An unusual approach - I like it! ---------------------------------------------------------The 19:21 Diet   As a Nutritional Therapist and Personal Trainer, I speak to numerous people on a daily basis about their weight and health, I then formulate dietary and lifestyle action plans which assist clients achieve their personal goals. During these consultations clients are often surprised to discover that they can still enjoy a Sunday morning fry up and a Friday night Thai whilst still improving their health and losing weight. This is only possible when clients follow what I’ve come to call the 19:21 diet and don’t deviate beyond it! The 19:21 diet is very simple, each day you should eat three meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner and you should do this seven days per week, so in total you eat 21 meals each week. Out of those 21 meals you are allowed to eat three which can be a naughty as you like, possibly fish and chips, a Chinese takeaway or TV dinner, the choice is entirely yours and it doesn’t matter. The three main important factors in the 19:21 diet are: 1.Ensure that you never exceed the three treat meals in one week. 2.Ensure that there are absolutely no other treats in your weekly diet such as bags of crisps, bars of chocolate or fizzy soda drinks etc, all naughty snacks are banned! 3. Ensure that the other 19 meals you eat each week fall in line with the 19:21 eating plan, which means that they are healthy and mostly prepared and/or cooked by you at home. By following this very simply dietary ratio, the majority of clients I speak with will end up eating considerably better than they’ve done in years. The treat meals are absolutely crucial as they give you flexibility and prevent dietary denial which is when you deny yourself all treats and create a very strict and unrealistic eating plan. Diets like this generally only last two or three weeks before participants find them unsustainable and resort back to their old and unhealthy way of eating. As a percentage 19 meals out of a total 21 each week is almost 92% and that’s more than enough to achieve almost any health or weight loss goal as long as you’re honest with yourself and don’t cheat or deviate away from the guidelines. Diets with no room for a break or an occasional cheat meal are in my experience doomed from the start. It’s much better to eat healthy meals 92% of the time forever than to eat healthy meals 100% of the time for three weeks before you crash and burn! The majority of people who start a New Year Diet/slimming routine, often abandon it within weeks as it was too strict and completely unrealistic over a prolonged period. As already mentioned, the 19 healthy meals eaten each week must fall in line with the eating plan. Most client’s I speak with believe that they know what to eat but just aren’t doing it. Almost everyone leaves their consultation realizing that many of the foods and meal combinations they thought were healthy are contributing to their weight gain. Weight loss isn’t about starving yourself, it’s about turning your body into a calorie burning machine, that only happens when you get it working properly and thats much easier to do when you get advice from an experienced expert in weight loss and nutrition! Get in touch if you would like more information on the next nutritional workshop which uses the 19:21 principle or a private consultation. By Zak Harbison (Nut Dip m.BANT) E: zak@my-body.co.uk Source:- http://www.my-body.co.uk/my-articles/1921-diet

Christmas Day Under 2,500 Calories

Want to have a fantastic Christmas without piling on the pounds? Check out our complete Christmas menu for under 2,500 calories, it won't leave you hungry...

* This menu plan comes with a disclaimer. We understand and whole heartedly agree that Christmas should be enjoyed to the full, food and drink should flow as you desire and calories consumed will neither be judged, nor counted. That said, if you don't want to go overboard on the big day or are simply trying to avoid a long, salad-hugging January, our Christmas Day menu will help you stay within a healthy calorie range (approximately 2,500kcals) - and you won't have to miss out on any of the festivities...

A few notes before you start planning:

Why 2,500 calories (kcals)?
Government guidelines recommend a daily calorie intake of 2,500kcals for men. The recommendation for women is 2,000kcals and for children is 1,800kcals. If you want to get closer to the GDA most relevant to you, choose the lower calorie options from the choices provided below for each meal.

What about other GDAs?
All of the recipes listed below have the nutritional information for fat, saturated fat, protein, carbohydrates and salt listed at the end of each recipe. If you are trying to stick to a particular guideline daily amount (GDA) please consult each recipe individually.

You can find a list of GDA's for men, women and children on the Food and Drink Federation's website.

Christmas Day menu

Christmas morning:

Smoked salmon, blueberry muffins, chocolate croissants - nothing is off our Christmas breakfast menu, simply choose one of the options below and enjoy

Option 1
For those looking for a virtuous start to the day, this crunchy granola is filling enough to take you through the morning. 259kcal
Good-for-you granola
Combine with...
You can use frozen berries in this nourishing smoothie for extra convenience. 123kcal
Breakfast smoothie

Total: 382kcals

Option 2
Scramble your eggs luxuriously with just three ingredients. 254 kcal
Perfect scrambled eggs
Combine with...
Top with smoked salmon for a classic Christmas breakfast treat. 133 kcal
Scandi smoked salmon

Total: 387kcals

Option 3
This low-fat muffin tastes deceptively indulgent. 202 kcal
Banana & blueberry muffins
Combine with...
Freshly squeezed oranges and lemons complete any breakfast table. 88 kcal
St Clements rice and shine juice

Total: 290kcals

Option 4
Marzipan, almonds and milk chocolate combine to bring your croissants to new heights of decadence. 384 kcal
Chocolate & almond croissant

Total: 384kcals

The main event

Starters and canapés
Depending on how you organise your Christmas feasting, you may prefer to enjoy one of our suggested starters or instead tuck into a few of the canapés below.

Starters

Suitably special for Christmas Day, this soup is the lowest calorie starter option. 120kcals
Prawn & fennel bisque

This lovely light salad is full of flavour. 175kcals
Smoked salmon with horseradish crème fraîche & beetroot

For something really special, try scallops atop fresh greens. 146kcals
Seared scallops with flavoured greens

This make-ahead soup is low-fat but still substantial. 178kcals
Curried squash, lentil & coconut soup

Canapés

If you're planning on having a starter, just have one or two of the below canapés to stay within the target calorie range. If you're sticking with the buffet, mix and match as you fancy.

These cute canapés take just 15 minutes to make. 53kcals
Dolcelatte-stuffed figs

These bite-sized treats are zingy and vegetarian. 19kcals
Thai mango, chilli & lime cups

These little bilini-like pancakes are a great gluten-free option. 42kcals
Sesame & chilli pancakes with tzatziki

You can make ahead and freeze these zesty fish cakes. 52kcals
Salmon & lemon mini fish cakes

Christmas lunch

Main (A) + gravy (B) + sides (C)

(A) Main
Choose from turkey or one of our three vegetarian options - all under 300kcals.

Meaty centrepiece:
If you're a meat eater, turkey is a great option for Christmas lunch. Tradition aside, it's low in fat, high in protein and contains fewer calories per slice than chicken.
Three to four slices roasted turkey (no skin) - approx 300 calories (depending on size)

Vegetarian centerpiece
This cheesy main uses vegetarian Parmesan and can be made the night before. 297kcals
Herby cheese roulade

Low-fat pastry? A healthy and guilt-free recipe. 213kcals
Leek, mushroom & goat's cheese strudels

Slow-roast this stunning and hearty dish. 286 calories
Aubergines filled with spinach & mushrooms

(B) Gravy
No roast would be complete without gravy. If you're opting for a meaty main choose from our make-ahead option or easy red wine gravy, both well under 100 calories per serving.

This gravy uses up lots of veg and can be kept in the freezer until you're ready to use. 84kcals
Make-ahead gravy

A grown-up gravy that's ready in just 10 minutes. 35kcals
Easy red wine gravy

(C) Sides
Choose your favourites, keeping in mind calories are provided in relation to portion sizes (see recipes for serving information).

Sticky carrots with thyme & honey 73kcals
Christmas spiced red cabbage 82kcals
Creamed spinach 83kcals
Roasted cauliflower with garlic bay & lemon 96kcals
Cranberry sauce with port & star anise 51kcals
All in-one bread sauce 77kcals
Chunky roast potatoes 168kcals
Stir-fried sprouts with green beans, lemon & pine nuts 125kcals
Crisp honey mustard parsnips 149kcals
Chipolatas wrapped in sage & pancetta 103kcals
Apricot & hazelnut stuffing 124kcals

Pudding

There isn't a traditional Christmas pudding this side of Lapland that is low in calories. However, we're certain the options here won't leave you disappointed - from mince pies to chocolate mousse, there's something for everyone.

Gluten-free and egg-free diets are catered for with these crunchy mince pies. 175kcals
Crumble-topped mince pies

Lovely and light yet fabulously festive. 115kcals
Clementine & prosecco jellies

This nutty fig pudding can be whipped up in just 10 minutes. 162kcals
Sticky cinnamon figs

These individual trifle-like pots are low in fat. 160kcals
Rhubarb & strawberry meringue pots

Angela Nilsen's dark chocolate pots are surprisingly low in calories. 167kcal Chocolate mousse

Drinks

While not everyone will need a drink allowance, those who want to enjoy a tipple or two on Christmas Day have been catered for in this menu. Depending on which beverages you choose you'll be able to enjoy three or four throughout the day.

Merry and mulled, this punch is perfect for festive supping. 177kcals
Mulled pear & cranberry punch

A simple classic - use sparkling wine for this celebratory cocktail. 147kcals
Mimosas

Deliciously different vodka - lovely over ice or with soda water. 104kcals
Turkish delight vodka

Blend interesting flavour pairings with crush ice for these frozen favourites 98kcals
Frozen lychee & mint cocktails

Perfect for a grown-up brunch. 104kcals
Spiced Bloody Marys

A good G&T is a great low-calorie option. Use slim-line tonic to reduce the calorie count even further. 101kcals
Cucumber & coriander G&T

Evening treats

It's difficult to plan your Christmas evening snacks ahead of time - who knows what you'll fancy! If you're picking at leftovers from the day, try and refer back to the recipe and estimate how many calories are in your portion. Below are a few more ideas for evening eating...

Lovely little after-dinner treats. 81kcals
Mint chocolate truffles

If you need a sweet fix while watching the Christmas day blockbuster these are ideal. 18kcals
Peppermint candy canes

Lovely and light but still oh so chocolaty. 97kcals
Chocolate chip cookies

Barely any more effort than opening a bag of crisps. 179kcals
Creamy pesto with prosciutto dippers

Use up turkey leftovers in these healthy wraps, ideal for a light supper. 267kcals
Turkey & spring onion wraps

Source:- http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/christmas-day-under-2500-calories

Healthy Is The New Skinny

Tell me about the Healthy Is The New Skinny campaign. Why did you start it? 
Healthy Is The New Skinny is not about size—it's a change in our mindset. Girls are extremely critical of their own bodies and how it needs to be changed in order to be more "perfect." Most of the concern revolves around weight and size: If you complement a girl, you say, "OMG you look so skinny"; girls eat or don't eat with the goal of being "skinny"; girls work out with the goal of being "skinny." This mentality is extremely dangerous, and Healthy Is The New Skinny is challenging not only how the media portrays beauty, but also our own motives and mindset. If we can do things in our life to be healthy instead of skinny, we will be much more successful and happier than chasing an unrealistic goal. Girls are hurting themselves in the pursuit of beauty, and Healthy Is The New Skinny is taking a different approach to an industry that consists of two extremes. We think healthy bodies are beautiful bodies and that having a healthy body image means treating your body right! 

Do you think it's tougher than ever for teen girls to maintain a positive body image in today's culture? 
Most definitely, yes. I mean, this is nothing new—issues with body image have always been prevalent in our culture. However, I do think it has gotten tougher not only for teen girls, but for women of all ages, to maintain a positive body image. Everywhere we look, there is this "ideal beauty" continuously shoved in our faces, but unfortunately this ideal beauty is just one extreme. It's an unattainable fantasy composed of underweight and photoshopped bodies. Women are never exposed to what is natural, healthy beauty since we don't have examples of that in the media. Women and girls don't have anyone to show them that it's okay to be healthy and happy, and that they don't have to conform to this so-called norm that really isn't the norm at all. 

You personally had to deal with poor body image during your years as a model. What thoughts plagued your mind at that time about your looks? 
You know, when people see models, they only see the final, retouched product in the magazines, billboards, and commercials. They put models up on pedestals and forget that at the end of the day, they're just like other people. They have insecurities just like everyone else, sometimes even more because they're constantly being criticized, and it's like always being under a magnifying glass. I remember when I was working, I never really felt like I was being true to myself. I was always doing what made other people happy, but without having much regard for my health. The more weight that I gained [to do plus-size modeling], the more I was rewarded for it, yet when I lost weight [to try to do conventional modeling] I was never thin enough. No matter what I did, I could never win, and there was always this sort of false confidence in everything that I did. 

As someone who has struggled with my body, I can honestly say that learning to love and accept oneself is not an easy process. It's not as simple as looking in the mirror and telling yourself that you're beautiful, but that is the first step in the right direction. You have to make the decision for yourself that you're going to take back your body and not only change the way you think about it, but change the way you treat it as well. Your health is important, and when you make the decision to be healthy, you definitely begin to feel it; then before you know it, you'll start to believe what you've been telling yourself. 

You also helped create a modeling agency for girls and women of all sizes called Natural Model Management. Why did you decide to do this? 
There seems to be a real disconnect between what the public wants to see and what the fashion industry thinks they want to see. Fashion keeps force-feeding us these unrealistic expectations; meanwhile, girls and women want to see females of all shapes and all sizes and all colors—not just one extreme or the other. This isn't about skinny versus curvy, but rather skinny and curvy and every type of body in between. Look at every public fashion forum online and you'll see millions of girls chatting and blogging about how they wish they could see bodies like theirs in fashion, not just really thin or really curvy ones. There's this growing demand to see more figures that are in between the agency standards, which has created a huge void, so I thought it was really important to create Natural Models as a way to not only fill that void, but to show people that beauty really does come in all shapes and sizes. One particular size or shape isn't more beautiful than another. All women are real women. 

How can teens get involved with the Healthy Is The New Skinny movement?
One of our main focuses right now is to build a team of ambassadors in high schools across the U.S. who can spread the word and raise awareness about Healthy Is The New Skinny. We're looking for high schoolers who are passionate about helping change our culture's perception and standard of beauty, who want to actively participate in our PUP (Perfectly Unperfected Project) program, and who want to bring Healthy Is The New Skinny to their schools. So if you would like to be involved or even make a donation to the PUP program, you can visit healthyisthenewskinny.com and send us an email! We're so excited about our HNS tee shirt campaign too, so make sure you order yours today! 

Source:- http://www.teenvogue.com/beauty/health-fitness/2011-12/healthy-is-the-new-skinny/?slide=1

Are You Lifting Enough Weight?

Blend Images - Dave and Les Jacobs/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

If you lift weights, have you ever wondered whether you're doing it right? Specifically, are you lifting enough weight? According to a study done by the University of Michigan, many of us aren't. Researchers took beginners (both men and women) through a series of moves, allowing them to choose their own weight. After assessing their 1 rep max (the general standard for choosing weight), they determined that most chose a weight well below what was needed to stimulate muscle growth.

Are you guilty of going too light? If so, you may not be seeing the results you'd like. Learn more about why lifting heavier weights could change your entire body.

Why Lifting Heavy is the Key to Weight Loss

You know that losing fat involves increasing your metabolism. What you may not know is that muscle plays a huge role in raising metabolism. A pound of muscle burns about 10-20 calories a day while a pound of fat burns 5 calories. That means any growth in your muscle tissue is going to help you burn more calories all day long. In fact, strength training has all kinds of great effects on your body like:

• Increasing resting metabolic rate so you burn more calories, even while at rest.
• Making you lean and slim--muscle takes up less space than fat so, the more you have, the slimmer you are
• Strengthening bones and connective tissue, which can protect your body from injuries in daily life
• Enhancing balance and stability
• Building confidence and self-esteem

However...this only works if you're using enough weight to stimulate that muscle growth. In other words, if you can lift the weights you've chosen (for most exercises) more than 16-20 times, you might not see the kind of fat loss you would if you increased your weight.

So, why don't we lift more weight? For some, lifting weights is scary, especially if you've never done it before. The machines...the dumbbells...the people who seem to know what they're doing...it's enough to make anyone skip weights altogether. Aside from that, there are other fears that invade our minds, such as:

• It feels weird. The goal of weight training, if you didn't know, is to lift as much weight as you possibly can (with good form!) for the number of reps you've chosen. In daily life, we typically don't push ourselves to fatigue in anything we do, so this idea may not only feel foreign, it may feel downright miserable. That's one reason it's best for beginners to gradually work towards that.
• Fear of injury. Because our muscles burn when we challenge them with resistance, people often feel they're injuring themselves when they lift. And injury can be a real fear for beginners since injury can occur if you max out before your body is ready for it. Taking it slow while still challenging your body will help protect you from injury.
• Confusion. When you haven't lifted weights before, you may not know what's too heavy and what's too light. It may take some time to get a feel for your body and what it can handle.
• Fear of getting bulky. There's still a tired old myth running around that men should lift heavy and women should lift light to avoid getting big and bulky. Women hear this: Lifting heavy weights will NOT make you huge--you simply don't have the testosterone levels to build big muscles. Lifting heavy weights WILL help you lose fat.
• Fear of pain. The other thing about lifting weights is the psychological factor. The discomfort level associated with training to fatigue is pretty high...if you haven't lifted weights before, you may not be able to overcome that discomfort enough to lift as heavy as you're capable of. Again, this is one reason it's best to err on the side of caution (if you need to), while always working towards more challenge and more weight.

These fears often keep people lifting the same amount of weight for weeks, months or even years. Most of these fears are unfounded, if you take time to ease into a weight training program and work (slowly) towards the muscle fatigue that will make your muscles grow.

So, how do you choose your weights? Read on to find out How Much Weight You Should Lift.

How Much Weight Should You Lift?

How Much Should You Be Lifting?

For weight loss, science has found that lifting between 60-80% of your 1 rep max is the best way to stimulate muscle growth, which is what helps you lose fat. The problem is that most of us don't think much about how much weight we need, much less going through the process of figuring out 1 rep max for every exercise we're doing. In fact, I see many gym-goers lifting the same weights week after week, which is just one way to keep your body from changing.

So how do you figure out how much to lift if you don't know your 1 rep max? Typically, if you lift 60%-80% of max, you could do anywhere from 10-20 reps. Lifting at 80% and above takes you down to the lower rep range, which is where you'll be if you're trying to gain size. That means keeping your reps somewhere between 8-16, if you're lifting for weight loss and fitness. Your weights are determined by the number of reps you're doing.

For Beginners:

• Choose a weight you can only lift 16 times. You don't need to go to complete failure, but make sure you're challenging your body.
• Begin with 1 set of each exercise, slowly working your way up to 2-3 sets (i.e., adding a set each week)
• When you've added sets and have a solid foundation (after 6-8 weeks), add more weight so that you can ONLY do 8-12 reps.
• Continue to progress by adding a rep each week until you reach the max reps (no more than 16), increase your weight and drop your reps back down to 8-12.

For more on the specific guidelines of strength training, including choosing reps, sets and exercises, read Weight Training 101.

The important thing to remember when it comes to strength training is that you must give you your muscles more weight than they can handle--that's how muscles grow. The challenge of lifting heavy is just as much a mental game as it is a physical one and, if you haven't pushed your body's limits in a while, just the act of lifting weights may be all you can handle. If you're consistent with a basic program and build a solid foundation of strength, you'll be ready for the next step--lifting heavy and pushing your muscles to their limits. You'll be amazed at the changes in your body.

Source:

http://exercise.about.com/od/exerciseworkouts/a/liftingheavy.htm

Gaining Too Much Weight During Pregnancy

Is your bathroom scale on the fast track these days? Here's why you should apply the brakes, and how to do it safely.

You already know that being pregnant isn't your all-you-can-eat meal ticket — those cravings may be powerful, but left unchecked they can be a one-way trip to Bountiful (hips and butt, that is).  But that's just one reason to avoid gaining too much weight when you're expecting (and not even the most compelling one). At 22 weeks pregnant, here are some others that might motivate you to keep your eye on the scale — and your hands out of the cookie jar (unless, of course, you've wisely stocked the cookie jar with soy chips).

Discomfort from head to toe: Let's face it, pregnancy isn't all that comfortable to begin with (unless you're really comfortable curled up with a backache and a bad case of indigestion). And those discomforts tend to multiply with the pounds. Excess weight gain can result in or aggravate everything from backaches to leg pains to overall exhaustion, not to mention varicose veins, calf cramps, heartburn, hemorrhoids, and achy joints. And if too many extra pounds follow you to labor, they can also make that already-tough experience a lot tougher.

Complications: Excess weight gain increases your risk for developing hypertension and diabetes — both of which make your pregnancy much harder to manage, while creating risks for your baby. The heavier you are, the more likely your baby is to be larger, increasing the odds that a vaginal delivery will require the use of forceps or vacuum. That's if you can deliver vaginally at all, since being overweight increases your chances of delivering by C-section — which makes for a more difficult recovery after your baby is born.

Obesity and ongoing health issues: Gain too much weight and you're likely to retain twice as much after your baby is born than you would have if you gained within the guidelines. And if you think all you need is time and willpower to lose the extra fat, research has weighed in with a different idea: Women who gain excessively and don't lose the extra weight within six months after the birth are at a much higher risk of being obese ten years later. Obesity often leads to significant health issues, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.

How much weight is too much? That all depends. Chances are your practitioner advised you on your target weight gain at your first prenatal appointment — and that it was calculated based on a number of factors (for starters, how close to ideal your prepregnancy weight was). Your practitioner probably also talks to you (ever so gently, or not so) at every visit about where you are on that upward curve — and where you should aim to be. If you've been instructed to gain the standard 25-to-35-pound total in your pregnancy, by this week you're likely to have gained anywhere from ten to 16 of those pounds. If you raced past that number weeks ago, or are gaining faster than your practitioner recommended, you'll want to slow down.

What You Can Do

1. Cut useless calories. The emphasis is on "useless" (aka empty) — you still want to eat enough of the right kinds of calories to keep your baby fed and growing. After all, the idea isn't to lose weight (losing weight is always a bad idea when you're pregnant), but to slow the rate at which you're gaining. Easy, nutritious, calorie-reducing strategies (substituting skim milk for whole or two percent; fresh fruit for dried; baked potatoes or yams for french fries; grilled white-meat chicken with no skin for fried dark-meat with skin) can make a big difference. Other calories that can go? The ones you'll find in sugar (and the ones you'll find plenty of in sugary treats).
2. Follow WTE's pregnancy diet. Keep up with your pregnancy diet by eating the right quantities of the right, nutrient-packed foods. Watch portion sizes — a "serving" of any given food may be much smaller than you think, and a whole lot smaller than restaurants have led you to believe. For instance, did you know that a serving of meat or poultry should be about the size of a computer mouse (not a whole computer), and that a serving of cheese should be no bigger than a nine-volt battery?
3. Focus on efficiency.  Choose foods that are big on bulk (so they fill you up and keep you filled) but low on calories:  fresh vegetables (especially those green leafies) and fruits (especially ones with a high water content, like melon);  lean poultry, meat, and fish; and oatmeal (a better choice than granola, which tends to pack a whole lot of fat in a tiny serving). And fill up on water, not soda or juice.
4. Trim that fat. Some fat is necessary (especially good fats, and especially when you're expecting), but too much just makes you, well, fat. Eat your bread unbuttered, skip the gravy, order salad dressing and sauces on the side (spoon instead of ladle), and run when something fried comes your way.
5. Get active. With your practitioner's okay, make regular exercise a part of your pregnancy. Join a prenatal yoga or exercise class, and add small amounts of activity to your everyday routines (park a few blocks from your destination, then walk the rest of the way, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to the deli to pick up your sandwich instead of ordering in).

The Questionable Link Between Saturated Fat and Heart Disease

Are butter, cheese and steak really bad for you?

The dubious science behind the anti-fat crusade

RF Pictures/Corbis

"Saturated fat does not cause heart disease"—or so concluded a big study published in March in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. How could this be? The very cornerstone of dietary advice for generations has been that the saturated fats in butter, cheese and red meat should be avoided because they clog our arteries. For many diet-conscious Americans, it is simply second nature to opt for chicken over sirloin, canola oil over butter.

The new study's conclusion shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with modern nutritional science, however. The fact is, there has never been solid evidence for the idea that

How to Slim Big Thighs – Muscular vs Fat Thighs

Before you set about losing weight from thighs first understand the factors that influence the size of your thighs. This will allow you to choose the right thigh exercises, tailored to your needs, goals and body type.

WHAT CAUSES BIG THIGHS?

1. GENDER

Women and men have so-called sex-specific fat deposits. Sex hormones affect fat distribution. Estrogen directs fat to deposit around the pelvis, buttocks, and outer and inner thighs of women, while testosterone means men store fat in the belly area. This makes it far more difficult for women to shift fat from the hips, butt and thighs than from other areas of the body – areas of so-called stubborn fat. While it is obviously the bane of many a woman’s life, there is a biological advantage – this type of fat is thought to play a role in fertility and lactation. Interestingly, it appears that during lactation, this stubborn fat is not quite so stubborn and easier to budge than normally.

2. BODY SHAPE

Your body shape will have significant bearing on the size of your thighs. Pear-shaped women will suffer the worst of it, with large thighs and butt, while cone-shaped women will have slim thighs and legs compared to the rest of their body. You cannot change your body shape and if you are pear-shaped you will have to work harder slim down thighs and inner thighs. However, don’t despair, Jennifer Lopez is a perfect example of a pear shape - yet no one gives a second thought about the size of her thighs, but instead extol her shapely derriere.

3. FAT

Your thighs may simply be large because you have a lot of fat in this area - fatty thighs. As explained above, most women will have a natural tendency to deposit fat in their outer and inner thighs. Unfortunately, this means that this is one of the last places fat then the shift, which means you need to be patient and determined to see results. For women legs tend to slim around a body fat percentage of 18%. Therefore, you can strip away thigh fat, to get slim thighs, but it will take time. Use the body fat calculator to determine your body fat percentage.

The best thigh exercises for you are the ones that don’t simply firm and tone, but strip fat from thighs, to make big thighs smaller (see how to lose fat from thighs). If you don’t burn fat, you wont get slimmer thighs. Thus, any thigh exercises that only firm thighs, but do not burn fat will do little to actually slim thighs, since your thigh muscles remain firmly hidden under a layer of thigh fat.

4. MUSCLE

Another reason for large thighs is that you may naturally have large thigh muscles. Muscle is made up of muscle fibers. There are different types of muscle fibers, which also vary in size. You are probably have a larger proportion of Type II muscle fibers (large) commonly found in sprinters and power athletes than Type I fibers (small) generally found in endurance athletes. Muscular thighs, even if thighs are toned, means larger thighs. Unfortunately, you can’t shift muscle like you can shift fat. Not that you would want to. Muscle is healthy, excessive fat is not. However, don’t be disheartened, there are a couple of causes of big thigh muscles you may be able to do something about, to slim thighs:

• It may be the case that you don’t have a genetic tendency to have big thigh muscles, but that you have a natural tendency to gain a lot of muscle in your thighs with exercise. High-resistance/ high-incline exercise (e.g. treadmill or elliptical trainer) or spot reduction exercises for your thighs/ inner thigh exercises may have made you thigh muscles bigger (see how to lose weight from thighs). Sports such as ice skating and dancing also tend to produce powerful thighs. Therefore, if you have been doing these type of exercises that target thighs in a bid to get slimmer thighs, you may need to rethink your workout strategy.

• You are genetically programmed to have large muscles (mesomorph body type), but you may also have a lot of fat around the muscle. In other words, you have a lot of fat and a lot of muscle. Stripping the fat from your outer and inner thighs will slim thighs significantly and you might just find that some beautifully defined legs are lurking underneath that thigh fat.

FAT THIGHS VS. MUSCULAR THIGHS

To understand how to slim thighs you need to understand a little about how your thigh is constructed, i.e. thigh anatomy. There are several layers that go into making your thigh. The first layer is obviously skin. Under the skin is a layer of fat. The yellow colored stuff you can see in the picture is fat. This thigh fat surrounds the thigh muscles. When you gain weight, that yellow layer gets much thicker making your thigh bigger. The red colored stuff under the fat is muscle. When you exercise these muscles in a certain way, they get larger, which in turn makes the thighs bigger. That’s why, when wanting to slim thighs, you need to think about both thigh fat and thigh muscle. Both go up and down in size, influencing the proportions of your thighs.

Take the slim thigh test to determine whether you have fatty thighs or big thigh muscles.

Source:- http://www.superskinnyme.com/how-to-slim-down-big-thighs.html