Whether or not you had a thigh gap in the past, do you ever wonder why you don’t have one now? Why is thigh fat harder to lose compared to that in your belly and arms? That’s because the muscles in this area get built slower than the rest of your body. So, how do we tackle this problem?
There are a bunch of methods, natural and medical, you can adopt to deal with the issue. The success rate, result-time frame, and recovery of each of them varies a great deal. You can pick one based on your requirements, fitness, and time and stay consistent with it for as long as needed. Regardless of whichever technique you choose, the real struggle lies in maintaining the results. Anyway, continue reading to learn more about the causes and solutions of inner thigh fat and whether you’d find something that could help you.
What Causes Inner Thigh Fat?
The causes of inner thigh fat can vary over a wide range. It could be anything from a variation in hormone levels to the manifestation of more serious conditions like lipedema, which is characterized by irregular fat buildup due to irregularities in the lymphatic system functioning.
- Hormones: Hormone production is a deciding factor when it comes to fat accumulation. Estrogen, a hormone dominant in the female body, when produced in increased amounts, results in fat accumulation in the inner thighs. This might be the reason why your thighs gain weight even when the rest of the body isn’t.
- Weight gain: Weight gain caused by unhealthy eating habits where you consume excess calories than needed, will also be reflected as accumulated fat in the thigh area. The body stores the fat thus created in different areas of the body, and in women, the fat accumulation more often happens in the thighs.
- Genetics: Genetics is one of the factors that determine the shape and size of our bodies. If your ancestors from either side of the family have thick thighs, you are more likely to have them as well. The body decides where to store fat based on genetics and how to possess it.
- Anatomy: This is more relevant in the case of the female body. Female bodies store fat mostly in the hips and thighs as they have comparatively larger pelvis suitable for childbirth. The fat in these areas carries out the function of protecting the child by acting as a cushion.
- Age: As we age, our metabolism as well as hormones change. This leads to increased fat accumulation in both men and women. While men store more fat in their abdomen, women store it in their thighs, hips, and buttocks.
- Sedentary lifestyle: A lifestyle where the individual stays passive and doesn’t move as much, naturally leads to fat accumulation. The posture while sitting for long hours in front of a computer screen or any activity that lacks physical movement results in your thighs storing more fat than any other part of the body.
How to Lose Inner Thigh Fat?
If you stay consistent, you can lose inner thigh fat naturally with a few changes in your routine, no matter how persistent the fat is.
- Regular workout: Although the practicality of spot fat reduction is still being debated, there are certain exercises that target the muscles in the thighs, which naturally melt fat in that area. You can try cardio, strength training, lunges, squats, trekking, and hiking, which will work the thigh muscles to reveal toned, fit thighs.
- Balanced diet: As already said once, increased calorie intake is one of the major reasons for fat accumulation in the thighs. Instead of eating empty calories, build a nutritious and balanced diet rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals that satisfy the energy needs of the body without getting stored as fat.
- Better lifestyle: Creating a better lifestyle including the above-mentioned factors along with enough sleep, devoid of alcohol consumption and smoking is important in maintaining a healthy physique. Since a sedentary lifestyle is one of the reasons for increased thigh fat, it is important to add more movements and physical activity to your daily routine.
Other Ways to Lose Inner Thigh Fat
If none of the above methods works, there are a few more techniques that you could try as a last resort.
- Hormone therapy: One of the effective ways to get your thigh fat along with excess fat all over the body removed is to undergo hormone therapy. Hormone therapy can restore the balance of hormone production and circulation in the body, and since estrogen is one of the hormones that cause inner thigh fat, bringing it back to optimal levels will positively reflect on the fat accumulation in the area.
- Coolsculpting: With cool sculpting, you can freeze the cells in a certain area. Performing cool sculpting in the inner thighs freezes the fat cells in the area, which later can be removed through the lymphatic system by massaging.
- AirSculpt: AirSculpt is one of the fastest to ways to remove fat from the thighs. The procedure isn’t invasive and does not use scalpels or needles to make incisions. It combines the methods of body contouring and fat removal to give results in as little as 24 hours.
- Medications: If you are not interested in any of these methods, you can try systemic drugs or supplements that target weight loss. Such oral medications usually take longer to work and as for weight loss supplements, very few of them are actually effective and give the desired results.
- Surgical options: A precise method to remove thigh fat and thigh fat only is surgery. You can get the fat removed surgically using any one of the countless techniques like liposuction, thigh gap surgery, and thigh lift surgery.
Is it Hard to Lose Inner Thigh Fat?
Compared to belly fat, and many other areas of the body, thigh fat is harder to get rid of. In women, thigh fat has the biological purpose of supporting childbearing, which makes it harder for them to lose the extra fat, compared to men. Besides sex, the difficulty level of losing thigh fat depends on the method you choose to do it. If you prefer natural methods like exercise, diet, and everything else that builds a healthy routine, it might be a little harder than expected.
Although the medical options including surgery might seem comparatively easy, the recovery process might be a little harder than expected. Also, maintaining the thighs after losing weight is even more difficult than the process of losing it in the first place.
How Long Does it Take to Tone the Inner Thighs?
Again, the time frame to lose inner thigh fat and toning it depends a great deal on the method you choose. If you choose to do it by building a healthy routine with lots of physical activity and regular workouts, it might take months or even years to tone them as you had imagined.
However, the results will probably last longer than those achieved by taking shortcuts like medications and surgical fat removal. That being said, medical procedures, especially surgical methods, provide faster results since they will only take a few hours to deal with the issue.
Conclusion
Now you know what causes inner thigh fat, in what ways we can approach this issue, and why is it so hard to lose it. Inner thigh fat is caused by a whole range of factors including hormones, passive lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, lack of sleep, genetics, anatomy, and age. Although the weight gain in thighs due to some of these reasons is harder to get rid of compared to the rest, it’s not impossible.
You can reduce and prevent fat accumulation in your thighs by building a healthy routine that includes regular workouts and a nutrient-rich, calorie-deficit, balanced diet. That is if you prefer to go natural. However, if you don’t have enough patience to wait that long to get rid of your thigh fat and get toned thighs, you can opt for faster options like cool sculpting, AirSculpt, or any of the surgical methods. Either way, all I am saying is that it is possible to achieve the kind of thighs that will let you wear your favorite pair of shorts without being insecure.
FAQs
Yes, they can. You can get them toned through exercise or surgical procedures like liposuction or thigh gap surgery, whichever you prefer.
Hormonal changes are one of the major reasons for thigh fat accumulation. The excess production of the female reproductive hormone, estrogen, is what causes inner thigh fat, especially in women.
Trying to lose fat through aggressive methods and excessive workouts is what usually results in loose skin on the inner thighs. Unless there is a lot of loose skin on the thighs, it will regain elasticity naturally. However, if you have excess loose skin, you can get it removed through surgery.
The time frame for this process could be anywhere between 4 to 8 weeks, depending on your fitness level. The more fit you are, the less time it will take to achieve the goal.
Food items low in fat content can help reduce thigh fat. You can eat low-fat yogurt, fish, and vegetables as part of your low-calorie diet which will eventually reduce the amount of stored fat in your thighs.
Cardio exercises including walking will have a noticeable impact on the fat accumulated in your thighs. However, walking alone might not provide the desired results since it is low impact and after a while, the body will get adapted to it.
References
- Boey GE, Wasilenchuk JL. Fat reduction in the inner thigh using a prototype cryolipolysis applicator. Lasers Surg Med 2014; 40(9):1004–1009. [Google Scholar]
- Wesołowska J. Influence of electromagnetic and ultrasonic waves on the reduction of fat in women aged 25–45 years evaluated by the bioelectrical impedance method. Pomeranian J. Life Sci. 2017;63:36–43. [Google Scholar]
