A high percentage of people long for thick, muscular legs. The motive behind this ranges from feeling self confident to improving sports performance. If you are on the other end of the spectrum and want to thin out your naturally muscular legs, you need to take an approach similar to that for weight loss. The overall goal is to change your diet and incorporate the proper exercise protocol into your schedule.
Step 1
Cut back on your calories to produce a deficit. If you eat fewer calories than you expend, you will lose weight throughout your body as a whole. Track your intake for one full day to get a starting point, then reduce your intake by 500 calories. This will promote about 1 lb. of weight loss a week. Be sure to eat foods that are high in nutrient value like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, whole grains, beans and low-fat dairy products.
Step 2
Increase your meal frequency to speed up your metabolism. A faster metabolism will cause you to burn more calories while you are at rest. Eat small meals every two to three hours, starting first thing in the morning. This will also give you balanced energy levels and keep your appetite under control. A chicken-breast salad with a small, whole-grain bun is a healthy meal option.
Step 3
Spend a significant amount of time doing cardiovascular training. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 60 to 90 minutes of cardio performed five days a week to lose weight. Follow these guidelines to reduce the size of your legs. Choose a form of cardio that you enjoy and involves the legs, such as running, biking, stair climbing, elliptical training, rowing or swimming.
Step 4
Include leg exercises in your workout regimen, using light resistance and high reps. If you use heavy weights with low reps, you will cause more bulk, which you do not want. Perform exercises like squats, lunges, stepups, leg extensions and leg curls. Aim for 12 to 15 reps, do four or five sets and work out two or three days a week.
Make sure to use proper form with these exercises as well. Take squats for example. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and rest your arms at your sides. Lower yourself by bending your knees and stop when your thighs parallel the floor. Rise back up in a steady motion and repeat.
Step 5
Add more movement to your day. Go for walks during your lunch break and when you get home in the evening, join a recreational sport league where you live, use stairs instead of elevators and park far away from your destinations. Take every chance you get to increase your activity levels. The more active you are, the faster you will slim down your legs.
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