The thighs and buttocks are a trouble spot for many women. Being overweight carries several health risks, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Slimming down your lower half, along with your top half, is a healthy step toward a lifestyle that prevents disease. Making changes to your diet and exercise habits is the best way to slim down and lose unwanted pounds. Talk to your physician before starting a new exercise or diet program.
Eat Low-Calorie Foods
Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. Cutting calories from your daily meal plan is a good way to help create this calorie deficit. Removing 500 to 1,000 calories from your diet helps you lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. To do this, focus on fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy. These choices are high in nutrients and satisfy hunger, but are generally low in fat and calories. Avoid high-calorie foods, such as fast food, candy, soda and processed snacks, which hinder weight-loss goals.
Do Cardiovascular Exercise
You can't spot reduce with cardiovascular exercise, but getting enough each week allows you drop excess fat all over your body, including your thighs and butt. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend 2 1/2 hours of cardiovascular exercise each week, though you may need to get as much as five hours per week for effective weight loss. To slim your thighs and butt, choose activities that work those areas while burning calories. Walking, biking, dancing and swimming are good choices.
Strength Train
You need cardiovascular exercise to burn fat, but strength training burns additional calories and tones and defines your thighs and butt. In addition, it builds lean muscle mass, which makes calorie burn more efficient. Include moves that target your thighs and butt at least twice per week. Squats, lunges, leg lifts, side steps, stepping and deadlifts are good options. Holding free weights during these moves enhances the benefits. Take a day of rest between sessions, which allows your muscles to recover and gain strength and mass.
Keep a Journal
A 2008 Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research study concluded that keeping a record of exercise sessions and eating habits doubled weight loss when compared to simply exercising and eating right. The reason this might work is because keeping careful track of your meals and workouts allows you to see progress or lack thereof, holds you personally accountable for making the right choices and is a simple way to stay on track with your butt and thigh slimming goals. Carry a small notebook and pen with you so you don't forget to record something.
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Writer Bio
Eliza Martinez has written for print and online publications. She covers a variety of topics, including parenting, nutrition, mental health, gardening, food and crafts. Martinez holds a master's degree in psychology.