How To Get Rid Of Love Handles & Belly Fat

Love handles and belly fat are not only unsightly and embarrassing, they are also very dangerous to your health. Belly fat has been linked to serious health problems like cancer, heart disease, dementia and diabetes. The midsection is one of the hardest places from which to shed weight, but many fad diets and pills claim they can help. You can get rid of love handles and belly fat safely in your own home, however, by following a few simple steps.

Step 1

Fit breakfast into your schedule. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, because it starts your metabolism burning calories for the rest of the day. The sooner you eat, the more calories you are able to burn. The Meals Matter website reports that people who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to stay on track with their diet during the day than people who do not eat breakfast. Include protein, such as eggs, yogurt or peanut butter in your breakfast meal.

Step 2

Stop drinking alcohol. There are no benefits from consuming alcoholic beverages. The only thing alcohol contains is empty calories --- which make it harder to get rid of your love handles and belly fat. The calories can really add up if you drink a lot: One beer contains 100 calories or more.

Step 3

Hydrate your body. Your body has a hard time telling hunger from thirst, so if your body is dehydrated, you may consume more calories than you actually need. Researchers at Virginia Tech University found that that people who drank two glasses of water before they ate a meal were more likely to lose weight than people who did no drink water before they ate. The Mayo Clinic advises you to drink at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day.

Step 4

Get your rest. If your body is sleep-deprived, you don't have enough time to repair all the damage you inflict on it during the day. This means you will feel sluggish and have a hard time mustering up the energy to exercise. The National Sleep Foundation recommends you get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night.

Step 5

Move your body. There are easy ways you can fit exercise into your daily routine to lose your love handles and belly fat. Take a walk during your lunch break, walk a farther distance from your car to your office, or take the stairs instead of the elevator. The Mayo Clinic recommends at least two and a half hours of moderate exercise each week; if you want to lose belly weight faster, you should exercise every day.