Trim the Sides: Expert Tips on How to Get Rid of Side Boob Fat

Do you struggle with excess side boob fat? You may have to adjust your sports bra over your side fat every time you dress to hit the gym. These struggles can be frustrating for those seeking a leaner appearance.

While side boob fat is an unsightly concern for many, it is totally preventable. You can easily banish this side fat by following a calorie-deficit diet and working out.

If you wish to overcome this, you have landed at the right place. This article covers how to get rid of side boob fat and the various exercises to get a slimmer appearance in no time.

How To Remove Breast Side Fat and Underarm Fat?

Side boob fat, or underarm fat, is the excess fat that gathers under your armpits and the side of your breast due to excess weight. In other terms, fat is stored under the armpit and in some cases, may be a condition called the axillary breast (10).

Excess fat accumulates in different areas of the woman’s body, which may also affect their self-esteem. Women also tend to store more fat than men naturally. The good news is that side boob fat is preventable and can be reduced by following a particular fitness regimen.

One important thing to note is that you cannot do spot exercises or target the side boob area specifically to lose fat. It would help to incorporate a full-body workout to reap the results and lose excess fat.

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Here is how you can get rid of side breast fat.

Restrict Your Caloric Intake

The diet you follow has a huge impact on your appearance. If you consume sugary and processed foods regularly, your body may store more fat, which ultimately can contribute to side-boob fat. The first step is to reduce caloric intake and shift your body to the fat-burning phase. 

To do that, you need to burn more calories than you consume. For example, if your daily recommended calorie intake is around 1300 calories, you need to stay behind that number and not exceed the limit in order to lose weight. You can create a calorie deficit by either exercising or consuming less food (7).

However,  this doesn’t mean you can skip your meals, as that could lead to a  nutrient deficiency and may lead you to experience fatigue, nausea, and tiredness. The following are some tips that will help you improve your eating habits:

• Avoid eating before going to bed. Make a habit of eating at least 3-4 hours before bed.
• Follow a portion control strategy and consume smaller meals instead of three big meals throughout the day.
• Prepare your meals in advance and bring them with you.
• Consume more protein (at least 0.8 g per 1 pound of body weight) as an adequate protein intake helps build muscle and lose body fat (1). Also, protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs, revving your metabolism and helping you lose weight even when not exercising.
• Replace sugary foods with natural fruits.
• Avoid junk food, alcohol, and similar beverages.

Tweak Your Diet

In addition to reducing your calorie intake, it is essential to tweak your diet. You can follow the keto diet, a popular weight loss program designed to shed weight rapidly. A keto diet comprises foods low in carbs, moderate in protein, and high in fat (9).

While adding more fat to your diet to lose weight seems counterintuitive, it ultimately comes down to a calorie deficit. When you completely reduce carbs, you will lose weight rapidly as the body uses up stored carbohydrates and water, and enters the ketosis phase, which converts fats into ketones (9).

Following a keto diet can be one method for some individuals, however, it may not support optimal health in the longer term and can be difficult to maintain. If in a true ketosis phase, your body can burn fats and use them for energy. In addition, you can also do intermittent fasting by following a 16-hour fast, as this helps you prevent overeating and regulate your weight.

Exercise Daily

Along with your diet, incorporating a combination of strength training and cardio regularly can be an effective approach to achieving results. Exercises like deadlifts, bicep curls, and barbell presses can help tone your chest and arms effectively, whereas bodyweight exercises and cardio help you shed overall fat. By exercising regularly, you may also develop firmer and perkier breasts.

Get the Right Bra

The bra you wear can have a significant impact on how your breasts appear. About 8 out of 10 women wear the wrong bra size and suffer from such issues (2). Wearing the wrong bra makes your side boob fat more visible and gives an unsightly appearance.

To counter this, you need to get a bra that provides comfort and adjusts perfectly with your bust. You can counter this problem by consulting the bra size chart and doing the necessary measurements.

Here’s how you can find out your perfect bra size:

• When you try the new bra, check that the front and back sides are even.
• After wearing the bra, raise your arms above your head. If your bra slides up your boobs, it means your bra is too big. Ideally, the bra must not ride up. Its band should be parallel to the floor.
• The bra band must not feel too tight around our chest. It must feel tight, but not so much that you can’t pass your finger through it.
• The bra must adequately hold and cover your breasts and not cause your boob to spring out. Also, it must not let your side boobs roll out.

Breast Reduction Surgery

Breast surgery or lateral breast reduction is the last resort when you have tried working out and adjusting your diet. It is a safe cosmetic surgical procedure where the surgeon removes excess side fat from your side boobs and armpit area (4).

Since it has no potential side effects, the surgery has become quite popular among women. After surgery, you will witness perkier, fuller, and more firm boobs.

Get More Sleep

Women, especially young mothers, often get a few hours of sleep due to attending to their babies all night. A study shows an association between sleep time and weight gain (3). Sleeping less than 6 hours daily was associated with more weight gained in comparison to those who had adequate sleep levels.

The ideal sleep time for healthy adults is 7-8 hours daily (3). You may need to reevaluate your sleep schedule if you have excess fat.

Manage your Stress

Lastly, being under stress makes us stress-eating and consuming high-calorie foods. Managing your stress levels by methods such as meditating and yoga is important, as high stress levels may lead to weight gain (6).

Read more: Rowing Calories Burned: Does This Exercise Help With Fat Loss

How to Get Rid Of the Side Back Fat?

We all desire to have slimmer backs. Factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, diet, genetics, and aging may impact how our backs look. As we age, excess fat can accumulate more on our side, belly areas, and back, also known as love handles.

Doing certain exercises and following a caloric-deficit diet can help banish side back fat. Let’s look at the best exercises to eliminate fat under your breasts and around your back.

Side Jackknife

Side jackknife targets your love handles and helps you slim down around your belly. To perform this exercise:

1. Lie on your left side on the floor.
2. Stack your right leg on top of your left leg.
3. Place your right hand behind your head and rest your head on your left hand.
4. Inhale and bring your right leg towards your side back while bringing your right elbow to your leg.
5. You will feel a squeeze in your side back area.
6. Do this exercise 4-5 times on one side and then switch to the other side.

Reverse Hip Raise with Exercise Ball

Put your exercise ball to good use by doing a reverse hip raise that targets your buttocks and lower back. To perform a reverse hip raise with an exercise ball:

1. Place an exercise ball on the floor.
2. Lie on top of it so that you hold yourself with your hands pressed on the ground and your legs dangling in the air.
3. Face the floor to keep your back in a straight position.
4. Squeeze your glutes and raise your legs. Ensure the ball remains firm to the ground and your hands are locked in place.
5. Repeat this exercise for 8-10 reps.

Superman

The exercise gets its name from individuals resembling a superhero when they perform this exercise. Superman exercise targets your buttocks and lower back. Follow these steps to perform this exercise:

1. Lie straight on the ground.
2. Stretch your legs and arms. Place your feet with your toes pressed on the ground. Your palms must be placed on the ground.
3. Raise both your arms and your legs at the same time. They must be raised at least 6 inches from the ground.
4. Repeat this exercise or 7-8 reps.

Side Plank Crunch

A side plank crunch targets your abdominals and your side back. To perform a side plank crunch:

1. Lie on your left side on the ground so that you hold yourself with your left elbow placed horizontally on the floor.
2. Stack your right leg on top of your left leg. Place your right hand behind your head.
3. Squeeze your glutes and raise your right leg towards your side back. It would be best to push your right hand and head toward the belly to perform a crunch.
4. Repeat this exercise for 4-5 reps on one side and then switch to the other.

How to Get Rid of Side Boob Fat with Exercises?

Side boob fat may be eliminated by working out regularly. Below are some top-notch exercises to get rid of side boob fat easily.

Dumbbell Fly

Exercises involving barbells and dumbbells are beneficial in losing overall body fat and toning your muscles. Dumbbell flyes target pectoral muscles located in your chest region (11). Doing dumbbell flyes regularly can help define and sheds fat around your side boobs.

1. Lie down on the bench press. 
2. Hold each dumbbell in your hands.
3. Raise your arms above your head and hold the dumbbells firmly.
4. Slowly lower your arms and stretch your arms beyond your chest level.
5. Hold for a second and raise the arms back to the starting position.
6. Repeat this exercise for 5-6 reps per 2 sets.

For variation, you can also do a decline dumbbell press targeting your lower chest and side area.

1. Lower the bench press to a 30-degree angle.
2. Lie on the bench and grab a pair of dumbbells in your hands.
3. Hold the dumbbells so that your elbows are parallel to your chest.
4. Inhale and raise your arms high above until they are fully elongated.
5. Lower to the starting position. That’s a single rep.
6. Repeat this exercise for 5-6 reps per 2 sets.

Lat Pulldown 

Lats are the broadest posterior muscles extending from the back to the sides. Exercising them may improve your physique and prevent your body from storing fat there. That is to say, you do not get side-boob fat. To do a lat pulldown:

1. Sit on the lat pulldown machine.
2. Choose a weight that is challenging per your strength level.
3. Grab the pulldown bar firmly with your hands. Ensure your hands are farther than your shoulder width.
4. Pull the bar down to your chest and repeat this motion by pulling down the bar repeatedly.
5. Do this exercise for about 9-10 reps per 3 sets.

Dumbbell Row

Dumbbell rows may be a better option for shedding side boob fat as they activate various muscles in your chest. This helps you to get rid of side chest fat. To do dumbbell row:

1. Stand near the bench and grab the bench with your right hand.
2. Bend forward and place your right knee on the bench.
3. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand. Hold it close to your chest.
4. Begin by lowering the dumbbell parallel to your knee and then raising it to your chest with your elbow bent.
5. Repeat this exercise for about 10-11 reps per 2 sets.

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How to Get Rid of Armpit Fat?

Like side boob fat, the area around our armpits may also accumulate excess fat. Well, the good news is that armpit fat can be banished by doing specific exercises like:

Pushups

Pushups are the most popular and effective exercise to help tone your muscles and eliminate armpit fat. To perform pushups, you have to:

1. Lie on the floor.
2. Get into the pushup position. Hold yourself up with your palms pressed on the floor.
3. Place your toes on the ground.
4. Slowly lower yourself down by bending your elbows.
5. Reach a few meters above ground and push yourself back up.
6. Repeat this exercise a few times.

Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are all-rounders as they cover all types of exercises like HIIT, cardio, and core workout. These effectively target your shoulders, arms, core, and legs, helping you shed fat in all these areas. To perform this exercise:

1. Place your palms firmly on the ground and stretch your legs. Place your toes on the ground.
2. Raise your right knee towards your left arm by pushing it forward till you reach your core.
3. Repeat the same with your left knee.
4. Do this exercise repeatedly fast to feel the burn effect.

Plank to Side Plank

Planks are considered the best endurance exercise, and rightfully so. Doing side planks sheds fat in your side chest and armpit area. To perform a plank-to-side plank:

1. Get into a side plank position by resting your left elbow on the ground and stacking your legs on each other.
2. Place your right arm on the ground and raise it above your head.
3. Elongate your arm and maintain this position for about 15 seconds.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat.

What Causes Side Boob Fat?

Side boob fat is something we all wish to eliminate. While excess body fat seems to be the probable reason behind the distributed fat, several factors, such as age, genetics, and diet, can play a crucial role. Let’s look at the major side breast fat causes to learn more about this fat accumulation:

Genetics

Genetics play a huge role in how much fat our bodies store. Some people are more inclined to store fat naturally than others. If you have side boob fat, chances are you inherited it from your maternal or paternal side. This is because our genes influence breast shape and size (7).

Aging

Aging may impact the breasts as we age. With time, muscles holding our breasts wear out, making our boobs sag and become loose. This also causes our skin to lose elasticity and become saggy, leading to a side-boob appearance.

Pregnancy

Breasts change a lot during pregnancy, swelling and enlarging in shape. Sometimes, the skin may not restore and become firm like it was once before giving birth, leading to side boob enlargement.

Diet

Most importantly, our diet plays a huge role in our body fat. Eating a sugary, processed, and high-calorie diet can lead to weight gain, which ultimately results in excess body fat.

Read more: Craving Control: 7 Low Fat, High-Protein Snacks to Keep You Full and Focused

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you get rid of side boob fat?

You can get rid of side-boob fat by changing your lifestyle. Swapping processed foods with nutrient-dense foods, working out more, and leading an active lifestyle can help shed excess side boob fat and make your breasts appear firmer.

How to get rid of side-boob fat in men?

Side boob fat is not just limited to women. Men can also gain excess fat around their chest, known as man boobs. Doing workouts to get rid of side boob fat, such as HIIT, cardio, and weightlifting, regularly can help men lose chest fat and progress to building those dreamy abs.

How to get rid of the fat side boob roll?

While side boob fat is unsightly, it is easily preventable. Maintaining a caloric deficit, hitting the gym, and getting a well-fitted bra are the solutions to get rid of the side boob roll. If these do not work, you can always opt for surgical procedures like lateral breast fat reduction.

The Bottom Line

While you may have given up finding out how to get rid of side boob fat, it is something that you can easily prevent by following a healthy lifestyle. Getting the right bra, maintaining a  calorie deficit, and working out regularly helps you get rid of under-breast fat and side boob fat.

It is important to note that everybody is beautiful, and you must embrace body positivity. However, if you opt for breast fat reduction surgery, consult your physician before proceeding.