BIG THIGHS???

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haninesloss
haninesloss Posts: 12 Member
edited January 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I started my journey at 133-134 pounds. I wasn't fat by any means but I wasn't satisfied with the way my body looked. Now at 120 I've gone into maintainance but one thing still bothering me is my thighs! They haven't changed much at all even though I've managed to get a better looking midsection. I know spot reduction is a myth but I don't want to lose too much weight. Im afraid I'll end up losing all my muscle mass and look like a skeleton. What do I do?
I'm around 5'7.5 btw

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Either lose more fat or accept that your thighs are perfectly fine as is or strength train to make them stronger and possibly bigger.

    I cannot imagine that your thighs are oversized at those stats. You likely have unreasonable standards.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2016
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    She's approaching 5'8 at 120lbs ...her BMI is on the border of underweight

    OP

    I think you're potentially seeing a problem that isn't there

    Hit the gym
    Follow a progressive weights routine
    Muscle makes things tight and taut and you more confident

  • nsoro1gb
    nsoro1gb Posts: 3 Member
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    You can do strength training to make them more toned, but in general there are just some of us who will always have larger thighs (myself and most women in my family included, even the thin ones). If it makes you feel any better, I've seen recent studies finding that women who carry more weight in their hips and thighs tend to be healthier. They're also probably not nearly as bad as you think they are, I hate my thighs but other people either barely notice or even like them.
  • haninesloss
    haninesloss Posts: 12 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    She's approaching 5'8 at 120lbs ...her BMI is on the border of underweight

    OP

    I think you're potentially seeing a problem that isn't there

    Hit the gym
    Follow a progressive weights routine
    Muscle makes things tight and taut and you more confident
    You're probably right. I'm setting ridiculous goals for myself that I know will be hard to achieve without looking haggard and weak. Do you think lifting weights will make them more bulky? Or is that just a stereotype? I don't have much experience with weights
  • haninesloss
    haninesloss Posts: 12 Member
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    nsoro1gb wrote: »
    You can do strength training to make them more toned, but in general there are just some of us who will always have larger thighs (myself and most women in my family included, even the thin ones). If it makes you feel any better, I've seen recent studies finding that women who carry more weight in their hips and thighs tend to be healthier. They're also probably not nearly as bad as you think they are, I hate my thighs but other people either barely notice or even like them.
    Well, we are our own worst critic. That's great to hear! I'm just going to keep at the toning at home though until I get a gym membership.

  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    haninesloss wrote: »
    I started my journey at 133-134 pounds. I wasn't fat by any means but I wasn't satisfied with the way my body looked. Now at 120 I've gone into maintainance but one thing still bothering me is my thighs! They haven't changed much at all even though I've managed to get a better looking midsection. I know spot reduction is a myth but I don't want to lose too much weight. Im afraid I'll end up losing all my muscle mass and look like a skeleton. What do I do?
    I'm around 5'7.5 btw

    Learn to love your genetics or see what different exercise plans will do as far as tweeking your existing physique.
  • tarabole
    tarabole Posts: 166 Member
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    Weight loss with reduced calories won't change the shape of your body. I feel you pain as I tend to gain weight around hips and thighs. I started doing a lot of lifting and plyometrics (jump squats and switch lunges) and I have found that I've been able to tighter up my lower body and build my upper body to create more of a balanced hour glass.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    haninesloss wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    She's approaching 5'8 at 120lbs ...her BMI is on the border of underweight

    OP

    I think you're potentially seeing a problem that isn't there

    Hit the gym
    Follow a progressive weights routine
    Muscle makes things tight and taut and you more confident
    You're probably right. I'm setting ridiculous goals for myself that I know will be hard to achieve without looking haggard and weak. Do you think lifting weights will make them more bulky? Or is that just a stereotype? I don't have much experience with weights

    Here's a woman who failed to get bulky despite spending a lot of time lifting weights:

    wxy1lxqvbhdn.jpg

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    ...Following this unhealthy plan, Staci went from 170 pounds all the way down to 117 pounds over the course of a year. And then she started to open her eyes…

    “I did lose the 50lbs that I needed to lose, but instead of ‘finding myself’ and becoming comfortable in my own skin, I ended up being LESS comfortable. Everything I did was based on appearance. I couldn’t do certain things because I was afraid I’d gain an OUNCE back. It got to the point where a friend of mine would message me all the time with just “EAT SOMETHING!!!”. I was tired all the time, I had no energy to do anything even when I was sleeping like 10 hours a night. the bags under my eyes were insane – I simply wasn’t getting the nutrients i needed.

    It was at this point that I dated a bodybuilder for a few weeks. He informed me I was doing it all wrong (but didn’t tell me what to do right, just said “youre doing it wrong). That made me start researching nutrition and strength workouts because I was so incredibly unhealthy, tired, and weak all the time.
  • AlciaMode
    AlciaMode Posts: 421 Member
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    Girl you better start loving them thighs because I bet they are spectacular.
  • grinning_chick
    grinning_chick Posts: 765 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Hate to break it to you but most women out of their teens have thighs of a larger diameter than their calves, unlike many models you see today. Heck, some of us even had such thighs in our preteen/teens. And/or really skinny calves as well (e.g., me). Even at a perfectly normal BMI, I had a sibling who mercilessly called my perfectly normal thighs for my frame "thunder thighs" growing up. Luckily it did not affect my psyche because that particular sibling was a known jack hole and had many issues we all sensed even before they fully manifested by adulthood.

    And just wait until your pelvis spreads, either due to children or simple aging. That's fun, too.
  • wrightmsw
    wrightmsw Posts: 3 Member
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    haninesloss wrote: »
    I started my journey at 133-134 pounds. I wasn't fat by any means but I wasn't satisfied with the way my body looked. Now at 120 I've gone into maintainance but one thing still bothering me is my thighs! They haven't changed much at all even though I've managed to get a better looking midsection. I know spot reduction is a myth but I don't want to lose too much weight. Im afraid I'll end up losing all my muscle mass and look like a skeleton. What do I do?
    I'm around 5'7.5 btw

    I am 5' 8" and 120 is not healthy for either of us, I used to b 120 but looking back on those photos I looked anorexic, maybe your 120 is all muscle but I do know thoise stats bmi is borderline. I am now 154 and even though my bmi is good I am not happy and am trying to get back to 140 or so. Due to health conditions/chronic pain and several surgeries my lifestyle has become sedentary and my thights where starting to rub together (YIKES) so I started MFP and now I cannot even consume the 1000 to 1200 calories allowed, I don't know if that's good or not MFP says its not. I try to do some leg work each day. Even 5 min workout better than nothing. Trying to get my belly flatter after my hysterectomy 14 months ago. Seems like I start to make progress then another health issue comes up
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
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    And just wait until your pelvis spreads, either due to children or simple aging. That's fun, too.

    Apt user name. ;)
  • emmycantbemeeko
    emmycantbemeeko Posts: 303 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I am 5' 8" and 120 is not healthy for either of us, I used to b 120 but looking back on those photos I looked anorexic, maybe your 120 is all muscle but I do know thoise stats bmi is borderline. I am now 154 and even though my bmi is good I am not happy and am trying to get back to 140 or so. Due to health conditions/chronic pain and several surgeries my lifestyle has become sedentary and my thights where starting to rub together (YIKES) so I started MFP and now I cannot even consume the 1000 to 1200 calories allowed, I don't know if that's good or not MFP says its not. I try to do some leg work each day. Even 5 min workout better than nothing. Trying to get my belly flatter after my hysterectomy 14 months ago. Seems like I start to make progress then another health issue comes up

    Whether or not your thighs touch is as much a function of pelvis structure as weight- while you may be in the minority of women whose legs have a gap between them while standing at a normal BMI, there's nothing inherently YIKES-worthy about thighs touching, and that might not be the most helpful implication to make to someone who thinks their thighs are too big while borderline underweight...
  • Smallc10
    Smallc10 Posts: 554 Member
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    I have always had big thighs - seems to be my genetic gift. Now, they are larger than they were a while ago, but I'm much happier with how they look. Instead of being flabby they are now firmer and shapely. I got to this point with squats and deadlifts - heavy weights, in a squat rack. Loving my big strong thighs now ;)
  • ARGriffy
    ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
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    grinning_chick wrote: »

    And just wait until your pelvis spreads, either due to children or simple aging. That's fun, too.

    Hold up, what? My hips could get bigger??? Is this a thing?! I'm already 3 sizes bigger on bottom than top noo they can't get worse!
  • JackieMarie1989jgw
    JackieMarie1989jgw Posts: 230 Member
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    ARGriffy wrote: »
    grinning_chick wrote: »

    And just wait until your pelvis spreads, either due to children or simple aging. That's fun, too.

    Hold up, what? My hips could get bigger??? Is this a thing?! I'm already 3 sizes bigger on bottom than top noo they can't get worse!

    If it makes you feel better, after I had my baby my hips AND my ribcage never went back to normal size (even now that I am 3 pounds away from pre-pregnancy weight, my actually pelvis and ribcage are larger-I can tell by how my old clothes fit). So, although I have always been a pear shape, I feel like I dont look too dispropotioned. Since my ribcage is larger too.
  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
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    ARGriffy wrote: »
    grinning_chick wrote: »

    And just wait until your pelvis spreads, either due to children or simple aging. That's fun, too.

    Hold up, what? My hips could get bigger??? Is this a thing?! I'm already 3 sizes bigger on bottom than top noo they can't get worse!

    I've had 2 kids and my hips are the size of a prepubescent boy's, so it's not inevitable.

    I also feel the thigh pain, and plan to lose more to see if they'll shrink, but I have 7kg I could lose before hitting underweight bmi, so I'm hoping it won't take that much loss... Larger thighs and narrow hips make running a pita, well, a pitit.

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