Heavy Thighs

Heavy Thighs

Thinner, Trimmer, Slimmer

Randomly poll any group of women about their least favorite body part, and chances are that a majority will point to their thighs.

It's the weight of heredity: If your thighs are heavy, chances are that your mother's are, too. The bad news? "You can't lose weight in a single body part," says Mary Ellen Sweeney, M.D., obesity researcher at Emory University School of Medicine and an endocrinologist and director of the Lipid Metabolism Clinics at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, both in Atlanta.

BEST BETS FOR SHAPELIER THIGHS

The good news: If you work at losing weight and exercising, you can slim down and tone up your thighs, Dr. Sweeney says.

And there are a few specific exercises that may help bring out the best in them, says Kathleen Little, Ph.D., exercise physiologist and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Trim fat and trim your thighs. "Fat is fat," says Dr. Sweeney. If you want to get rid of the fat on your thighs, you'll need to reduce your overall body weight and body fat.

Start by getting most of your calories from low-fat or high-carbohydrate foods such as vegetables, chicken breasts and whole-grain, unbuttered bread.

Limit your fat intake to 20 to 30 percent of your daily calories. (If you eat 2,000 calories a day, that's between 400 and 600 calories from fat.) It's not complicated. Just cut back on fried foods, rich desserts, fatty meats and high-calorie salad dressings, Dr. Sweeney says.

The aerobic guarantee. "If you lose weight all over your body, you will lose it in your thighs," says Dr. Sweeney. She says that the best way to burn off the most fat is to get 20 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise--in other words, activity that increases your breathing and heart rate, such as brisk walking, bicycling, step aerobics or running--at least three times a week.

Add weights, subtract inches. "The best way to work off weight and flab is to combine aerobic exercise with resistance training," says Dr. Sweeney. Aerobic exercise burns off fat, while resistance training improves muscle tone and strength and firms up your thighs, and the flab goes away. Develop a regimen that includes both types of exercise, says Dr. Sweeney, and you'll be on your way to slimmer, sleeker thighs.

Dr. Little concurs: Specific resistance-training exercises can firm your thighs; they'll look smoother and jiggle less.

If you have access to a gym, work your thighs on a leg press or leg-extension machine, says Dr. Little. If you don't, Dr. Sweeney suggests leg lifts or semi-squats.

To do a leg lifts, lie on your side with your legs straight. Rest your head flat against your outstretched arm or cradle it in your hand with your arm bent. Slowly raise your top leg about 12 to 14 inches from the floor 10 to 12 times, explains Margot Putukian, M.D., team physician at Pennsylvania State University in University Park and assistant professor of orthopedic surgery and internal medicine at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey. Remember to breath out as your leg is raised and breath in as you lower it. Repeat three times for each leg at least three times a week.

To do semi-squats, stand sideways at your kitchen counter or next to a chair with your feet spread about shoulder width apart. While grasping the counter or chair with your hand, slowly squat down until your knees are bent to 90 degree angles, says Dr. Putukian. Keep your back straight and your shoulders and knees in line above your toes. Then come back up. Use the counter or chair for balance only and make your legs do the work. Do 10 to 12 repetitions three times a week.

OTHER SLIMMING TRICKS

Here are a couple of additional tricks for creating the illusion of thinner thighs.

Disguise it with dress. If your thighs are heavy, body-hugging knits--miniskirts, tube skirts and leggings--are not your best fashion options. Instead, opt for soft, flowing skirts in flattering fabrics such as wool crepe or silk, which direct attention away from your thighs, says Susan Bornstein, a wardrobe and fashion consultant at Nordstrom near Seattle.

Wear neutral colors. To cast a slim, thin-thigh silhouette, wear solid navy blue or black skirts or small patterns that don't scream out for attention, Bornstein says. Avoid plaids, large patterns or horizontal stripes.