There are two main types of fat which can be found on, or in the body, subcutaneous fat, which can be found under skin, and visceral fat, which is the fat that you can’t see, but which surrounds your organs. Everyone has subcutaneous fat, and there are many factors which will impact on the amount of subcutaneous fat that you have, including genetics, diet and lifestyle. Subcutaneous fat is an important part of your body but storing too much of it could be damaging to your health, and result in health issues including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
Two of the most effective ways to get rid of this type of fat are diet and exercise, according to David Wiener, training and nutrition specialist at leading fitness app Freeletics.
He explained to Express.co.uk the changes to your diet and lifestyle you should make and the exercises you should consider if you want to reduce your love handles.
Eat fewer calories
The basic principle of losing subcutaneous fat is to consume fewer calories than your body needs, David explained.
He added: “A diet rich in red meat, processed foods and sugar can all contribute to higher levels of subcutaneous fat, which can increase your body fat percentage, and hinder your weight and fat loss efforts.”
Consume a diet rich in protein
David said: “Consuming a diet rich in protein is very beneficial for those with high levels of subcutaneous fat as it helps you to feel fuller for longer and can also reduce cravings for sugar laden and fatty foods.”
Reducing your carbohydrates intake
He said: “Reducing your intake of carbohydrates could also help as research indicates that excess carbohydrate consumption can case higher levels of both visceral and subcutaneous fat.”
Aerobic exercise
He advised: “Aerobic activity which stimulates the heart and breathing rate, causing it to increase is one of the best ways to burn fat i.e. swimming, walking, running or cycling.”
HIIT
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can also increase your body’s ability to burn fat and elevate your body’s fat burning potential throughout the day, according to David.
He explained: “HIIT exercise refers to workouts which include short bursts of intensive activity followed by periods of lower intensity exercise which really push your body and maximise is calorie and fat burning potential.”
Weight training
Strength or weight training can also be beneficial. David said: “This is because increasing your body’s muscle mass will help to increase the calories your body is able to burn at rest and boost your metabolism which can help you burn fat.”
Don’t stress
A stressful lifestyle which causes your body to release high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can also result in an increase of subcutaneous fat which is hard to shift, said David.
He added: “Reducing stress or learning how to handle it effectively can limit the release of cortisol which could also help your weight loss efforts.
“There’s also research to show that those who experience high levels of stress are more likely to eat a high sugar diet, which can again effect levels of subcutaneous fat.”
You can get rid of visceral fat too via diet and exercise – but there’s one exercise you should avoid.