10 Ways to Get Rid of Thigh Fat (& get toned legs)!
Thigh fat can be a real problem area for many women. Just like belly fat, it’s one of the more stubborn areas of the body to trim fat from. While there’s no such thing as a rapid spot treatment to specifically burn fat from your thighs, or anywhere on your body for that matter, the good news is there are things you can do to get rid of excess body fat all over, plus focus on specific exercises to tone up your legs.
So do not rule out wearing those lovely new shorts you’ve had your eye on just yet!
Here’s our top 10 Ways to Lose Thigh Fat and tone up your legs!
1. Water is your best friend
Drinking enough water is essential for burning off fat from food and drink, as well as stored fat. Plus water does the best job of flushing out excess salt and fluids your body no longer needs. Drinking lots of water especially before meals helps staves off hunger pangs and can make you feel fuller. Healthy Mummy Nutritionist Cheree Sheldon recommends drinking at least 2 litres of water daily, and up to three litres if you’re exercising.
2. Cut back on Salt
Too much salt makes your body retain excess water which in turn causes bloat that can affect your whole body, hips and thighs included. Cut back on processed foods like canned veggies, soups and bottled sauces that are loaded with sodium
3. Protein, protein, protein!
Lean protein (with less fat) keeps you fuller for longer, which reduces the likelihood of reaching for a sugary snack after your meal, which aids in fat loss. Think nuts, salmon, lean meats (such as chicken and turkey), tofu, eggs, yoghurt, tuna and certain cheeses.
Get the recipe for Protein Packed Chicken Macro bowl here!
4. Electrolytes in Fruits and Veggies
Electrolytes are not just in sports drinks, electrolytes like calcium, magnesium and potassium are loaded in healthy foods that are probably already in your diet. Electrolytes support hydration and help the body produce energy. Banana’s, yoghurt and dark leafy greens are all excellent sources of different electrolytes. All of them, particularly potassium compete with salt which helps keeps the fluid balance stable.
5. Watch your Carb intake
Many of us are confused about carbs and diet. How much we should eat if any at all when trying to blast fat. The important thing to remember is that not all carbs are created equal. Bad carbs are highly processed and are not only high in sugar, but they are also significantly lower in nutrients and fibre than whole foods. They also break down more rapidly into glucose and enter your bloodstream far faster than vegetables and other good carbs. However, the fact is that carbs are the number one source of energy-producing foods. Therefore we CANNOT leave them out of our diet completely. We need an array of good carbs – think brown rice, oats, grains, seeds, and vegetables. Try to consume a small portion of whole grain carbs at each main meal to increase your dietary fibre intake and aid in weight loss.
6. Get Moving!
We all know how good cardio is for getting the heart pumping and the blood moving but it’s also really good at torching calories and blasting fat. HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training is a form of cardio performed at high intensity for a short duration, with an equally spaced resting phase. Fat burning HIIT workouts are a great way to burn a maximum amount of fat in a short period of time.
The main difference between cardio and HIIT is that cardio is aerobic while HIIT is anaerobic. Meaning, in HIIT, the muscles are deprived of oxygen during the small bursts of the intense workout. The 28 Day Weight loss Challenge has more than 350 exercise routines and full-length video workouts. Check out our Fave Fat burning workouts below.
7. Train and strengthen your thighs
Ok, so while you can’t spot reduce fat on your thighs, what you can do is spot train your muscles so they’re toned and strong. Target your thighs and lower body with a mixture of knee lifts, sumo squats, curtsy lunges and curtsy squats with hand weights. Do 10 reps of each for three or four sets. Ideally, try to work in at least two days of leg workouts in your exercise regime.
This workout is one the favorites of Nathalia Melo our amazing trainer for our 28 Days Stronger program, available now in The Healthy Mummy app as part of the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
Work your lower body with our Super Fitness Trainer
8. Fire up your metabolism
Stimulating your metabolism will fire up your body’s ability to burn fat, so it’s super important when trying to lose weight. If you’re feeling a little sluggish, there’s many simple ways to give your metabolism a boost!
Try these ways to boost your metabolism
9. Alternate thigh exercises for maximum results
While it’s important to do specific leg exercises to tone the thigh area, it’s best not to do the same exercises, all the time. Different exercises will challenge a muscle group in different ways. For example if you are using a bar to squat, using it at the front will target your quads, at the back will focus on glutes and hamstrings. Alternate single leg-movements like lunges and split squats that will work your stability muscles including your inner and outer thighs.
Try Super Fitness Instructor Nathalia’s 5 favorite squat exercises
10. Track your meals
This is an important one to help you stay on track and accountable when you’re trying to blast fat. The 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge App makes this a super easy process, as it keeps tabs on what you’ve eaten as well as helping you plan ahead.
If you are inspired to get moving and want to take charge of your own health and weight – then join our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge TODAY.
With more than 4,500 delicious (and healthy) recipes, 350 exercises & 24/7 support – the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge is designed (and proven) to help busy moms like you lose weight!
For more information on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, click here.
