Can’t Lose the Love Handles? Three Options for Men
For most men, those last 15 or so pounds around the waist are the hardest to loose. While women store extra fat around the hips, buttocks, and thighs, men often develop annoying “love handles” that remain, even with regular workouts at the gym. Following are three options, from most invasive to least.
If you truly want to see results almost immediately, you may wish to consider liposuction to remove excess fat around the waist. The procedure requires either anesthesia or local sedation, and a suction powered-assisted canula is used to remove the fat deposits. Depending on the size of the area treated, you may expect some bruising and minor numbness or soreness. In a week or so, it’s back to work. Full revelation of the final contours can take one to three months. That’s the downside—the upside? With this procedure, the love handles are gone—almost immediately!
For a less invasive option, try CoolSculpting®, an FDA cleared technology that chills unwanted fat cells, which are then naturally eliminated from your body over a period of a few months. You’ll notice a trimmer, more masculine shape emerging, all without surgery, scars, or downtime. The procedure can be done in an hour, and you can return to work afterwards. Many people see results of about 20-30% fat reduction after just one treatment, and there is no damage to nearby muscle or skin tissue. Some men also use CoolSculpting® for the pooch area or for a “muffin top.” Your new trimmer, masculine shape emerges in a few months – all without surgery, recovery time, or scars.
While a healthy lifestyle of exercise and great diet helps to keep you trim after any procedure you may choose, if you wish to focus just on diet and exercise for your love handles, fitness specialists recommend a consistent cardiovascular / resistance training program. A typical program involves 20-45 minutes of activities like walking, running, biking, or swimming daily 4-5 times per week, with a mix of basic calisthenics like pushups, bench dips, squats, and lunges 2-3 times a week. Equally important to slim the waist is a healthy diet that includes 100 oz. of water a day, 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, only lean meats or fish (1 to 2 times per week), while limiting fried foods, cheese, and processed sugar.
When you are ready to loose those love handles and take your shirt off without embarrassment, the options are ready for you!
