It’s common to want to trim a few pounds off a specific area of the body — or two, or three. But finding a method to blast that fat off for good isn’t easy. Your body’s metabolism is stubborn, as it wants to maintain status quo and keep that layer of fat right where it is on your belly, butt or thighs. Combat the body’s tendency for stasis by making lifestyle changes and committing to a lifelong healthy eating and exercise strategy to lose the fat and keep it off.

Instructions

1. Start and maintain a healthy eating strategy that will help you lose weight and reduce fat. Read nutrition labels and avoid foods that contain saturated fats and refined carbohydrates. Don’t eliminate fat from your diet altogether, as some fat is necessary for the body to function, but consume healthy polyunsaturated fats such as those found in nuts, seeds, olives and fish. Swap white, refined carbohydrates for hearty whole grains that will fill you up in less time. Follow serving sizes to consume sensible portions, and reduce your calorie intake, but you don’t need to do anything drastic. Consuming 100 fewer calories a day is all that’s necessary to reduce belly fat.
2. Tone the abs. Strength training can’t reduce fat in a specific area, but can tone the muscles underneath the body fat to flatten the stomach. Lie on an exercise mat and do crunches, first with your knees bent and then with your legs straight for an additional challenge. Perform pelvic tilts and leg lifts, which also work the butt and thighs. Do crunches or sit-ups for the abs. Perform pelvic tilts and lifts for the lower abs, butt, and thighs. Firm and tone the thighs and core with squats, using a set of dumbbells.
3. Tone the butt and thighs to help make it look sculpted and lean. Most exercises will work the butt and thighs together. With a set of dumbbells and an exercise mat, do sets of squats and lunges. Do sets of variations on leg lifts while on all fours on an exercise mat. Work one leg at a time. Do three sets on each leg of lifting it straight out at a 45-degree angle, bending at the knee and lifting out to the side, and kicking up and back with the knee bent.
4. Incorporate cardio or aerobic exercise into your daily routine to lose weight and body fat. You won’t be able to dictate where the pounds come off, but consistency and dedication will result in losing fat in the belly, butt and thighs as well as other parts of the body. Daily, moderate exercise is the best way to lose body fat. Take brisk walks of at least 30 minutes, or do a dance routine or go for a run or jog. Anything that elevates your heart rate for at least 30 minutes, every day, will help you lose weight and burn fat.
5. Measure your progress. Use a measuring tape to keep track of the circumference of your waistline, hips and thighs. Gradually, you should see the numbers go down as you lose fat from these areas and tone the muscles underneath.

Some people are pear-shaped and carry their weight predominantly in the lower half of their bodies. To reduce fat in the lower areas, there are specific exercises you should do in conjunction with a healthy weight-loss diet. Working out twice a week allows your muscles to recover in between exercise sessions.

Instructions

Eat Right and Get Moving

1. Eat foods that burn fat such as vegetables and fruits. These foods regenerate your system, energize you and increase your vitality, as well as help you lose fat in the lower and upper part of the body. Vegetables and fruits allow you to eliminate more frequently and fully, which gets rid of toxins and bloating. These foods also reduce your cravings for sweets and keep your energy levels at a consistent rate so you don’t get too hungry or tired.
2. Work out the quads, which are the muscles on the front of your thighs. Sit down, place your hands on each side of you on the bench you are sitting on and simultaneously raise both legs, stopping before your knees lock. Hold and then lower. Repeat. You can make this more strenuous by using an exercise machine equipped with weights that you lift with your legs.
3. Use the leg press machine at the gym or in your home, which works out your butt and your quadriceps. You push the press with your feet, straightening your legs and then bending them as you return to the starting position. Do not lock your knees.
4. Do lunges, which will work out all of the muscles in your lower body. You can do this while holding hand weights or a dumbbell, placed on your shoulders, behind your neck.
5. Lose butt fat by doing squats–lots of them. To see results sooner, hold a 5-pound weight in each hand while squatting.

Other Suggestions

 

1. Get on your hands and knees and bring your left knee up to your chest and then extend it as far behind you as you can. Lifting your leg toward the ceiling once the leg is fully extended will work out your butt muscles even more. Do this on the right side as well.
2. Try to slim down fat ankles or “cankles,” which may be your genetic predisposition. You may have the tendency to store fat in your lower legs. Fat ankles also can be the result of edema, tendinitis or water retention. You may or may not succeed in losing the fat on your ankles. Consider doing kickboxing or other activities that bulk up your calves and minimize thick ankles.
3. Do yoga. Yoga tones and sculpts the entire body while helping you burn fat and lose weight. Yoga improves posture and straightens your spine, which makes you look taller and thinner.