Female Fat Storage
Aging, genetics, and hormones are some of the factors responsible for weight gain in women. Women already have more body fat than men, and are predisposed to store it in their lower bodies namely around their hips and thighs. As you get older, lean muscle tissue reduces and you might start gaining fat around your middle. Although jiggly thighs are undesired, it's belly fat that's really dangerous, because it increase your risk of serious health conditions, such as breast cancer, stroke, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
Lose Weight Gradually
For long-term results, losing weight gradually is best. You want to develop a weight-loss regimen that's easily incorporated into your lifestyle. Drastically cutting calories in the hopes to lose weight quickly isn't recommended, because it's hard to keep up, and can result in nutritional deficiencies, heart problems and gallstones. The Weight-Control Information Network, recommends losing weight at a rate of 1/2 a pound to 2 pounds per week. A daily deficit of 250 to 1,000 calories is required to achieve this.
Reducing Your Caloric Intake
Eating fewer calories can contribute to your daily caloric deficit. Replacing high-calorie foods with food that have fewer calories is a good start. For instance, drink water instead of sugary soda and alcohol, skip cookies and go for fruit, and eat low-fat dairy instead of full-fat dairy. Although you're eating fewer calories, you should still eat healthy to get the nutrients and energy that your body needs to get through the day. Emphasize foods, such as lean cuts of meat, fruits, veggies, whole grains and low-fat or fat-free dairy.
Burn Calories and Maintain Muscle
Performing 30 to 60 minutes of moderate cardio on most days of the week and doing strength training on at least two days can contribute to weight loss according to the American Heart Association. Cardio burns calories while strength training helps you maintain muscle tissue, which is essential because muscle tissue burns more calories than fat.For cardio, you can go jogging, walking briskly, swimming or bicycling, while strength training requires that you target all major muscle groups including your back, abs, hips, chest, shoulder, legs and arms.
Crunches and Lunges
Targeted exercises, such as crunches and lunges, increase and maintain muscle tissue and should be part of your strength-training routine. Solely doing these exercises won't be effective as long as you have excess fat covering your muscles. According to Askthetrainer.com, exercises that target a large percentage of muscle mass are most effective for weight loss. This can include lunges, step-ups, and dead lifts for your thighs, and bicycle crunches, situps, and toe touches for your abs.
