Let's try again...love handles??

So that other thread seems to have gone in a totally whack direction!  I wasn't sure if I should continue to post in there, or if there was still some arguments that needed to be sorted out...

To my relief, my love handles have started to diminish...well, one of them has. The one on the right side is bigger than the left one though, and it's becoming quite noticeable. I was just wondering if I should try exercising that side more than the other? And if so, how exactly do I do that? Usually, I do squats and similar exercises, so it would be pretty hard to exercise one side more than the other that way.

Also, does anyone know WHY one side is bigger than the other? I've been exercising them equally, as far as I know!

My diet is strictly eating healthy and exercising. I've already lost weight doing it that way, I plan on doing it for the rest of my life, so I'm not interested in any other methods. I just want a healthy lifestyle that I know without a doubt I can continue for the longterm. Just wondering if anyone has encountered a similar problem, or has any ideas on how to work out that side more than the other!

Thanks,
Krista

I think you were right to start a new thread. That one was going somewhere fast, and it was nowhere good.

Remember that there is no such thing as spot burning, so there isn't a way to exercise to preferentially lose fat from one place. Which also means that any difference in size is purely random, and not an indication of asymmetric exercise.

Most people are not symmetrical - best example - women often have different size boobs. Some not noticably, but others have different cup sizes!

You can keep a deficit, through diet and exercise, but it might just be that it's where your body likes to keep some spare fat - I have them too, and I'm just learning to live with them, because I'm not willing to try to get down to a low enough bf% that I'd need to lose them.

Sorry there isn't a better answer.

Original Post by krisellio:

The one on the right side is bigger than the left one though, and it's becoming quite noticeable.

You are the only person that notices.

Original Post by krisellio:

I was just wondering if I should try exercising that side more than the other?

No

Original Post by krisellio:

Also, does anyone know WHY one side is bigger than the other?

Because people aren't symmetrical.

I have the same sort of body. Small, except my hips. But since starting a new exercise program and eating less I've managed to shrink my muffin top. Unfortunately, as amethystgirl already said, you cannot spot reduce. You're just going to have to make your body burn the fat there.

You're right, that other thread was getting ridiculous. I only read the first few posts, and all I could think was that people should just give up. That woman would never have listened to them. You can't save them all! Its a shame that in all that bickering, everyone forgot to answer your question.

GOOD IDEA

copies from "other" thread...

mobailey, have you ever done much boxing or kickboxing?

now i know theres no such thing as spot-reducing, but its a nice mashup for both sweating and working all your core muscles, especially your obliques.

lots of twisting and punching, great burn for the buck.

my favorite boxing workout ever was one that kathy smith did with michael olajide called aerobox it was on VHS *giggle*

olajide was a former super middleweight. he has opened a studio in nyc called aerospace i want his new aerobox workout soooooo bad. girlchild knows that i want it for my birthday, so i am just waiting til then :)

i definitely recommend trying olajide if you like doing dvds and want to give your abs a good workout and want to try boxing.

the eyepatch is for real as far as i can tell, ive never seen him without it.

Thanks for the responses, everybody! I was afraid people were going to tell me that was the case! But dammit, you were all supposed to invent a solution to my problem!!

Original Post by krisellio:

Thanks for the responses, everybody! I was afraid people were going to tell me that was the case! But dammit, you were all supposed to invent a solution to my problem!!

Oh sorry... um.... Thigh Master? Master Cleanse? Clean your mouth out with soap. Soap operas. Opera man. Adam Sandler.

There - the solution is Adam Sandler.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Original Post by krisellio:

Thanks for the responses, everybody! I was afraid people were going to tell me that was the case! But dammit, you were all supposed to invent a solution to my problem!!

Oh sorry... um.... Thigh Master? Master Cleanse? Clean your mouth out with soap. Soap operas. Opera man. Adam Sandler.

There - the solution is Adam Sandler.

 HHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA! laughing OUT loud!

For as long as I have been into weight training and overall fitness (12 years - 16-28), love handles have always been a problem for me too. It is the weirdest thing because my stomach has always been flat. However, my waist has always been my problem area. Whenever I would put on weight from bodyfat, my waist would get bigger and I would start to carry love-handles. I could never figure out how I managed to keep a flat stomach and have love handles...LOL

Luckily now, I have managed to get rid of them through lifting hard, clean eating and HIIT cardio. Eating clean was definitely most important. The funny thing is that it didn't happen until I started eating more. It is funny how more times than not, people aren't getting the results they want because they aren't eating enough.

However, even though the love handles are gone, I still can't get my waist to go below 36 inches. My goal has always been to get a 34 inch waist and for as long as I can remember my waist has always ranged from 36-38. I guess I could have a naturally wider waist from genetics.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Original Post by krisellio:

Thanks for the responses, everybody! I was afraid people were going to tell me that was the case! But dammit, you were all supposed to invent a solution to my problem!!

Oh sorry... um.... Thigh Master? Master Cleanse? Clean your mouth out with soap. Soap operas. Opera man. Adam Sandler.

There - the solution is Adam Sandler.

LMAO

Amen to that, Sister!  Never had love handles till the last 2 years.  Found out that wishing them away doesn't work. So back to walking I go.

amethystgirl, that's the ticket! A little bit of progressive thinking!! I've always thought Adam Sandler was going to be my savior!

I don't know how to work just one of your handles but when I'm working on mine I am on the evil ball with a medicine ball outstreached. Do your sit ups on the ball then rather than coming up straight come up and reach to one side, back down then up and reach the other side always keeping your abs tight at a slight incline rather than sitting straight up.

You sure know about it the next day and it does trim the waist.

Could just be that you favour one side naturally ie I have one calf that is bigger than the other, I don't do any more exercise on one leg it is just that I seem to naturally favour one leg.  Nought I can do about it other than working out more on the other leg.

I also have one love handle bigger than the other, and I know that it's definitely because I favor my left leg in all exercise because of a car accident I was in. Sucks, but as far as I know, no one has ever noticed but me :)