Outside of the stomach area, it seems that the thigh area is a common problem area for excess fat, especially for women.  This problem of accumulating excess fat in the upper leg area seems to become more pronounced as we get older, and for many, become less physically active.  The good news is that you can deploy many strategies and methods to lose that fat.  The best ways are presented below, so you can learn how to lose thigh fat via the right combination of diet, cardio, and some strength training.

How to Lose Thighs with Exercise

If you wanted to, you could do leg presses until the cows come home but at the end of it you will likely only have well developed thighs which are hidden below a layer of fat.  To achieve the desired results, you will want to be sure to do regular cardio workouts.

You see, cardio workouts keep the heart pumping which results in the blood flowing, where the result of that is that your metabolism goes into warp drive.  The faster your metabolism runs means the faster that your body transforms calories into energy instead of storing those calories as still more fat.

Multiple scientific, medical and health studies almost unaniously recommend about 3-5 hours of cardio exercise each and every week.  That is per WEEK, not per day, and that should be entirely achievable for almost anyone, even those with very hectic schedules.  If you are also trying to lose weight in other areas, it would not hurt at all to bump that up to 4-6 hours of cardio per week.

One of the things you want to happen here is to tone your muscles at the same time, so to achieve that, concentrate and focus on exercises that work your legs.  This would include stair climbing, jogging, walking, even kick-boxing.  Kick boxing?  Yes, that is great leg exercise, and many health clubs offer group exercise classes that can include some kick boxing techniques and moves.

In terms of working your leg muscles, jogging and walking are both excellent choices. If you are concerned about your joints and putting all that weight on your joints by walking or jogging, then walk or even try to jog in the shallow area of a swimming pool.  To increase the effectiveness of walking or jogging, you could also do that on sand to enhance the difficulty level of this workout.

How to Lose Thighs with Diet

As discussed initially, exercise is not the only thing required here, where proper diet is another very critical component of the whole equation.  You need to understand that if you eat a lot of foods that are heavy with saturated fats, sugars and sodium, the end result is that you will retain both fluids and fat.  That is a chemical constant and it will happen with that kind of diet.  Especially if fat thighs are something that runs in your family genetically, these kinds of foods in your diet can mean big trouble.

Here’s something to consider, which may not make sense at first but it has been proven: help out your metabolism by eating 5-6 smaller meals per day instead of the traditional 3 meals per day.  More frequent smaller meals will keep your metabolism working steadily all day long, instead of the start/stop effect that can occur with only 3 larger meals a day.

When you sit down for a meal, it is in your best interests to try to get some lean protein and vegetables at each meal.  If you need to have snacks between meals, use low fat dairy products, nuts, and fruits that are high in fiber.  If possible, try not to go more than three hours without a meal or snack, because remember, you want to keep your metabolism running smoothly and steadily.  If you are planning a heavy workout, you can get quick energy by eating good carbs such as whole grain pasta.

You may have heard to drink a lot of water and be aware that this is absolutely true, since proper hydration is critically important for effective fat loss.  Drink a lot of water during the day, which also helps your metabolism.  64 ounces of water during the day would be a target to aim for.

How to Lose Thighs with Strength Training

The other component of this triangle is strength training.  Strength training can trim your thighs by building lean muscle tissue.  The thing about muscle is that muscle is denser than fat, as well as taking up less room and generally looking sleeker from an external appearance.  In addition, muscle tissue burns more calories than fat does.  What this all means to you is that if you have the proper amount of muscle tissue, you are able to burn more calories all day long, even while you rest!

To target the thighs with strength training exercises, utilize leg presses, leg curls, and lunges.  For added value to this strength training, do lunges while carrying weights or dumbbells.

Although the gym or the health club is a great place to focus on these exercises, let’s be honest here — sometimes it is just plain hard to get motivated enough to get in the car, drive to the gym, workout, then drive back home. And you may not have time for all that when you factor in the drive time.  That’s ok, because there are a lot of home-based exercises you can do, such as yoga, which can make your thighs slimmer and stronger.  When at home, you can also easily do a short workout consisting of leg lifts and wall-sits.  Continue these in a session until your thigh muscles start to feel weak and trembly.

For the best results, only do your strength training every other day and rest your legs on those off days.

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