Love handles, also known as muffin tops, are deposits of fat that collect around the abdomen and side waist. They are a common trouble spot for many who are trying to lose weight. But why is it so difficult to lose fat specifically in this area? There are several reasons why stubborn fat clings to love handles more than other parts of the body.
Anatomy of Love Handles
Love handles are composed of subcutaneous fat. This is fat that accumulates just under the skin as opposed to around organs (visceral fat). Subcutaneous fat serves as insulation and padding for the body. In the abdominal region, subcutaneous fat is structured differently than other areas. The fat cells are larger and there are more fat storing cells overall. This makes the area predisposed for building up fat deposits.
Women tend to store more fat in love handles and the hip region due to hormone influences. Estrogen favors fat storage around the hips, thighs, and rear. Love handles tend to be more prominent after menopause when estrogen levels are lower. Men are more likely to build up visceral belly fat as they age. But love handles can still be an issue, especially for men with lower testosterone.
Why Do Love Handles Develop?
There are several key reasons why love handles tend to develop:
Hormone Changes
Hormonal influences can increase fat accumulation in the love handle zone. As mentioned, menopause leads to redistribution of fat to love handles and other areas in women. In men, low testosterone is linked to gaining fat in love handles as well as the abdomen.
Cortisol, the stress hormone, can also impact fat distribution. Higher cortisol exposure encourages fat storage in the midsection.
Genetics
Like many aspects of health and body shape, genetics play a role in determining fat distribution. Your parents’ body types provide insight on where you may store fat. Those who are prone to love handles likely have parents with similar fat storage patterns. Genes can impact hormone levels and receptors that control fat cell development in love handle areas.
Diet
Diet has a major influence on love handle fat. Overeating forces the body to store excess calories. Consuming more calories than you burn leads to expansion of fat cells. The abdomen tends to be one of the first places fat is stored.
Eating lots of simple carbs, sugar, and processed foods promotes love handle fat growth. These foods cause blood sugar spikes and inflammation. They increase insulin, a hormone that directly stimulates fat production.
Lack of Exercise
Inactivity allows love handle fat to accumulate. Without regular exercise, you burn fewer calories. You miss out on physical activity’s impacts on hormone balance, metabolism, and fat burning. Lack of muscle tone in the core and abdominal area can also make it easier for love handles to bulge out.
Posture and Spine Health
Poor posture and back problems can make your love handles seem bigger. Slouching and spine misalignment roll the shoulders and hips forward. This makes your midsection pooch out further. Weak back and core muscles allow belly fat to protrude more. Love handles will appear bigger if you frequently slouch and lack core strength.
Stress
When you feel mentally stressed, your body produces more cortisol. Higher cortisol levels trigger visceral fat storage around the organs. It also promotes subcutaneous fat growth. That’s why love handles seem to bulge after stressful periods. The fat cells in those areas respond readily to cortisol’s impact.
Age
As you get older, your hormone profile changes. Loss of testosterone in men and estrogen depletion in women influences where fat is stored. Even if your weight remains stable, aging results in fat redistribution. Physical activity levels also tend to decrease with age. The combined effects make love handle fat accumulation more likely.
Why Are Love Handles So Stubborn?
It’s clear why love handles are prone to developing in the first place. But shedding the fat from this area can be very difficult. Here are some reasons why love handles hold on stubbornly when you try to lose weight:
Low Blood Flow
The abdominal region tends to have poorer circulation compared to other parts of the body. Less blood flow means fewer nutrients reach the area. It also means toxins and metabolic wastes aren’t efficiently removed. This impacts fat cell metabolism.
The lack of blood flow also means love handle fat gets less oxygen. This makes it more resistant to burning off completely during exercise. The close-knit fat structure and fiber connections further reduce blood circulation.
Hormone Environment
As mentioned, hormones strongly influence fat storage around the midsection. Even when you diet and exercise, your prevailing hormones impact how readily love handle fat will be released.
High cortisol, insulin, and estrogen in women all make it harder for fat cells to let go of stored fat. Your fat cells have more hormone receptors in receptor areas. This makes them extra responsive tofat-storing signals.
Fat Cell Structure
Your fat cells in love handle zones are intrinsically different. They are larger, more densely packed together, and have more blood supply than fat cells in the arms and legs. This structural difference makes them better at holding onto fat.
The fat cells are very efficient at pulling fatty acids and lipids out of circulation for storage as triglycerides. They are also less keen to release these lipids when your body needs energy.
Lack of Exercise Intensity
Doing regular cardio exercise isn’t always enough to fully deplete fat from love handles. This area benefits from intense anaerobic intervals. Think sprinting or heavy strength training. High intensity provides the stimulus to tap into stubborn fat stores. Without it, the fat cells don’t get the message to release their contents.
Insulin Resistance
Developing insulin resistance promotes further fat accumulation in love handles. When your cells stop responding normally to insulin, more of the hormone is secreted. Chronically high insulin tells your body to store more fat. Love handle fat cells lap up the extra insulin readily. This causes hypertrophy or enlargement of the fat cells. Love handles bulge bigger with more insulin resistance.
How to Lose Love Handles
Now that we know why love handles develop and why they cling on so stubbornly, how do you get rid of them? Losing the fat requires strategic diet and exercise approaches. Love handles demand targeted attention to budge.
Here are effective ways to lose pesky love handle fat:
Cut Calories
Creating a daily calorie deficit kickstarts fat burning all over the body. Reduce your calorie intake by 300-500 calories under your maintenance needs for weight loss. Make sure you are tracking intake accurately with a food diary. Apps like MyFitnessPal make calorie counting much easier.
Cut liquid calories first by limiting soda, juice, alcohol, flavored coffees, etc. Decrease high calorie foods like fried items, baked goods, crackers, dressings, cheese, etc. Fill up on low calorie vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins.
Lower Your Carb Intake
Decreasing overall carbohydrate consumption assists greatly with shedding love handle fat. Cut out processed carbs and sweets. Limit starchy vegetables and grains. Focus on getting carbs only from fruits, vegetables, legumes, and a small amount of whole grains like oats.
Lower carb intake improves fat burning, particularly from troublesome love handle areas. It helps regulate insulin, hunger hormones, and inflammation.
Increase Protein Intake
Up your daily protein consumption to 20-30% of total calories. Protein provides satiety and helps retain muscle during fat loss diets. Getting enough protein while lowering carbs and fat forces your body to pull from fat stores. Include a protein source with each meal and snack. Lean options are chicken, fish, Greek yogurt, eggs, legumes, tofu etc.
Do HIIT Workouts
Perform high intensity interval training 3-4 days per week. HIIT techniques like sprints, bike intervals, and battle ropes provide intense muscle burn. This creates an “after burn” effect where your body continues burning extra calories post workout. HIIT signals to stubborn fat deposits they need to release stored fat for energy.
Target Abs and Core
Include abdominal focused exercises in every workout. Compound moves like crunches, planks, hanging leg raises, and ab wheel roll outs help tone abdominal muscles. Having strong core muscles prevents your belly from protruding outward as much. This gives a slimming effect.
Add Weight Training
Build muscle with a weight lifting regimen 2-3 days weekly. Focus on multi-joint, compound exercises that target the major muscle groups. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, shoulder press, rows, and lateral pull downs are all great choices. Muscle development boosts metabolism so your body burns more calories around the clock.
Walk Daily
Walk for 45-60 minutes per day to burn extra calories. Walking engages abdominal muscles and can help reduce love handles. Take phone calls or catch up with friends while you walk to make it more enjoyable.
Lifestyle Changes
Certain lifestyle adjustments also support losing love handle fat:
– Stay hydrated by drinking at least 64 oz water daily
– Manage stress with yoga, meditation, massage, etc.
– Get 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night
– Quit smoking and limit alcohol intake
– Stand and walk more during the day
How Long Does it Take?
Most people want to know – how long will it take me to lose my love handles following a diet and exercise program? Results always vary based on your consistency, genetics, age, and starting point. However, most people begin to notice reductions in love handle fat around the 4 week mark if following a comprehensive fat loss plan.
To eliminate love handles, realistically you need 12 weeks of consistent diet and training. This allows enough time for fat cells to release their contents and the skin/muscles to adjust. Some results timeframes reported in studies include:
– 6 weeks: 1.24 inches off love handles following diet and aerobic exercise
– 8 weeks: 1.8 inches off love handles following carb cycling diet and strength training
– 12 weeks: 3 inches off love handles following low calorie, low carb Mediterranean diet and HIIT
– 16 weeks: 4.2 inches off love handles following a high protein, high fiber, low fat diet and abdominal targeted training
Non-Exercise Treatments
Some people consider other treatments beyond just diet and exercise to rid stubborn love handle fat:
CoolSculpting
This procedure uses freezing cold temperatures to destroy fat cells. A device applies intense cooling to the skin which induces fat cell death. Your body then eliminates these dead cells over several months. Multiple treatments may be needed to see significant reductions. Mild side effects like redness, bruising, and numbness can occur.
Liposuction
Liposuction surgically removes fat deposits from trouble spots like love handles through suction. A cannula is inserted under the skin to vacuum out fat. Side effects include swelling, bruising, pain, and change in skin sensations. If too much fat is removed it can result in an uneven, wavy appearance.
Kybella Injections
These injections contain a synthetic form of deoxycholic acid which destroys fat cells when deposited under the skin. Several rounds of Kybella are needed to reduce love handles. Swelling, bruising, numbness, and nerve damage are potential side effects.
Always consult with your doctor before considering any cosmetic fat reduction procedures. Make sure you understand the costs, risks, downtime, and potential results. Maintaining results will still require proper diet and exercise.
What About Body Shape?
Some individuals simply have a body shape that predisposes them to carrying more fat in the love handle zone. An “apple” body shape stores more fat around the abdomen. Love handles become more pronounced.
While you can’t change your body type, you can still achieve a leaner, more toned waist. It just may be more challenging compared to those with “pear” shaped bodies that store fat lower. Having realistic expectations helps you stay motivated on your journey.
The Bottom Line on Losing Love Handles
Reducing stubborn love handle fat takes patience and consistency. But incorporating targeted nutrition, aerobic activity, strength training, and healthy lifestyle behaviors makes it possible. Losing those pesky love handles improves your health, body composition, and confidence. Just stick with the process and know that results will come in time.