One obvious result of undernutrition and malnutrition is emaciation. This is a condition in which the body’s musculature wastes away and is accompanied by overall weight loss. It may be surprising then that a second condition connected with under- and malnutrition is ascites, which is severe edema that results in abdominal swelling. More precisely this is the accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity that causes the belly to distend. It is NOT fat.
Now this is only one explanation. Unfortunately another cause of ascites may be due to liver problems and if you are having problems then you would do well to consult a doctor. That said, if you have been following a severely restricted diet for a prolonged period of time and / or have been working out with intense training then you may be able to lose your love handles by re-examining your diet and increasing your daily caloric intake of healthy, nutritious food that provides you with a balance of macronutrients and a variety of micronutrients. Less severe workouts and more recovery time will also help (but your focus should be on your diet).
As always, there is no way to spot-train specific areas of fat (or, in this case, water weight). You can do as much area-specific training as you like; yes, you will build stronger and larger muscles, but those muscles will remain hidden below your flabby skin. The most common exercise tip to burn fat is to engage in some type of aerobic exercise, such as jogging, walking, cycling or swimming. Such activities, when used in conjunction with a healthy, balanced diet, should lead to success. In the case of ascites and ridding your body of your love handles, this approach will not work and could easily lead to the condition becoming more severe. By reducing your calories further and exercising more you are robbing yourself even further of both macro and micro nutrients, which is what may be causing you all the trouble in the first place.
Fat on your body will be more solid than water weight. Water weight will be softer to the touch and will ‘ripple’ when disturbed. So if you have droopy love handles that act like a balloon filled with water when prodded you may be suffering from ascites caused by under or malnutrition (though you should be aware of more serious causes as well). Hopefully the quickest and easiest solution will be to up your intake of macronutrients and micronutrients via a healthy well-balanced diet.
