We've all heard about them and their many names: muffin tops, "hate" handles, spare tire or the "keg". With as many pet names we have for this extra bit of fluff, we have heard all about the "quick and easy" fixes for love handles. Bizarre diets, sprays, lotions, specialized odd and expensive equipment (ever heard of the Hawaii chair? ) that just don't work. But we can help you out with a few simple ideas and a little bit of hard work to make those love handle start to disappear.
Firstly, being realistic is the key. The empty promises of fad diets and strange contraptions that celebrities try to push off won't do the trick. Sitting down and being honest with yourself and making attainable, step by step goals is a good start. Making big changes in your lifestyle and diet aren't easy right off the bat, but making a list of what you wish to achieve (losing a few pounds with a healthy diet and exercise) and what hinders you (finding time to exercise, letting go of doughnuts so you can get rid of your "doughnut") will help keep you on the path.
Diet will make or break the deal. Lowering your daily caloric intake can help you lose the weight, but do so with a mind for moderation and nutrition. Here's a handy link with all the how tos, as well as a daily calorie counter to help you keep track throughout the day. Just remember fad or crash diets are not healthy and can be dangerous.
Eating less starches, red meats carbohydrates and saturated fats is a great start. Adding more vegetables, whole grains and fruit (the fresher, the better!) in your diet will help you attain your goal. An easy way of remembering the right kind of veggies to add to your meals is to remember that the darker or the richer the color, the better. Like, red bell peppers, spinach, yams and squash.
Don't forget your fruits, too. It's natures original fast food. Be sure to eat fruits high in fiber, as they are known to take a few more calories to digest and the added fiber is good for the blood. High fiber fruits include strawberries, oranges, avocados, bananas and prunes.
Improving your diet will not only help you feel better but will begin to improve your heart and vascular system (in some cases, reversing damage), your sleep patterns, even your attitude will improve!
Exercise. Aerobic exercise (or, cardio) and weight training are more important than any abdominal exercise. Overall weight loss from will be more beneficial than solely working on your abs; working only your abs will mean that you could have an awesome six pack... but no one will be able to see it under the love handles. :) With cardio, you burn fat moving around and with weight training you increase muscle mass, which bumps your metabolism up a notch which helps you burn more fat. Beyond starting to look better, the exercise (a lot like the new diet) you will feel better with more energy, improved moods, and greater physical health!
Here's a heart healthy recipe to help you start your new diet and new you (minus the love handles).
taken from Mayo Clinic online recipes:
Dietitian's tip: These meatless soft tacos are stuffed with sauteed vegetables and topped with smoky salsa. To make it a meal, serve with Spanish rice, a tossed green salad with red wine vinegar dressing and cantaloupe cubes.
By Mayo Clinic staff Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 cup diced yellow summer squash
- 1 cup diced green zucchini
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from about 2 ears of corn) or 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup canned pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup smoke-flavored salsa
Directions
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the summer squash and zucchini, and continue cooking until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, jalapeno, corn kernels and beans. Cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and remove from the heat. Heat a dry, large frying pan (without a nonstick surface) over medium heat. Add 1 tortilla to the hot pan and heat until softened — about 20 seconds per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. To serve, divide the tortillas among individual plates. Scoop an equal amount of the vegetable mixture onto each tortilla. Top each with 2 tablespoons of the salsa. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Analysis
(per serving)| Serving size: 2 tacos | |||
| Calories | 298 | Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Protein | 9 g | Sodium | 195 mg |
| Carbohydrate | 52 g | Fiber | 9 g |
| Total fat | 6 g | Potassium | 809 mg |
| Saturated fat | 1 g | Calcium | 153 mg |
| Monounsaturated fat | 3 g | ||
Don't forget, exercise and diet is a great way to take care of you heart and the hearts of the ones you love.
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