How To Lose Thigh Fat

Many people struggle with weight gain. Stress and anxiety from the now-prevalent work-from-home culture, COVID, and the crazy fluctuations in Dogecoin prices add to the problem. 

An individual doesn’t gain weight evenly in the accumulation phase. Most people, especially women, gain body weight in a particular pattern. The fat build-up usually starts in the lower abdomen. Initially, it might look like you’re transitioning into a pear-shaped body (thighs and hips are wider than your bust and waistline), but rest assured, you’ll move towards a diamond, square, or rectangle figure if you don’t fix the underlying issues.

Next, the extra fat trickles into their legs, especially the thighs, then shows its sign on the face, chest, and arms. While there are exceptions to this pattern, it stands true for the majority. 

Now, don’t get us wrong. We aren’t here for body-shaming. Every individual is beautiful in their own way. Plus, thanks to the Kardashians, an hourglass figure has become a popular physique goal for many women. If you didn’t already know, it is easier to go from a pear-shaped body to an hourglass figure than to look like Kim K starting from a carrot-type body. 

The most common issue with a heavier rear is the extra fat around the thighs. This article will elaborate on how you can lose thigh fat, the time this process might take, making the right food choices, and how to keep body fat at bay. 

Thigh fat is caused by a combination of a calorie surplus diet, eating junk food, a sedentary lifestyle, and genetics. It is also influenced by an individual’s age, gender, ethnic origin, and recent weight gain.

Women are more prone to inner thigh fat than men because of the hormones progesterone and estrogen. On the other hand, an individual’s metabolic rate drops with age, slowing the rate at which their body burns fat and spiking their stored body fat percentage. 

A bodyweight spurt can also cause a thigh fat build-up. If you are planning to gain weight, you should do so in a planned and controlled environment. Gulping down a box of donuts with a cold coffee increases the chances of building up fat in your upper legs. 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of losing thigh fat, let’s address the elephant in the room. Spot reduction doesn’t work. Please do not burn your hard-earned money on spot-reduction fads like sauna belts or unproven gels. 

A calorie deficit refers to eating fewer calories than you burn in a day. However, many people go overboard with this as they try to lose too much weight too soon.

If you go too hard on the calorie deficit, your body will enter a catabolic stage, meaning it will break down muscle to use as fuel. You’ll also be short of energy throughout the day.

Do not make the mistake of following a generic calorie-deficit program. It should be designed as per your lifestyle. Here is how to make a personalized calorie deficit diet:

Your food choices play a big role in your physique aesthetics. Get rid of all the greasy, high-calorie, unhealthy foods from your diet and replace them with nutrient-dense whole foods. 

Here are some food options that should be a staple in your diet:

Besides nailing your diet, following an effective HIIT cardio and strength training regimen can help speed up your thigh fat loss process. 

HIIT (high-intensity interval training) helps build strength, burn fat, and revs up your metabolism. HIIT training includes switching between high, often explosive-intensity, bouts with recovery-intensity bouts. For instance, on a HIIT cardio routine, you’ll sprint all-out for a minute and then slow down for the next minute. You’ll repeat this cycle until you complete 10 minutes. 

HIIT resistance training includes high volume and intensity workouts with minimal rest between sets. If a normal intensity workout takes you an hour to complete, try finishing it within 45 minutes on a HIIT routine, but without compromising on the volume, intensity, or form. 

Furthermore, you should ideally perform two cardio sessions a day to lose thigh fat. The first should be a 10-minute HIIT cardio done after a HIIT resistance training workout. Doing it before a workout can sacrifice your performance in the weight training session. Hence, saving it for later is recommended.

The second cardio session will be LISS (low-intensity steady-state), which includes performing a cardiovascular activity of your choice at low-to-moderate intensity for 30-45 minutes every day first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. 

Excess sodium intake can make you hold water, and people dealing with excess thigh fat generally retain this water on the back of their thighs. Plus, you might notice bloating while going overboard with NaCl. 

However, do not cut out salt from your diet completely. It plays important roles in your body like balancing electrolytes and preventing muscle cramps, keeping you hydrated, supporting a healthy nervous system, promoting vascular health, and improving sleep. The WHO suggests consuming 2,000 mg (2 grams) of sodium per day, and the American Heart Association advises a much lower intake of 1,500 mg (1.5 grams) per day. [2][3]

Things to consider in a fat loss program include: 

As much as we hate to admit it, genetics play a crucial role in how our body responds to certain stimuli. Most of us have a friend who can down a cheesecake without worrying about his weight. On the other hand, some people can gain weight just by sniffing an ice cream. 

Furthermore, every individual deals with fat gain differently. While some folks begin storing fat in the thighs, others might not see a fat build-up in their lower bodies even if they gain 20 pounds in a month. 

On top of that, there is the issue of cellulite. Cellulite is most prevalent in women and can cause lumpy, dimpled flesh on the thighs, hips, buttocks, and abdomen.

It’s no secret your lifestyle plays an important role in determining your fitness levels. Here are a few lifestyle parameters to consider:

If you have a desk job, your likelihood of gaining thigh fat increases. On the other hand, an active individual will burn calories throughout the day due to a high metabolic rate. 

High-stress levels and anxiety can shoot up your cortisol levels. Cortisol is popularly known as the stress hormone and is produced in the adrenal glands found just above your kidneys.

A study found an association between higher cortisol response and a higher amount of belly fat in a group of 172 men and women, suggesting that higher cortisol may lead to overeating, which could potentially promote weight gain. [4]

Plus, a 2017 study found that participants with higher baseline stress levels gained more weight over six months than those with lower stress levels. [5]

On a time-bound fat loss program, you should completely cut alcohol from your routine as it contains empty calories, meaning it is high in calories but provides no nutritional value.

Furthermore, binge drinking can lead to poor dietary choices and overeating, which can set you back on your transformation journey. 

Must Read: How To Drink Alcohol Without Losing Muscle and Gaining Fat

Sleep and recovery are amongst the most overlooked subjects in a physique transformation program. It doesn’t matter how hard you train or diet; you won’t see the desired results until you give your body enough time to rest and recuperate from your workouts. 

Sleep regulates various bodily hormones. The hormones leptin and ghrelin help regulate appetite and are affected by a lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation can spike your cravings and make you binge eat junk food. 

Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep every night for optimal recovery and ensure balanced hormones.

The infamous thigh fat is located at your inner thighs and hamstrings so we’ll focus on exercises that primarily target these areas. Although strength exercises do not directly help lose thigh fat, they help tone, strengthen, and stimulate the underlying muscles.

Given below are some thigh fat shedding exercises that should be a part of your exercise arsenal:

Check out the complete sumo squat guide here!

Check out the complete goblet squat guide here!

Check out the complete glute kickback guide here!

Check out the complete hip thrust guide here!

On the other hand, if you are not a fan of hitting the gym or performing resistance or bodyweight exercises, you can engage in the following activities:

Use the following workouts to target your thigh fat:

Weight and body fat loss are results of burning more calories than you consume in a day. Swimming, cycling, and walking can help shed body fat when combined with a calorie deficit routine.

Yes, you could burn thigh fat without exercise. However, exercises like the ones mentioned above help stimulate your muscles and can help boost your fat loss progress.

It depends on your goal and your current body fat percentage. You should expect positive results within 8-12 weeks while following a calorie deficit diet and an effective training program.

Now that you know everything you need to know about losing thigh fat, it’s time to make a personalized program and put it into action. 

Thigh fat can be stubborn and might need a lot of hard work, patience, and persistence before you start noticing results. Trust the process and stick to your program for at least 8-12 weeks before expecting results.

Vidur is a writer and editor at FitnessVolt.com. He is passionate about all things strength sports and dedicated to sharing his hard-earned knowledge. An expert at giving unsolicited advice, his writings benefit the readers and infuriate the bros.

Many so-called fitness experts believe that squats are the only exercise you need to do to blow up your quads....

Friends don’t let friends skip leg day, or so the popular meme says. And yet, many people neglect their leg...

The leg press is a great addition to any lower body training routine. Whether you use it to complement the...

Retired bodybuilding professional Lee Labrada reached incredible heights during his time in the sport with razor-sharp conditioning and eloquent posing....

During the mid-2000s, Men's Open bodybuilder Branch Warren stood out with a cement-cracking lower body and balanced proportions. In a...

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

At FitnessVolt.com Our mission is to help our readers to achieve their fitness goals, regardless of where you’re at on your journey, we are on a mission to educate You with the latest from strength and fitness space. Read more. Email: sm(at)fitnessvolt.com Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. However, our reviews are based on well research backed analysis.

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.