there. The only way to lose them is to lose body fat. And you can't spot reduce body fat (short of liposuction). You lower your overall body fat, and the fat comes from wherever it comes. Lower it enough, and the love handles will go away.

    Sorry, I know that isn't what you want to hear. But that's just the way it is.

    ^^^ THIS. He's right - I agree. It isn't what ANYONE wants to hear but it IS the truth. Just keep burning calories and watching your intake (food AND sodium) and you'll get where you want to be :bigsmile:

    They are both right ^^^ sadly!


    sorry i dont agree :/ i had major love handle issues. i've lost more than half of them and it feels soo much better to wear jeans and not have these handles sticking out. I did P90x Cardio x only for about 20-30 mins (wacky jacks were my fave!)it definitely help to cut down my handles. I also got on the treadmill and walked/ran at an inclinde. but i think mostly that p90x helpd shrink them down.
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
    Options
    There is no exercise that will eliminate your love handles. You may build you obliques under your love handles, but the love handles will still be there. The only way to lose them is to lose body fat. And you can't spot reduce body fat (short of liposuction). You lower your overall body fat, and the fat comes from wherever it comes. Lower it enough, and the love handles will go away.

    Sorry, I know that isn't what you want to hear. But that's just the way it is.

    ^^^ THIS. He's right - I agree. It isn't what ANYONE wants to hear but it IS the truth. Just keep burning calories and watching your intake (food AND sodium) and you'll get where you want to be :bigsmile:

    They are both right ^^^ sadly!


    sorry i dont agree :/ i had major love handle issues. i've lost more than half of them and it feels soo much better to wear jeans and not have these handles sticking out. I did P90x Cardio x only for about 20-30 mins (wacky jacks were my fave!)it definitely help to cut down my handles. I also got on the treadmill and walked/ran at an inclinde. but i think mostly that p90x helpd shrink them down.

    Agree or not, that is the way it is. The fat will come from different places on different people at different times. Some may lose belly first, some thighs, some boobs, you happened to lose love handles early on in your fat loss. Has nothing to do with the exercise you did targeting fat loss in the love handles, just the exercise causing fat loss period. Which for you manifested in love handles.
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
    Options
    Okay - then let me rephrase - please give me some good oblique exercises to build muscle where there is none, even if it will still be hidden under fat for a while. I know I can't spot target fat. I will continue working on total body fat loss but I'd like to work that trouble spot.

    I'm not looking for a magic solution or to hear that 1,000 oblique crunches per day will make my love handles magically disappear. I'm a work in progress. I've gone from 221 lbs and very unhealthy (high cholesterol, failed plaque artery test) to 183 lbs, and I've still got quite a ways to go. (I don't know how to make my ticker appear on my posts).

    Thanks for the input though.

    Obliques are considered part of you abdominals. Any of the exercises here that involve side bending or twisting would hit your obliques.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/finder/lookup/filter/muscle/id/13/muscle/abdominals
  • LisaMfit4life
    LisaMfit4life Posts: 567 Member
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    Hi! Unfortunately there is no spot reducing and that's what none of us want to hear. The loss of body fat is what is going to reduce those love handles. Diet is very important. The saying "Abs are made in the kitchen" is the truth. Lots of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, no processed foods, low sugar intake will reduce the body fat. Consider increasing your cardio and add strength training to your fitness regimen. Once you start building muscle your body will begin to burn fat. It's a process that takes time. Use MFP to log your daily intake and consider purchasing or using a HRM or some type of body media device to obtain your calories burned. Implementing these two things will give you a better idea of where you are and what you need to do or not do to reach your goals. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories per/week to lose one pound so that's a deficit of 500 calories/day.Good luck and hopefully this helps. Feel free to add me as a friend and I can help you even if it's just for support.
    LisaM
  • NumbrsNerd
    NumbrsNerd Posts: 202 Member
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    [/quote]

    Obliques are considered part of you abdominals. Any of the exercises here that involve side bending or twisting would hit your obliques.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/finder/lookup/filter/muscle/id/13/muscle/abdominals
    [/quote]


    aaand....I screwed up the quote. Oh well.

    Thanks. I'll check out the link. I was hoping to find weighted exercises, so this should be great. P.S. I wasn't trying to be lazy about it and not Google my own exercises. I just thought a few people might have a few of their favorite moves to pass along.

    Thanks again.
  • GriffinDavid
    GriffinDavid Posts: 1
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    Regular diet take healthy nutrition changing unhealthy eating behaviors want to learning about your weight management options to reach your fitness goals.

    www.HowToLoseLoveHandles.biz
  • LindseyAlyssa
    LindseyAlyssa Posts: 156
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    So agreement to everything above about the actual reduction of them, however check out Blogilates videos for some resistance workouts. There are at least a handful for your obliques, lower back, etc. along with many other videos.

    Specific to love handles/muffin top:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD1rAncY2D8 (Love Handle Hysteria 12:08 mins)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqXmgy5GTzI (Muffintop massacre 17:34 mins)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86j1z8xe5FE (As Long as You Love Me Love Handles Challenge 6:13 mins)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1okL7ieoyY (Bikini Blaster 5: MUFFINTOPLESS!!! 17:21 mins)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz-d97h6ZZw (POP Pilates: Muffin Top Meltdown 14:52 mins)

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