Best Way to Lose Belly Fat & Love Handles

Belly fat and love handles can be hard to get rid of, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. By committing yourself to a healthy diet and lots of exercise, you will see your waist slim down faster than you might think.

Managing Stress

• Stress has been shown to raise the levels of the hormone cortisol. High levels of this hormone cause your body to store fat around the midsection. By finding ways to relieve stress, you can stop the accumulation of belly fat. Of course, all stress can't be avoided, but you may find that making some healthy choices and staying active may decrease your stress levels. Making time for your hobbies, family, and friends are other ways to decrease stress and cortisol levels dramatically.

Eating Right

• You may be surprised that you can eat fat to lose fat: monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) are found in olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, and other foods. These healthy fats lower your cholesterol, but have also been shown to target the fat in the midsection. When MUFAs were consumed in a diet rich in whole grains, dieters lost twice as much belly fat than people who did not eat those foods. Look for whole grains in cereal, bread, rice, quinoa, and crackers.

Exercise

• Staying active is important for your overall health, but it can also help to get rid of those love handles and jiggly middle. Cardiovascular exercises like running burn lots of calories, but it is also important to include weight or resistance training to build muscle. The more muscle you build, the more calories you will burn to fuel those muscles in everyday activities. Of course, among these exercises, it is good to include movements that target your obliques, lower back, and abdominals so that when you lose the body fat, you will reveal toned muscles beneath.