One of the biggest concerns for women is having excess weight on the legs and particularly on the outer thighs.
In this article, we’ll look at what’s actually causing this including how to reduce outer thigh fat and how to get slim legs.
In the case of outer thigh fat, the core issue here is actually excess body fat levels. Above a certain body fat percentage, our bodies begin to store excess weight throughout and is what’s happening is, some of this excess weight is ending up on our thighs.
To get slim legs, you really need to focus on two things. They are:
- Weight loss
- Getting to your ideal weight
We’ll explain why this is the case below. It is important to focus on weight loss because you cannot spot train body fat.
Unfortunately, leg workouts have no effect despite what’s promised, because the muscle tone may be there, but it’s underneath your body fat levels and you’re unable to see it.
In this article, we’ll have a look at what causes and how to reduce outer thigh fat, and the best strategies to get slim legs.
What Causes Outer Thigh Fat
Before we answer how to reduce outer thigh fat, let’s first have a look at what’s causing this in the first place.
When it comes to being toned, including slim stomach and legs, there is really three core parts. They are:
- Your body fat levels
- Your muscle tone
- How firmly your muscles are held
The first two are the most important and they work separately of each other.
Firstly, you have your actual body fat levels. This is the body fat itself and we all have a certain body fat percentage. At your ideal weight, this will typically be between 19 – 24% for most women (it’s not necessary to know your numbers exactly, it’s the principal that matters).
Above this, this is where your body is storing excess weight throughout. It’s normal that much of this will go to your stomach and legs.
This is the core issue for excess weight on your thighs.
By focusing on reducing your overall body fat percentage, your body will pull from its energy stores, but it will reduce overall rather than specifically from one area (in other words, it’s not possible to lose body fat from one specific area).
Below this, you have your actual muscle tone. However, as mentioned, this works separately from your actual body fat levels.
By working your legs out, you may be building muscle tone, but the problem is because you’re not lean enough, you’re unable to see it. This is actually extremely common for a lot of women working out.
This is the reason that to get slim legs, you need to focus on:
- Weight loss
- Getting to your ideal weight
Because you cannot spot train as such.
Not only do we know this is the case, but research has also extensively tested this (study, study, study). What happens with leg workouts and the like, you may be building tone, but it’s underneath and you don’t have visible results.
As you lose weight, this is where your body will tap into its energy stores and your legs will begin to get slimmer.
This includes your outer thighs.
Do note, as covered above our bodies do not lose weight evenly. It’s normal to lose from other areas first (face, stomach), however eventually as you get to your ideal weight, your legs will become slim.
How To Get Slim Legs
As you can see above, to get slim legs you need to focus on actual weight loss. This is really the only way naturally, because without this, as mentioned, you can have great tone, but you’re not able to see it.
To lose weight, you need to make what we call an energy deficit. This is the source of weight loss (study).
Each day your body is burning energy, typically known as calories, which for most women will generally be between 1400 and 2000 each day.
When you eat below what your body is burning, it will tap into its energy stores and you’ll lose weight.
It actually takes a full 3500 calories to lose one pound. This means that by making an energy deficit of 500 calories each day, that adds up to one pound over the week. You specifically want to know your:
- Weight loss calories
- Maintain weight calories
These two things combined with making it sustainable and keeping your metabolism up, is how you get to your ideal weight.
As you make the energy deficit, you will lose weight and your body will tap into its energy stores and your legs will become slimmer.
Do Leg Workouts Assist
As you can see above, the answer is no.
Because what happens is, whilst it feels good, the tone ends up underneath and you’re unable to see it.
Therefore, leg exercises and the like do not reduce excess weight on your legs as such. Yes, you may be building tone, but because your body fat levels are too high, you will not have visible results.
In short, you cannot spot train body fat.
This is the reason it gets you a lot better results to focus on your nutrition and the energy deficit first. You get better results to put all your effort towards this especially upfront.
This is not to say that toning workouts cannot have their place, but without weight loss, you end up doing a lot of work without seeing results.
The amount of energy burnt working out is not enough to lose weight on its own and whilst there is a small amount of recomposition effect (where your body can build muscle tone and swap for body fat), this is also quite small.
To get slimmer legs you really need to focus on weight loss, and to get the best results you want to make this your priority. It’s not necessary to do leg workouts to get slim legs. As you get to your ideal weight, they will become slim automatically.
We’ve found this to be very true with clients. The more weight you lose, the better your results.
How To Reduce Outer Thigh Fat
How can I slim my outer thighs? The core issue is really excess body fat levels.
You need to focus on weight loss and specifically getting to your ideal weight. This is not a quick fix, but as you get to your ideal weight, your legs will start to become slimmer.
To do this, you need to focus on making an energy deficit. You cannot specifically lose body fat from one area. Where it’s stored depends on your natural shape and genetics.
You do not need to, nor do we recommend, do leg workouts to get slim legs. Remember, you cannot spot train as such (do leg workouts for slimmer legs), you need to focus on weight loss to have visible results. As you make an energy deficit, your thighs will automatically start getting slimmer for you.