How to Lose Thigh Fat for Men

For many men, losing thigh fat is a goal. According to the American Council on Exercise, spot reducing fat from certain areas through exercising is impossible, so it's unlikely that doing hundreds of squats and lunges will burn fat from your thighs. However, an excess of thigh fat can be caused by raised estrogen levels, says sports nutritionist Steve Hines of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition. Losing thigh fat might require manipulation of your diet to address these hormone imbalances, as well as a well-rounded training and eating plan.

Step 1

Reduce your calories by 500 per day. The key to losing fat is calorie balance -- you need to consume fewer calories than you burn. A 500-calorie reduction each day should lead to around a pound of fat loss each week, according to MayoClinic.com. Do this by cutting out sugary snacks, skipping dessert and cutting down portion sizes.

Step 2

Eat more high-protein foods such as chicken, eggs, lean red meat and dairy products; reduce your consumption of grains and start eating more omega-3 fats from oily fish, advises Charles Poliquin, owner of the Poliquin Performance Center. A diet low in fast-digesting carbohydrates but high in protein and vegetables will reduce estrogen levels, Poliquin says. Reducing your body-fat levels will also help reduce estrogen.

Step 3

Lift weights twice a week. Do full-body training sessions, spaced at least two days apart. While you can't spot reduce thigh fat, increasing your leg muscle strength and size can make your thighs look leaner and more defined. Start your sessions with three sets of eight squats using your body weight or a barbell, and three sets of 12 lunges with dumbbells. After these, do two upper-body exercises such as pushups, pullups or dumbbell rows for four sets of eight to 12 each. Add in 75 minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise each week to increase your calorie burn and fat loss.