How Can I Get the Fat on My Legs Off?

Fat displacement varies between men and women. The lower body is more commonly the storing site for fat in women; where men tend to be victimized with belly fat. In either case, getting this fat off is harder than putting it on. Not only do you have to restructure your diet, but you also have to make exercise a priority. To get fat off your legs, you must address overall weight loss and leg-toning exercises.

A young woman jogging on a road. (Image: jacoblund/iStock/Getty Images)

Step 1

Reduce your intake of all foods that are high in saturated fat and calories. This includes cheeseburgers, cookies, cakes, ice cream sundaes, candy bars and pizza. Base your diet around foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products are good options.

Step 2

Eat small meals throughout the day instead of two or three big meals. This keeps your metabolism lifted and your stomach feeling satisfied. Do not get carried away with your meals; prepare only enough food to satisfy your hunger and hold yourself over for two to three hours until your next meal. A banana with five to 10 walnuts is a small meal, for example.

Step 3

Step outside and go for a run to burn calories. Start with a five-minute warm-up jog, and alternate your pace back and forth from fast to slow for the rest of your workout. This is called interval training, and it boosts your fat-burning potential. Aim for 30 minutes of running and finish with a five-minute cool down jog at a slow pace. Make your low-intensity intervals twice as long as your high-intensity bouts.

Step 4

Grab a stability ball to do wall squats. Brace the ball against the wall with the lower part of your back, and stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips, and lower yourself down by bending your knees. Stop when your thighs parallel the floor. Stand back up and repeat.

Step 5

Stand with your feet together to do lunges. Rest your arms at your sides, and take a long step forward with your left foot. Lower yourself down by bending your knees, and stop when your left thigh parallels the floor. Raise back up, step back to the starting point and repeat with your right leg. Continue to alternate back and forth.

Step 6

Leap up and down on a weight bench. Place your right foot on the bench and left foot on the floor. Press down on the bench forcefully, and launch your body into the air. Switch your leg position while in the air so you land with your left foot on the bench and right foot on the floor. Repeat the same pattern, and continue to alternate back and forth.

Step 7

Execute a set of star jumps. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lower yourself into a squat, and move your arms down in front of your body. Jump off the floor in an explosive manner, and extend your arms and legs out to your sides in an X shape. Move your arms and legs back in, land on the balls of your feet and repeat.

Tip

Perform 10 to 12 reps and three to five sets of your exercises. Work out three days a week on nonconsecutive days. Do your cardio workouts on three other nonconsecutive days.