How To Get Rid Of Love Handles (In Men)

Last Updated on March 7, 2023 by Morah Rose

If you are struggling with stubborn love handles that never seem to go, unfortunately, there are no exercises that target or burn the fat around your upper hips (around the waistline).

However, there are things that you can do to help get rid of the love handles and also prevent them from coming again in the future.

What are love handles?

This is the excess fat that is just above your hip area that does not give you a lean waistline.

The fastest way to lose love handles for guys

The fastest way to get rid of love handles in men is through a proper diet and nutrition.

Knowing what to take and what to avoid will also greatly help prevent love handles in the future.

What to eat and what to avoid to help get rid of the love handles

1. Eat more cruciferous vegetables

Researchers have found that men who have too much estrogen usually have love handles.

This is because estrogen tends to promote more fat cells to accumulate around that area.

More estrogen = more fat

More fat = more estrogen

Therefore, to stop the fat from accumulating you will need to have healthy levels of estrogen and also reduce the estrogenic effects.

Fortunately, cruciferous vegetables have a compound called Diindolylmethane (DIM) which helps your body process that estrogen to help stop the fat from accumulating around your waist area (above the hips).

Take-Away
Diindolylmethane (DIM) promotes healthy levels of estrogen in men.

Examples of cruciferous vegetables are broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts

2. Consume more protein

A study has shown that consuming more protein results in decreased calories.

Therefore, when you are trying to get rid of the love handles, I would recommend increasing your protein intake and being aware of how much protein you have increased.

You can start by increasing 5% more protein in your meals and with time you can adjust it accordingly.

Scientists also recommend people who are obese increase their protein intake.

Apparently, more protein intake will also help prevent any future unwanted fat gains.

3. Reduce your sugar intake

For better results, take very little sugar, eat less refined sugar, and avoid high-sugar fruits.

And if you take sodas and juice, I would highly recommend you quit taking them as they tend to have excess sugar in them.

Most of the time, the love handles appear to never go even after losing weight because of your sugar intake.

4. Reduce your alcohol consumption

Drinking alcohol gives your body a higher ability to store fat, which makes it impossible to lose the love handles in men.

Alcohol takes the male properties in the body and feminizes them by turning the male hormones into excess estrogen.

Love handles workout for men

Workouts play a significant role in toning your waistline and thus help get rid of the stubborn love handles.

Before we dive into the best exercise that helps burn fat around the waist area, first, let’s take a look at these two important tips:

Workout with an empty stomach (Also called fasted cardio)

According to experts, when you do your workouts on an empty stomach, the body tends to burn more fat in the activated areas.

There are tons of research that have shown that men who exercise before taking breakfast burn more fat compared to those who eat first and then exercise.

Why?

This is because when doing fasted cardio, the body tends to use the stored fat for energy during your workouts.

On the other hand, if you eat before working out, the body uses the food that was recently eaten to produce the energy you need during the workout.

However, for some people, doing fasted cardio could make them feel dizzy, lightheaded, and nauseated. But ofcourse, this also depends on how intense the workouts are.

Be very persistent

Fat around that area is usually the last to go. I mean, it takes longer to get rid of the love handles.

Therefore, you need to be a very patient person who is not looking for fast results in a matter of days.

Most of the time you will work out and eat the right things but when you look at yourself in the mirror you will not see any difference. Lack of persistence is the reason why most people give up!

But I can assure you that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. You only need to be persistent and very discipline.

Take-Away
The fat above the hips takes longer to go. It is usually the last to leave!

Best exercises to get rid of love handles fast in men

I would recommend doing upper body HIIT workouts. These exercises help tone the upper part of the body thus making it hard to notice the love handles.

The following are the six must-do exercises if you have love handles

Do lymphatic movement exercises- these include stretching, foam rolling, etc.
Battle ropes.
Russian twists.
Side bends.
Woodchoppers.
Stick twists

NOTE:
For the best results, use a dumbbell, cables, medicinal ball, or kettlebell when doing Russian twists, side bends, and woodchoppers.

Remember, it’s not about the quantity (no of reps) but about the quality of your workouts that will give you better results.