A Weight Loss Plan That Will Make Your Waist, Hips, and Thighs Happy

Most of us have things we'd like to change about ourselves. Thinner thighs, bigger biceps, long and lean calves, six-pack abs. And while spot reduction isn't a reality (sorry!), there are things you can do to tone your trouble zones.

To lose weight, you can't do things at random. Instead, you need to create an effective, targeted workout plan to shape up your problem areas. If it's your waist, hips and thighs you're concerned with, you need to include plenty of cardio in your fitness plan, along with muscle-building resistance exercises to slim and sculpt your body.

Last, don't forget to stick to a healthy eating plan too, so you can start to see improvements in as little as a couple of weeks.

Read more: Why Body Acceptance Can Actually Help You Lose Weight

You can't just exercise for waist and hip reduction. To lose weight in these areas, you need to lose weight all over. If you're consistent with these four steps, you will see results.

1. Start With Cardio: Cardio, one of the most effective tools for weight loss, helps you blast away calories so you can lose body fat. Although you can't decide where you're going to lose that fat (thank your genetics for that), jumping rope, jumping jacks, rowing, cycling and swimming target your lower body. And workouts like sprinting and HIIT are the most effective for torching fat all over.
2. Lift Weights: Along with regular cardio, strength training helps you slim down and achieve a tighter, more defined physique. That way, you have muscle tone to show off once you shed fat. Start off with more basic lower-body exercises, like squats, lunges and step-ups. See the sections below for even more targeted exercises.
3. Plan to Succeed: Planning your workout is essential to your success. Include at least four to five 30-minute cardio sessions per week — even if some days you're only taking a brisk walk or jog — to get your heart rate up and help burn fat. Do a strength-training workout at least three times a week that includes full-body exercises as well as those that target your trouble zones.
4. Watch What You Eat: No matter how much time you spend in the gym or how hard you work, you can't out-exercise a bad diet. You can sweat it out with cardio and weights, but you won't lose weight if you're not fueling your body properly. Choose fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts and healthy fats in your diet plan to reduce your thighs and hips. Avoid an excess of processed and sugary foods, which can result in water retention and fat gain.

If your goal is a tinier, trimmer waist, incorporate some of these exercises into your strength-training routine:

• Side planks
• Side planks with a reach under
• Bicycle crunches
• Side crunches
• Twisting knee lift
• Side bends
• Hula hooping (come on, indulge your inner child and train your abs to stay contracted)
• Any of the other great moves yoga teacher Tara Stiles points out in the above video

For slimmer hips, you'll want to make sure your workouts feature at least a few of these exercises each week:

• Side-lying leg raise (or standing)
• Barbel hip thrust
• Side lunge
• Glute bridge
• Fire hydrant
• Lateral step-out squat
• Banded lateral walk
• Clamshell with resistance band

Give the above workout from the Tone It Up girls a shot or modify your current workout routine with some of these thigh-toning exercises:

• Plie squats
• Lunges
• Squat jumps
• Step-ups
• Single-leg deadlift
• Warrior II
• Wall sits
• Stair stepper
• Speed skaters

Read more: Moves to Shrink Your Belly, Butt and Thighs