Even though weight comes off the entire body during weight loss attempts, the butt in most women and some men seems to be the most difficult area in which to lose weight, according to the American Council on Exercise. A person cannot lose weight from just the buttocks. Luckily, by reducing your calorie intake, increasing the number of calories you burn and toning your buttocks, you can effectively lose weight from your buttocks, as well as from the rest of your body.
Increased Physical Activity
Increasing your physical activity will increase the number of calories you burn each day. You can increase your physical activity by parking farther away from stores, starting to take your dog or kids for a walk, taking the stairs or actively playing with your children, according to the U.S. government's Women's Health website. The American Heart Association recommends that you do your own housework, do some yard work such as raking leaves or gardening, walk around while talking on the phone or walk around the house during television commercials.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise allows you to burn more calories than the simple physical activities mentioned above. You have to eliminate or expend 3,500 more calories than you consume in order to lose 1 pound of weight, according to the Family Doctor website. The number of calories you burn during aerobic exercise varies based on your weight, the intensity of the exercise and the type of exercise you perform, according to the American Heart Association. The American Council on Exercise states that to lose weight a person needs to perform 60 to 90 minutes of moderately intense exercise at least five days a week. Common aerobic exercises include dance aerobics, cycling, brisk walking, running, swimming and active sports like basketball.
Butt Toning Exercises
The best exercises for toning your buttocks, also known as your glutes, include single-leg squats, quadruped hip extensions, step-ups, lunges and four-way hip extensions, according to a study performed by the American Council on Exercise in conjunction with the La Crosse Exercise and Health Program. These exercises will help you tone your buttocks muscles while burning calories to increase weight loss from your buttocks.
Diet
You can start to lose weight even without exercise if you make better food choices. You should eat a variety of fruits that are fresh, frozen, canned or dried, according to Women's Health. Consume a variety of vegetables including dark green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and kale; orange vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and winter squash; and various beans or peas, including pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, split peas and lentils. You should consume at least three servings of milk each day in the form of fat-free or low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt or low-fat cheese. Be sure that at least half of the grains eaten each day come from whole grains like whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice or pasta. When eating protein, make it baked, broiled or grilled lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, peas, nuts or seeds. Make sure that less than 10 percent of the calories you consume come from saturated fats. Finally, be sure to keep your daily sodium intake below 2,300 mg, or about 1 tsp. of salt.
References
- Women's Health: Overweight, Obesity and Weight Loss
- Family Doctor: What It Takes to Lose Weight
- American Council On Exercise: Why Is the Concept of Spot Reduction Considered a Myth?
- American Heart Association: Physical Activity in Your Daily LIfe
- American Heart Association: Physical Activity Calorie Use Chart
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