Thigh fat is the fat tissue under the skin of your thigh region. The stubborn fatty tissues which get accumulated underneath your skin causing fat in thigh areas and leave you with a question of how to lose thigh fat. Do not fret! We have got your back. Thigh fat can be understood by the following terms:
Cellulite
Excessive thigh fat is also known as cellulite. Cellulite is the persistent subcutaneous fat tissue under your skin that usually presents in the thighs and butt. It is the bumpy skin that commonly occurs in the thigh region especially in women and leaves them wondering – how to lose thigh fat.
Causes of cellulite formation
Cellulite is formed by the buildup of fat underneath the skin. The amount of cellulite depends upon the genes, age, and body fat percentage. When your skin becomes thinner and loses elasticity, the cellulite becomes more visible.
Cellulite may be caused by:
- Fluid retention
- Poor diet
- A frenzied lifestyle
- Hormones imbalance
- Accumulated toxins in the body
- Pregnancy
- Weight gain
- Genes
- Physical inactivity
Saddlebags
Saddlebags are the fat stored on your thighs just on the side of your buttocks in the form of unnatural and sharp-angled skin.
Saddlebag fat is more prevalent in women than in men.
Saddlebag fat can be hereditary. Estrogen in women triggers the accumulation of fat around the abdominal area along with the thigh area.
Causes of saddlebag fat
The primary reason why you store fat on any part of the body is a calorie surplus in your diet. However, there are some reasons that make you prone to storing fat in these areas most.
- Estrogen dominance
- Lower back problems
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Overall excess fat
- Poor diet
HOW TO LOSE THIGH FAT
Be it thigh fat, cellulite, or saddlebags, excess of these fat tissues can cause serious damage to our bodies. However, there are certain things which, if followed regularly, can help cutting fats from these areas.
1. Watch your sugar Intake
Anything that is in refined form can cause several health issues.
Extracting and processing the sugar naturally found in foods like corn, sugar beets, and sugar cane make refined sugar. This refined sugar is then added to foods for various purposes, including boosting flavor.
Thus having refined sugar may increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and even heart disease. They also are related to a better probability of depression, dementia, liver disease, and sure sorts of cancer.
So one should be careful enough while consuming refined sugar when on a weight loss diet.
2. More proteins fewer carbs
A person should eliminate unhealthy sources of carbohydrates like white rice, white bread, cookies, cakes, etc. One should rather stress upon including healthy carbs in his diet. The few healthy carbs can be buckwheat, lentils, chickpeas, brown rice, quinoa, oats, etc.
Having enough protein is also an important point in weight loss. By replacing carbs and fats with protein, you reduce the hunger hormone-like Ghrelin and boost the satiety hormones like GLP-1 and Cholecystokinin.
3. Be friends with water
Hydration is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Having enough water in your system flushes the harmful toxins out of your body.
Moreover, enough water percentage in the body doesn’t let the retention of fat. Drinking enough water helps boost your metabolism, cleanse the digestive system, and act as an appetite suppressant.
4. Keep an eye on what you eat
Keeping a daily record of the food you eat can help you immensely. It helps you stay on track and accountable when you are trying to lose weight.
Keeping track of the food you eat makes you learn more about your eating habits. It ensures that you are aware of what you are eating.
5. Move that body
Physical inactivity may lead to fat retention in the body. Exercise helps in normalizing your hormone level. It prevents the formation of cellulite and improves blood circulation in your thighs and butt, helping to keep the connective tissue healthy.
Spending half an hour daily on physical activity can help you boost your energy level.
EXERCISES TO LOSE WEIGHT
As mentioned above, indulging in any physical activity on a regular basis can definitely help you shed those extra pounds. For this, any activity which includes bodily movements will be helpful, be it a workout in a gym, a basic to an intense yoga session, aerobics, cardio exercises, or even a brisk walk.
Let us talk about some basic exercises specially made to target those fat tissues under your thighs.
1. Squats
A squat is a dynamic strength exercise that especially focuses on strengthening your lower body muscles such as thighs, glutes, calves, and hamstrings.
How to perform a squat:
- Stand straight, legs slightly wider than hip-width apart.
- Ensure your chest is up and engaging your core.
- Now slowly try lowering your hips in a sitting position.
- Keep your thighs equivalent to the ground.
- You can put your hands on your chest.
- Sit in this position for a few seconds and then exhale pushing back to the starting position.
Benefits of doing a squat:
- Reduces the risk of injury.
- Strengthen core
- Burns calories fast
- Improve flexibility
- Helps build muscles
- Improves digestion and blood circulation
- Postural improvement.
Variations of squats:
Squats can be performed in different variations depending upon the ability of a person.
These variations include:
- Sumo Squats
- Barbell Squats
- Overhead squats
- Jump Squats
- Dumbbell Squats
- Weighted Squats
2. Lunges
A lunge is a single-leg bodyweight exercise that focuses on your hips, glutes, and hamstrings. Performing lunges daily can help you develop lower body strength and endurance.
How to perform a lunge:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Now take a step forward with your right leg and drop your hips until both knees are parallel with the hips.
- In the next step push off with your forward foot and return to the original position.
- Repeat with the other leg.
Variations of lunges:
- Side lunges
- Walking lunges
- Reverse lunges
- Weighted lunges
- Barbell lunges
- Goblet lunges
3. Deadlifts
The deadlift is strength training in which a bar is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips.
How to do Deadlifts:
- Stand straight with shoulder-width apart.
- Put a rod or bar in front of you.
- Bend over and grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip.
- Bend your knees till your shins touch the rod.
- Make sure your back is straight and chest up.
- Inhale and lift the bar while standing.
- Hold this position for 3-4 seconds.
- Put the rod back on the floor.
4. Plank
A plank is a core strength exercise that involves maintaining a position similar to that of a push-up for a possible time. It is considered the best exercise for strengthening your core making the thighs, glutes, and hamstrings strong.
How to do a plank:
- Lie down in a push-up position. Plant your hands directly under your shoulders.
- Keep your toes pointed towards the floor and squeeze glutes to stabilize your body.
- Keep your back straight and neck firm.
- Hold this position for at least 20 seconds. Try to increase this time after a few days of practice.
- Get back to the original position.
Variations of plank:
- Forearm plank
- Knee plank
- Side plank
- Single-leg plank
Cycling
Traditional yet fruitful, cycling is the best of all exercises to make your thigh region stronger. Cycling not only strengthens the muscles but also eliminates fat tissues in that area.
For cycling, you do not need any fancy gym equipment. Just grab a cycle and start working out in the open air.
CONCLUSION
The fat around the thigh region is stubborn and can be caused by various reasons but knowing how to lose thigh fat by following a balanced diet and a few workouts can help reduce that fat and never let your question- how to lose thigh fat occur again.
Sitting for a long time and eating junk may be obstacles in the process of your weight loss journey. So keeping these points into consideration, you can surely cut those extra pounds not only from your thighs but also from any part of the body.
However, spot reduction is not possible in any case. You can’t lose fat from a particular area of your body. Exercises mentioned above, if combined with the exercises made for the entire body, may help you get the desired results.
