There are several factors that make the hip and thigh area so challenging when it comes to weight loss. One theory claims that it’s mostly genetics to blame for the “pear-shaped” body most women get before menopause. The thing is women are predisposed to storing excess fat in these areas because of genes that remained from our cave-dwelling ancestors. It’s these genes that cause hormones, such as estrogen, and enzymes in the female body to turn every extra calorie into fat cells and store it in the hip and thigh area.
This theory aside, it’s most about taking a wrong approach to lose thigh fat. Read on and find out what to embrace and what to avoid to burn stubborn thigh fat effectively.
Patience
As with any weight loss plan, patience is the first thing you need to equip yourself with. Staying persistent and focused on your goal may be more beneficial than everything else you do. It’s also important to maintain a realistic approach to your weight loss goal because thigh fat, especially inner thigh fat, will be one of the last areas to slim down, so give yourself as much time as you need to get there.
Avoid exercises such as squats
Exercises such as squats, lunges, leg curls, stiff-legged deadlifts, leg extensions and calf raises, especially with heavy weights, will not slim your thighs. The thing is these exercises actually give a counter effect and make your thighs bigger. Also, weight training will make your muscle fibers larger.
Stick to cardiovascular exercises
The ideal cardio goal you should stick to is burning fat without gaining much muscle mass in the thighs, which is why you should avoid overworking the thigh muscles. If you are using cardio equipment including elliptical trainer or a stationary bike, keep the resistance low. Also, avoid hilly terrain if exercising outside.
Endurance running is extremely beneficial
Women with big thigh muscles are strongly advised to adhere to endurance running because it not only reduces the muscle size, but also the fat around the muscle, thus making the thighs smaller. Endurance running is especially good for slimming and shaping both your thighs and calves. As an alternative, you could use the elliptical trainer with little or no resistance.
Follow a thigh-friendly diet
As a general rule, inability to burn fat in spite of regular exercise is the result of a diet high in calories. If you want to change your body, including your thighs, your diet is one of the first things to reconsider. Effective weight loss only happens when you consume less calories than you burn day after day. That’s why your diet should be abundant in protein, vegetables, fruit, and good fat.
source: https://www.healthyfoodteam.com
