How to Reduce the Size of Your Thighs

Thighs are often the subject of many women's laments, especially when bathing suit season rolls around. Some women feel their thighs touch too much in the middle, while others believe their thighs are not toned enough to wear shorts. Others feel that their thighs are just too big. Here are some suggestions on how to cope with that difficult part of the body.

Things You'll Need

• Weight loss exercises

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Instructions

• 1

  Realize that you cannot physically "spot reduce," which refers to getting rid of fat solely on one area of the body - no matter what weight loss supplements or weight loss products say. It is also impossible to get rid of fat cells once you have them. However, there are ways to shrink them.

• 2

  You need to lose weight to shrink your thighs; decrease your overall body mass and your fat cells will also decrease in size. This can be done in several ways listed below.

• 3

  Abstain from strict, impossible to maintain diets. Instead, adopt a weight loss program where you take in less calories in your diet overall. And rapid weight loss goals aren't healthy, so stay away from diets that offer "the quickest way to lose weight" or the like. A good rule of thumb is take your goal weight and multiply it by 11; this is the number of calories you need to maintain that weight.

• 4

  Focus on weight-baring exercises that involve your legs for an effective weight loss strategy. Running is a weight-baring exercise; swimming is not. These will reduce thigh size by making your legs look sleeker and stronger.

• 5

  Try lifting weights using your legs such as leg curls and presses. If you are worried about muscle and "bulking up," lift lighter weights and do more repetitions. Doing plie squats and lunges also will target the muscles of your inner thighs. See the Resources section for links.