Here's 5 tips to help you lose weight and slim your hips

Maybe you do feel comfortable in your body but, despite all your efforts to sculpt it into your dream body, you're a little self-conscious about your hips. Before we talk about losing hip fat, there are a few things you should know.

Your hips are located at both sides of your lower abdomen, right below the waist. They're the biggest joint in your body, and connect your thighs to your pelvis. Depending on your body type, they can be more or less prominent. They can be covered with a lump of fat, or what we affectionately call 'love handles,' which we'll admit can be hard to love.

But don't sweat it! There is a way to get rid of those unwanted love handles. Here are our best tips to slim your hips.

Work out

If you want to lose hip fat, getting into a workout routine is a no-brainer. But in order for it to be really effective, you have to choose your workouts wisely. Here's what we recommend doing to work on your waistline:

• HIIT: to burn as many calories as possible
• Resistance training: with a focus on exercises like lunges and side-planks
• Jumping rope: a very effective cardio exercise, with an added bonus -- you get to release your inner child!
• Hula hooping: much like the jump rope, this playground favourite will help you trim you abdomen

You can combine these exercises with swimming or running to work the rest of the body.

Eat fewer carbohydrates

If you have a high-carb (sugar-heavy) diet, a lot of the extra poundage will go straight to your abdomen, where the fat will be stored. If you want slim and firm hips, you should reduce your daily sugar intake and replace it with fiber-rich whole foods.

Have some good fats

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to, and shouldn't, totally remove fat from your diet to lose hip fat. However, you should be careful about where you get it from. For example, you should limit your omega-6 (found in peanuts or sunflower) intake, but omega-3, which can be found in rapeseed, flaxseed or walnut oil is good for you. Don't shy away from oilseeds, but feel free to ditch salt and sugar and replace them with a good amount of vegetables.

Self-massage with an oil or cream

If you want to get rid of the cellulite stored in your thigh/butt/hip area, you're gonna need to get your hands dirty! You can use a slimming oil or cream to perform anti-cellulite massages twice a week for optimal results.

Drink water

Water retention can cause swelling in the hips. To avoid this, it's important to stay well hydrated, by drinking at least 1.5L of water every day. It'll help drain the fat that's settled in your hip area.