[Article updated on 19/09/2023]
The accumulation of fat on the thighs can disrupt your figure, or even make you self-conscious when you put on a swimsuit or light outfits. Fortunately, there are different solutions to get rid of them. If you have a few extra pounds in this area and you want to lose weight in your thighs, here are the different methods to achieve your goals.
Before reading on
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am passionate about nutrition and health.
The articles you’ll find on my site are the result of in-depth research that I’d like to share with you. However, I would like to stress that I am not a health professional and that my advice should in no way replace that of a qualified physician. I’m here to guide you, but it’s important that you consult a professional for specific questions or medical concerns. Your well-being is important. So be sure to consult the appropriate experts and take the best possible care of yourself.
Why does fat tend to accumulate in the thighs?
The thigh, like most areas of the body, stores fat accumulated when an individual gains weight. Depending on each person and the weight obtained, this accumulation can become more or less significant in the thighs. Here are the main reasons that can cause your thighs to grow and store fat.
An unbalanced diet
Copious food, fast food and many other foods that are too fatty and too sweet contribute to the rapid accumulation of fat in the thighs. If you are in the habit of eating pizza, hamburgers, sodas, fries and other “junk foods”, don’t be surprised to gain a few extra pounds.
A lack of physical activities
A sedentary lifestyle can also cause your thighs to quickly accumulate fat. Indeed, when you move your body very little, it will have difficulty expending energy. However, you accumulate it when you eat, even if you do not always consume foods that are too fatty or sugary. By gaining more than you have to lose, you obtain a surplus which will settle on your thighs, your stomach, your buttocks and everywhere on your body.
The presence of cellulite
Women are more affected by cellulite than men. If a person is prone to cellulite, adipocytes, fat cells, tend to easily store fat. They then grow significantly until they suffocate the skin fibers and tissues. An orange peel effect is then produced on the skin. An individual does not need to be overweight to have cellulite.
Water retention
As the name suggests, water retention involves not eliminating enough water, which makes certain areas of the body, including the thighs, appear larger. In this specific case, it is not fat, but water, but the result is the same: the thighs are too big. The phenomenon of water retention more often affects people who consume too much salt.
Women are most affected by fat accumulation on the thighs
Women are more sensitive to the accumulation of fat in the thighs compared to men. Indeed, from a young age, girls have a higher percentage of body fat compared to boys, up to double. This proportion will even increase as they grow, which means that women naturally have more fat than men.
From puberty, the percentage of fat in young girls almost doubles compared to that of boys. This fat will be distributed around the pelvis, buttocks and thighs, and to a lesser extent, around the breasts. This sharp increase is caused by the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Lose weight in your thighs while doing sports
Do you really want to eliminate fat from your thighs? The first and most important option is to engage in physical activities. Discover some simple exercises to do at home to integrate into your program to lose weight.
Cardio to lose thighs
Cardio is a great way to burn excess fat from your body. To quickly refine your thighs, several types of cardio are possible: running, cycling, swimming, jumping rope.
The main objective of cardio is to increase your heart rate in order to maximize calorie consumption. It is advisable to do cardio outdoors to enjoy the outdoors. Do it for at least 30 minutes a day and you will quickly see results.
The squat to refine your thighs
The squat is the exercise of choice when it comes to working the thighs. Its advantage is that it can be practiced at body weight, that is to say without specific equipment. In addition, it uses other muscle groups such as the glutes, hamstrings or calves.
To perform this exercise to lose thighs, stand up, spread your legs slightly wider than shoulder width. With your back straight, go down by bending your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. As you come down, hold your hands out in front of you. Then return to the starting position. If you have a Swiss ball, place it between your back and a wall to perform your squats more efficiently.
Lunges lose thighs
As with squats, lunges are a particularly recommended exercise for exercising the lower body. They work the majority of the muscles of the lower limbs, ranging from the glutes to the calves, including the thighs and hamstrings. Slits can also be made without equipment.
You can perform lunges in a static position or while walking. Stand up straight with your hands at your sides. Step one foot forward as far as possible and bend the knee of the foot forward. You should feel tension in the thigh of the back foot. Return to the starting position (static) or bring the foot back towards the one in front, then bring it forward in turn (moving).
The chair to refine your thighs
The chair is also one of the best exercises to lose thighs, refine them and build muscle. Stand up and place your back against a wall. Gradually go down, bending your knees until your thighs and legs form a right angle. Then return to the starting position. Contract your abdominal muscles throughout the movement.
Once you reach the bottom position, hold the movement for about thirty seconds before going back up. Between two repetitions, you can stop for around twenty seconds. For maximum intensity and optimal leg loss, don’t take any breaks.
Standing leg kicks to lose thighs
To perform kicking exercises, stand next to a wall. Place one hand against this wall and raise the leg located far from it until it is parallel to the floor. Then return to the starting position.
For maximum efficiency and to lose weight in your legs, perform a series of 20 repetitions, then 3 series for each side. If you want to make the exercise more difficult, attach weights to your ankles.
Managing your diet to lose weight on your thighs
Practicing physical activity is not enough to lose weight in your thighs. You must also adapt your diet to achieve your goals.
Consume less caloric foods
Reducing your caloric intake remains one of the main solutions for quickly losing weight in your thighs. To eliminate excess fat, you need to spend more than you store in calories. So, by combining your physical activities with a low-calorie diet, you promote the burning of body fat.
Consume foods rich in protein
Protein is both an ally for losing thighs, but also for gaining muscles. This way, you eliminate fat from your thighs, but you also contribute to their firming and toning.
A diet high in protein boosts your metabolism, tends to reduce your appetite and boosts your hormonal balance. Foods rich in protein are white meat, eggs, dairy products, soy, fish, etc.
Consume the right lipids
Not all fats are bad for the body. Moreover, some even promote weight loss, and therefore the refinement of the thighs. Indeed, when “good lipids” are mentioned, it is mainly omega 3. They are essential for metabolism, keep the nervous system healthy and stimulate hormonal balance.
The foods richest in omega 3 are fish, nuts, vegetable oils such as olive oil, rapeseed oil or linseed oil. Include them in your diet.
Lose thighs in 1 week: is it possible?
It all depends on the results you want to see. If you expect to systematically lose between 3 and 6 kg, the answer is immediately negative. Losing weight in such a short period of time is almost impossible without dangerously attacking the body.
For lasting thigh refinement without a yoyo effect, it is important to let time take effect. This way, your body will feel less stressed and will adapt more easily to your new lifestyle. Miracle products intended to make you lose weight in record time are, most of the time, either a scam or too aggressive for your body.
Also avoid not eating anything to lose weight quickly. Indeed, by abstaining from eating or skipping several meals, you also lose lean mass, that is to say muscle, which can be dangerous for your health.
Other alternatives to lose thighs
Finally, there are various other possible alternatives for losing thigh weight effectively.
Slimming creams for slimming thighs
Slimming creams are products sold as cosmetic products and which are to be applied to areas where you wish to lose weight. Generally, a light massage follows this application in order to penetrate the products deeply. Put it all over the area from the thighs to the groin. Also apply it to the knees if you wish. slim your knees.
Cryolipolysis to slim the legs
This is a medical process which consists of isolating part of the fat located at the thigh level and cooling it in a relatively extreme manner using a specific machine. The cold will cause the destruction of fat cells. The results are visible shortly after carrying out the session. If the skin is still elastic enough, no surgery will be necessary to help the skin recover from the fat removal.
Liposuction to lose legs
If you want to slim your thighs, liposuction is an effective alternative, but not without pain. Liposuction falls under the category of cosmetic surgery. It consists of vacuuming excess fat from the thighs using a specific device. Performed in a hospital center, liposuction is performed under anesthesia and allows a large quantity of fat to be removed in one go. The skin will take time to regain its suppleness and in the worst case, it will be necessary to perform a facelift to remove excess skin.
Green tea to lose weight on your legs
For centuries, green tea has been recognized for its diuretic and slimming properties. By drinking this drink regularly, you can help eliminate unnecessary fat from your thighs and your entire body, therefore making your legs slimmer. You also eliminate toxins from your body. This is a solution that is both effective and fast for burning fat.