Losing 2-3 cm on your thighs can be one of the most difficult weight loss goals. However, by committing to a daily exercise program and modifying your diet, you can see positive changes much faster. Additionally, there are cosmetic procedures designed to remove stubborn fat pads that have built up around the thighs and do not respond effectively to physical activity. However, these surgeries involve various risks and side effects.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Exercise
Step 1. First of all, you must know that it is not possible to reduce fat in a targeted manner
For reasons due to the very constitution of the human body, it is practically impossible to burn fat in a specific area. So instead of focusing only on reducing the circumference of your thighs, follow a workout designed for the whole body that allows you to lose weight evenly, including the legs.
Burning the inner thigh fat pads is difficult, and may take time. Be patient and set realistic goals for general weight loss. It is possible to have thin thighs, but it takes time to achieve it
Step 2. Commit to an intense aerobic workout
Run on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes, sign up for a spin class, or get a good workout on the elliptical.
- The most effective cardio workouts to slim your thighs include long sessions of running, jogging, or spinning, because aerobic exercise allows you to burn fat, without putting on too much muscle mass or gaining weight. If you run or jog outdoors, avoid hilly areas, as they can build leg muscles.
- If you work on machines like the elliptical or stationary bike, set the resistance and incline to a minimum. On this equipment, aim for a moderately high intensity to maximize the amount of fat burned.
- Use a heart rate monitor to calculate the intensity of your workout and make sure you keep a steady pace when doing aerobic activity.
Step 3. Avoid lunges, squats, leg extensions and calf raises
While they are great for building muscle mass, these exercises only help develop the thigh muscles, they do not slim them.
Aims to burn fat overall, and then gradually develop thigh muscles
Step 4. Once you have burnt fat on your thighs, do resistance training
When you notice that you have lost 3 to 5 cm on your thighs thanks to aerobics, start integrating resistance exercises with weights into the training schedule.
Start with lighter weights on machines like the leg curl, adductor, and leg press. With each piece of equipment, do more reps with less resistance to slowly build muscle mass
Method 2 of 4: Clothing to Slim or Hide the Thighs
Step 1. Choose skirts and pants that cover the thighs
If you are a woman, wear skirts that camouflage the fullest part of the thighs and whose hem reaches 4-5 fingers from the knee. If you are a man, choose dark wash jeans that charm the waist well and have a cigarette cut.
- Avoid excessively bulky clothing, as it can actually make your entire body, including your thighs, look stouter.
- Also, avoid low-rise skirts, which shorten the legs and make the thighs look thicker, and skirts that reach mid-calf, because they look old-fashioned and sloppy.
Step 2. Invest in clothing that slims your lower body
This means buying clothing that is neither too tight nor too loose. In addition, they should be of models or cuts that thin the lower part of the body, more robust.
- If you are a woman, dresses such as wrap-around and A-line dresses are ideal for slimming the thighs, and enhancing the body.
- Avoid tight-fitting clothing that is too tight and made from fabrics that mark the body excessively, such as spandex, nylon, and satin.
Step 3. Prefer dark colors
Generally, they make everyone look slimmer.
- Either way, don't be afraid to wear prints, especially on the upper body, as this will distract attention from your legs and thighs.
- If you are short and more robust in the lower part of the body, avoid very bright or large prints, because they can make the body not very harmonious. For skirts or trousers, opt for inconspicuous and more delicate patterns.
- Avoid horizontal lines, as they can make the body appear larger and draw the eye from side to side, right in the thigh area. Prefer sweaters, skirts and dresses with vertical stripes, which bring the eye from the bottom up.
Step 4. Avoid faded jeans on the thigh area
This detail will only draw attention to the area.
Instead, go for dark wash, tight jeans, and avoid capri and shorts that are too short: they will only accentuate your thighs, without making them slimmer
Method 3 of 4: Follow a Healthy Diet
Step 1. Reduce your daily calorie intake
Calories turn into energy for the body, but if you put in too much, your tissues will store more fat, which could lead to obesity or weight gain. As a result, eat mostly low-calorie foods that require longer digestion; Examples include green leafy vegetables, fruit, lean proteins, and foods containing less artificial sugars.
Step 2. Limit your sugar intake
Research data shows that eliminating sugars from your daily diet can reduce calorie consumption by almost 20-40%.
- Replace sugary drinks, such as sodas, with water or green tea. Green tea stimulates the metabolism and contains antioxidants that are good for the body. Also, it's important to make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
- Replace the sugar you use to sweeten coffee with stevia. This substance is extracted from a South American plant and tastes sweet, except that it contains no sugar or calories. You can also try natural sweeteners, such as cinnamon or honey.
- Avoid all artificial sweeteners, including dietary ones. Read the ingredient lists of the foods you buy to make sure they don't contain corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup.
- Keep in mind that alcohol does contain a lot of sugar, so avoid drinking it to minimize its consumption.
Step 3. Consume fewer carbohydrates and eat more protein
Carbohydrates are a primary source of energy for the body, but overeating the simple carbohydrates found in baked goods, sweets and biscuits can have a significant negative impact on metabolism. Carbohydrates in the form of grains, such as those in bread and pasta, can also cause weight gain and a drop in blood sugar, leading to lethargy and a lack of vitality. So, try to minimize the consumption of these foods.
- Over bread and pasta, opt for healthier foods, such as brown rice or quinoa.
- Replace sugary treats and baked goods with naturally sweet foods, such as fresh fruit.
- Increase your protein intake by eating lean meats like turkey or chicken, and avoid beef or pork, which are fatter. Ideally, you should eat 4 servings of protein per day. One serving is 85-100g, or about the size of a fist. The best sources of protein include eggs and fish, especially steamed, barbecued, or grilled.
- If you have an active lifestyle or exercise daily, it is important to have enough energy, which you can get from grains and proteins. They allow you to train and build muscle mass, including in the thigh area.
Step 4. Avoid milk and dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt
Use whey protein to make protein shakes - they'll still give you energy, but won't make you fat.
- You can also use egg white protein powders.
- You should also avoid butter, mayonnaise, and full cream. When making a salad, use olive, coconut, or flaxseed oil for a healthy dressing.
Step 5. Monitor calorie consumption to improve nutrition and prevent bad eating habits
Calculate your daily calorie needs based on your weight and exercise level, then take note of the calories you consume in a month. While controlling calorie consumption is important, you should also try to have stable glucose levels so that you feel full and satisfied after a meal, and not hungry.
- Observe the times of the day between meals when you feel tired or in a bad mood. If you notice any dips in energy at certain times, have a healthy snack available so your glucose doesn't drop. If you avoid eating bread or heavy carbohydrates for lunch, you may not feel so much sleepy in the late afternoon.
- Observe if you have eaten meals that prompted you to fail and any situations that cause you to consume certain foods or drinks. Maybe it's the stress that makes you crave cookies, or on a social occasion you feel compelled to have a glass of wine. Regardless of the causes, it is essential to recognize them and try to curb them by replacing the biscuits with a fruit and the glass of wine with one of water or a cup of green tea.
- In fact, it is recommended to drink a glass of water or a cup of tea before meals to stimulate metabolism and suppress hunger, which will help you avoid bingeing.
- Enjoying what you eat is the secret to following a healthy diet, avoiding gaining weight, having enough energy to strengthen and tone your thighs with physical activity. By replacing industrially processed foods with "real" and organic ones, your body will thank you by making you feel better and, as a result, you will look better.
Method 4 of 4: Undergo Cosmetic Treatment
Step 1. Consider liposuction
It is a procedure that allows you to remove the fat pads from almost all parts of the body, including the thighs. However, it is considered a drastic or dangerous method to reduce the circumference of the thighs. Plus, it's an expensive remedy for getting rid of unwanted fat.
- This treatment involves the use of a narrow tube, called a cannula, which is inserted directly into the thigh. The cannula is then connected to a suction device, which removes fat cells and gives the thighs a smoother, leaner outline.
- The procedure is usually outpatient, and the discomfort and recovery time after treatment is usually minimal.
- However, it is an expensive procedure. Depending on where you intend to do it and the surgeon who will perform the surgery, you can pay between 1500 and 4500 euros for an inner thigh liposuction, and between 1400 and 4500 for the outer thigh.
Step 2. Be aware of the possible risks and side effects of liposuction
As with other surgical procedures, thigh liposuction carries dangers. Here are some of them:
- Blood clots, infections, lumps of fat, changes affecting skin sensitivity, bleeding, uneven or uneven body contours, swelling, skin discoloration, skin and nerve damage, scarring, risks from anesthesia, pain and sagging skin.
- It is important to keep in mind that while liposuction will remove fat from your thighs and improve their contour, it cannot cure obesity or remedy a poor diet aggravated by a lack of exercise. It won't fix other health ailments, from obesity to a lack of sports.
- Furthermore, liposuction cannot cure cellulite, which manifests itself through skin ripples on the thighs and buttocks. It cannot treat poorly toned or sagging skin.
- The results of thigh liposuction can be long lasting, provided certain changes are made. However, if you gain weight in this area, you can completely undo the outcome of the surgery. Therefore, it is essential to adopt a healthy lifestyle, with a healthy diet and exercise, before and after the operation.
Step 3. Consider a thigh lift
This surgery is a more invasive surgical procedure that reshapes the thighs, removing excess skin and some of the fat.
- The surgery is often performed in conjunction with liposuction to reshape and smooth the thighs after the fat has been removed.
- This operation is also outpatient, but recovery can take at least a week. Most patients resume their lives normally after a few weeks after surgery.
- However, this procedure can be expensive. The price fluctuates between 1500 and 9500 euros; the cost of an average treatment is around 4000 euros.
Step 4. Be aware of the possible risks and side effects of a thigh lift
This surgical operation has several possible dangers and side effects, including:
- The wound may not heal properly, and there may be bleeding, edema, severe wound opening, skin discoloration or redness, skin loss, persistent pain, deep vein thrombosis, risks due to anesthesia, poor healing, numbness, changes affecting the skin sensitivity and sagging.
- During the operation, the surgeon may successfully remove some stubborn layers of fat from the thighs, but this surgery is not aimed at removing many layers of fat. It cannot replace other methods of burning fat, such as a healthy diet and daily physical activity.
- Before a surgeon performs this surgery, they will make sure your weight is stable, as further weight loss could cause the skin tissue to sag again. Similarly, significant weight gain after the procedure interferes with the outcome. Consequently, it is vital to maintain a healthy diet and exercise program before and after treatment.
