There's no one exercise or food that specifically helps you lose weight in your legs—spot reducing fat doesn't work—but keep reading to find out what can help you trim down.
Here are 9 great ways to trim thigh fat and slip right into those skinny jeans.
1. KICK UP THE CARDIO
Cardio is great for burning calories and fueling weight loss. If you want to lose weight and lose it fast, cardio is your best friend.Try doing cardio that gets your heart pumping fast and burns a ton of calories, like running, jumping rope, and biking. Plus – those 3 activities also tone your legs, which will come in handy once you shed all the thigh fat you’re trying to get rid of.
Burning calories is key to reducing your overall body fat, and heart-pumping cardio is going to make that happen. Choose the types that burn the most calories, such as biking, running, and jumping rope. As a bonus, these also tone the legs while you're doing them. Do 60-minute sessions five times a week to really notice a difference.
2. GET HIGH
With your incline, that is. Pump up the treadmill's incline, find some hills to bike or run up, or take the stairs outside or in your home. You'll instantly feel your heart rate increase, which means you're working harder and burning more calories than if you were to stick to a flat surface. Incline also targets the thighs, hamstrings, and tush, toning your lower body.
3. SPOT TONE
With all the cardio you're doing that's stripping away that extra layer of fat surrounding your lower body, you want to reveal strong, toned muscles underneath. Doing moves that sculpt your inner and outer thighs, hamstrings, and butt will make your legs look leaner and slimmer.
Do exercises that help shape the muscles on your thighs, hamstrings and butt. That means doing more squats and lunges to really tone those muscles and get your legs and butt looking great.
4. Eat Small Meals Over The Course Of The Day
Definitely don't skip the first meal of the day since it'll jumpstart your metabolism, which helps to reduce your overall body fat to reveal your leaner legs. Pass on sugary meals with refined carbs, and opt for a combo of protein and fiber-filled complex carbs. The protein will give you energy so you'll feel pumped for that early-morning cardio workout. As an added bonus, it also helps build muscle. The carbs will sustain that energy and keep you feeling full.
5. Write Down What You Eat
You can't slim down by exercise alone. It's important to cut calories as well and to know your daily calorie intake. Though it may seem tedious, keeping a food journal works—in fact, one study found that those who logged what they ate six days a week lost twice as much weight as those who only kept track of a day or less. In order to lose a pound a week, you need to cut 500 calories a day—250 through exercise and 250 through diet is a good breakdown. Just be sure not to dip below 1,200 calories. Writing it down will keep you accountable for every bite.
6. DRINK MORE WATER
Choose water every time you reach for a drink, and you'll save hundreds of calories by avoiding sodas, fruit juices, and other sweetened beverages. Aside from being zero calories, H2O will keep you hydrated, which also helps with weight loss. Keep water close by, and sip it often, especially before meals—filling up on water before eating helps encourage portion control.
7. Get Enough Sleep
The facts bear this out – if you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re not going to lose fat, no matter how intensely you’re working out.
Your body needs sleep to rest and recover from activities, and reshape your body while you’re sleeping. If you’re not getting enough rest, you won’t see the results you want – plus you’ll be more likely to snack on unhealthy stuff during the day.
8. SNACK OFTEN
Eating a little something every few hours will prevent hunger from causing you to overeat, so be sure to eat a snack in between meals. Keep it under 150 calories, and choose foods high in protein and fiber to fill you up and offer energy. Here are 150-calorie homemade snack ideas.
9. Remember Genetics
If you’re really not seeing the results that you want, and you’ve been following all the items on this list, think about your body shape – as well as your mom’s, aunts, sisters, and grandmother’s body shape.
If all of you have pear-shaped bodies, it’s something that’s determined by genetics – not by how hard you work. If that’s the case, don’t worry, obsess, or stress about it – there’s not a whole lot you can do to change it. But that’s ok – by following the advice on this list, you’ll get your body into the best shape possible – and look pretty damn good while you’re doing it.