Banish inner-thigh fat in eight weeks and stop the mistakes slowing your results
A top Aussie personal trainer has revealed the secret to shifting stubborn inner-thigh fat fast — and the common mistakes thousands are making that are slowing results right down. Rachael Attard, a personal trainer and nutritionist who specialises in the female body, is best known for her eight-week 'Lean Legs' program and its dramatic transformations achieved without relying on punishing HIIT workouts. 'Inner-thigh fat is a problem area for many women (myself included) and a very challenging part to slim down,' Rachael explained. As a fully qualified personal group trainer with almost 10 years of experience working exclusively with women, Rachael has come across this issue plenty of times and has tackled frustrating inner thigh fat herself. 'It took me a couple of years and lots of trial and error to find the best formula on how to lose weight in my thighs fast (and keep it off),' she said. '[You need to] understand what causes excess inner thigh fat, and why it may be difficult for you to get rid of it.' So what causes it? Primarily hormones and genetics. As women naturally have higher levels of estrogen, they store fat in their hips, thighs and bum. This type of fat storage, Rachael explained, is especially common in puberty, pregnancy and in times of hormonal imbalances. 'It is within our natural biology to store fat here. It's a survival mechanism - storing fat in these areas provides energy reserves for fertility, pregnancy and breastfeeding,' she said. 'There is research also shows that omega-3 fatty acids stored in hip and thigh fat are used by the body during late pregnancy and breastfeeding to support a baby's brain development.' Hormone imbalances like low progesterone, high cortisol (stress) and insulin resistance can all trigger more fat storage in this area. There are three main reasons why this type of fat is so tricky to lose: being a woman, the type of fat (subcutaneous, which burns fewer calories at rest) and the wrong type of workout. 'The truth is, there is a lot of misinformation about the right way to slim inner thighs fast,' Rachael said. 'If you take a look at the most popular articles on Google, you'll see that most of them claim that squats, lunges, and gym machine leg exercises are "the best thigh workouts to burn fat".' 'Unfortunately, those exercises are not the best choice for women who want to lose inner thigh fat without making their quads bigger; these are great workouts for building leg muscle so if you are someone who likes having a lot of muscles, go for it.' 'Squats, lunges, and leg machines will build muscle which will speed up your metabolism. And if you have a faster metabolism, it will be easier to lose fat.'
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Hormones and genetics drive inner-thigh fat in women
Primarily hormones and genetics. As women naturally have higher levels of estrogen, they store fat in their hips, thighs and bum. This type of fat storage, Rachael explained, is especially common in puberty, pregnancy and in times of hormonal imbalances. 'It is within our natural biology to store fat here. It's a survival mechanism - storing fat in these areas provides energy reserves for fertility, pregnancy and breastfeeding,' she said. 'Research also shows that omega-3 fatty acids stored in hip and thigh fat are used by the body during late pregnancy and breastfeeding to support a baby's brain development.' Hormone imbalances like low progesterone, high cortisol (stress) and insulin resistance can all trigger more fat storage in this area. There are three main reasons why this type of fat is so tricky to lose: being a woman, the type of fat (subcutaneous, which burns fewer calories at rest) and the wrong type of workout. 'The truth is, there is a lot of misinformation about the right way to slim inner thighs fast,' Rachael said. 'If you take a look at the most popular articles on Google, you'll see that most of them claim that squats, lunges, and gym machine leg exercises are "the best thigh workouts to burn fat".' 'Unfortunately, those exercises are not the best choice for women who want to lose inner thigh fat without making their quads bigger; these are great workouts for building leg muscle so if you are someone who likes having a lot of muscles, go for it.' 'Squats, lunges, and leg machines will build muscle which will speed up your metabolism. And if you have a faster metabolism, it will be easier to lose fat.'
Walk and keep resistance low impact
'If you want to get rid of inner thigh fat fast, you need to combine effective cardio with the right type of resistance training,' Rachael said. 'In all my experience, the best exercise for getting rid of inner thigh fat and getting lean legs, in general, is WALKING. Not running, swimming, cycling, elliptical or dancing.' She stressed that walking is the 'absolute best exercise' for getting rid of overall excess fat, including the inner thighs. This is because walking reduces subcutaneous fat (the fat just under the skin), and it will reduce subcutaneous fat on the legs. 'If you want to get rid of inner thigh fat fast, you need to combine effective cardio with the right type of resistance training,' Rachael said. Rachael suggested at least 10,000 steps per day for the best results. 'In addition to walking, swimming is actually a great form of cardio that can help with slimming your legs. It won't target inner thigh fat like walking, but it can be a great alternative,' she said. 'Those she named as less effective include squats, lunges, weighted leg machines, CrossFit and HIIT with lots of jumping.' Light resistance training will also work well, with Rachael recommending lower impact Pilates-style training. 'An example below:'
Eat for fat loss and cut down carbs
'If you want to lose inner thigh fat fast and be healthier, you need to change your diet and fuel your body with all the right nutrients, minerals, and vitamins,' Rachael said. 'Plus, you need to figure out what the right amount of food is for you based on your sex, age, and activity levels.' She recommended eating at a slight calorie deficit of 200-500 calories less than usual. So, someone who eats 2,200 calories to maintain their weight should eat 1,700-1,950 to lose it. 'Besides eating at a slight calorie deficit, as a certified nutritionist, I would also advise you to follow a low-carb diet for the quickest results. It's a well-known fact, confirmed by plenty of research that low-carb diets improve weight loss,' she added. 'When we need energy, our body starts burning carbs first, followed by fat and then protein. So, if you eat a low-carb diet and there are not enough carbs, your body will start to burn more fat and protein. This essentially means you'll burn more fat on a low-carb diet, using it as a primary source of energy. And if you're not sure where to start, you can download my 7-Day Meal Plan for free. It's a low-carb meal plan and it will help you kickstart your weight loss.'
