low back/side fat aka. the LOVE HANDLES

Tasha_Star
Tasha_Star Posts: 47
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
So, my stomach is pretty flat for the most part, diet is good, working out hard weights + cardio...but I still have the love handles...I don't eat sugar or wheat and my carbs are about 75 grams/day on a 1200 cal diet. I've really only been doing this diet/workout HARDCORE for 4 weeks so do I just need to give it more time? Any other hints/secrets?

Replies

  • Marmalina
    Marmalina Posts: 35
    Do you do incorporate any core or body weight exercises in your routine? Instead of using a bench when you do your chest press or skull crushers use a stability ball. Its hard to target particular spots but exercises that help target your core will help tighten up your obliques as well. Try doing abdominal twists with a medicine ball, or on a roman chair. You should see results over time if you add in these adjustments and stick to what your already doing :)
  • ablykins
    ablykins Posts: 200 Member
    I feel your pain- the place my body holds onto fat the longest are those exact areas. Like you, I train hard, try to eat well and lift heavy. While there is not much you can do to spot reduce, what you can do is keep pushing and give it time for those areas to come down. My trainer has me carb cycling and reducing how much cardio I do now to get the last weight off in my low back and sides. I love to lift heavy, but I'm kind of a cardio junkie too, but when you are lifting really heavy and and doing too much cardio (more than 3-4 high intensity sessions a week), then it can actually trigger your body to store a little extra fat, and if that is where, genetically, you tend to store your fat, it will the hardest place to lose.

    These areas are slowly coming down for me, but it has taken about 4 months to lose 4 inches in these areas. With a show coming up, I know I need to combat it more aggressively so I'm reducing intense cardio to only 2 days a week (light 30 minute cardio 2 days a week), and carb cycling 2 days on 2 days off. I hope this helps! :flowerforyou:
  • TubbsMcGee
    TubbsMcGee Posts: 1,058 Member
    This has always been my problem area!

    The only thing that seems to have helped for me is switching out my office chair with an exercise ball (keeps my core tighter, having to balance for 8 hours), the recumbent bike, rowing machine, running and using the hip abduction/adduction machine at the gym.
  • liquidjem
    liquidjem Posts: 138 Member
    this is brilliant! I should totally do this!!
  • liquidjem
    liquidjem Posts: 138 Member
    This has always been my problem area!

    The only thing that seems to have helped for me is switching out my office chair with an exercise ball (keeps my core tighter, having to balance for 8 hours), the recumbent bike, rowing machine, running and using the hip abduction/adduction machine at the gym.

    this is brilliant!I should totally do this!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    with how much you have to lose 1200 cals is probably give you a too large of a deficit and will most likely end up making you lose a large % of lean muscle. Based on the amount you have to lose you should be set at 0.5lbs/week and you should be eating back the cals burned from exercise. I would also suggest forgetting about the scale and focus on BF%, the mirror and how your cloths fit.

    Pick the proper goal, keep working out and eventually you will lose the last bit of fat on your body. Unfortunately you cannot choose where fat loss comes from so you just have to keep going with a mild deficit until it is gone.
  • brit49
    brit49 Posts: 461 Member
    Bump!! read later:)
  • Tasha_Star
    Tasha_Star Posts: 47
    Doing all of those things...might add in the stability ball when i do skull crushers and regular chest press...Also just recently added in more low back/side exercises to build muscle in those areas so that when the fat starts to fade its nice and tight!
    I'm building muscle mass and losing weight at the same time...I've done extensive research on this and believe the diet/exercise routine I am using is working well with my body...keeping my protein levels up to build the muscle but watching my carbs/fats/calories to prevent fat storage/encourage fat loss. I see my muscle mass increasing and my clothes are fitting better so Its probably more of a case of me being impatient with my trouble areas as those take the longest to lose...but I figured any extra tips were worth asking for!
  • addisondisease
    addisondisease Posts: 664 Member
    mirin that profile pic, i hope you actually do full squats though.
  • Tasha_Star
    Tasha_Star Posts: 47
    100% :)
  • mylilliam
    mylilliam Posts: 27 Member
    Bump
This discussion has been closed.

Categories