Leg advice

AnnaNicoleFriend
AnnaNicoleFriend Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I have been trying to lose weight now for about 6 months and have managed to lose a stone! The problem is that I have been having trouble shifting weight from my legs. I'm 9 stone 2 lbs (58.2 kilos), 5ft 4inch but with very short legs. I'm 20 but have had cellulite since a very young teenager!

I know it's impossible to concentrate weight loss from one area of the body but does anyone have good advice on how to lose fat off your legs or tone them nicely? Any cellulite tips as well would be appreciated (but I don't want to use any 'magic pills', I believe in healthy eating and working out to get the results).

Thanks (and sorry if this has been asked a lot before)

Replies

  • cecsav1
    cecsav1 Posts: 714 Member
    You're on the right track! Are you doing any kind of exercise at all thus far in your journey? You're correct, you cannot spot reduce, but you can, however work those muscles to help shape them. :)
  • AnnaNicoleFriend
    AnnaNicoleFriend Posts: 5 Member
    cecsav1 wrote: »
    You're on the right track! Are you doing any kind of exercise at all thus far in your journey? You're correct, you cannot spot reduce, but you can, however work those muscles to help shape them. :)

    Yeah I have been going to the gym, body combat classes, spin and done some weight training but I've moved home now and don't have access to the gym. So I need to do exercises that can be done easily in the home really. Do you have any advice?
  • cecsav1
    cecsav1 Posts: 714 Member
    Most forms of cardio will work your legs. If you're comfortable with it, running is great. Biking can also be an excellent leg intensive form of cardio. For strength training at home, you can do body weight squats and lunges (two of my favorites), and you can find plenty of videos on YouTube. I've seen other people on here recommend Fitness Blender, but I don't have any experience with that. Good luck and keep at it! It takes time, but you'll get there.
  • AnnaNicoleFriend
    AnnaNicoleFriend Posts: 5 Member
    cecsav1 wrote: »
    Most forms of cardio will work your legs. If you're comfortable with it, running is great. Biking can also be an excellent leg intensive form of cardio. For strength training at home, you can do body weight squats and lunges (two of my favorites), and you can find plenty of videos on YouTube. I've seen other people on here recommend Fitness Blender, but I don't have any experience with that. Good luck and keep at it! It takes time, but you'll get there.

    I like squats and lunges as well!! I'm not the best runner but I definitely think jogging would be a good way to keep myself active. I'll look into fitness blender. Thank you for all your advice
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Resistance training. Bodyweight can be done easily at home, results will be slower than lifting heavy but they will come. Personally I use Fitness Blender as I only orkot at home and have invested in adjustable dumbbells so I am still able to get some weight training in without gym access.

    As for cellulite, that will improve as you lower body fat but it's mostly down to genetics. Pretty much everyone has some.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    You answered your own question in the OP. You can't spot reduce fat or "tone". What you can do is lose fat or build muscle. One requires eating in a deficit, the other, in a surplus.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    You answered your own question in the OP. You can't spot reduce fat or "tone". What you can do is lose fat or build muscle. One requires eating in a deficit, the other, in a surplus.

    Or recomp........
  • biggsterjackster
    biggsterjackster Posts: 419 Member
    I do leg exercises with ankle weights every day at home for toning. Found some great you tube videos. I could see a difference after a few weeks.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    You have totally cute legs and an awesome figure. Anything you do is going to look great.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    You answered your own question in the OP. You can't spot reduce fat or "tone". What you can do is lose fat or build muscle. One requires eating in a deficit, the other, in a surplus.

    Or recomp........

    As a "natural" recomping is the worst of both worlds. Firstly it takes much longer, secondly a person will not normally see results and be tempted to go back to old ways of eating. Pick a goal, achieve it and reassess.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    You answered your own question in the OP. You can't spot reduce fat or "tone". What you can do is lose fat or build muscle. One requires eating in a deficit, the other, in a surplus.

    Or recomp........

    As a "natural" recomping is the worst of both worlds. Firstly it takes much longer, secondly a person will not normally see results and be tempted to go back to old ways of eating. Pick a goal, achieve it and reassess.

    As someone with no interest in bodybuilding per se, just achieving an aesthetic, I've no desire to do bulk/cut cycles. Some people don't want to do anything more than bodyweight, some don't want to/can't lift heavy (this is me, no desire to hit a squat rack). Some are totally happy cutting and bulking, some want to just hit maintenance and give themselves broad fitness goals (again, this is me).

    So recomp is an option that many many people take and are satisfied with. Give someone the options and let them decide what is best for them personally. Once I hit maintenance or am close to it, I'll switch to recomp. My choice, what is best for me.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    biggsterjackster wrote: »
    I do leg exercises with ankle weights every day at home for toning. Found some great you tube videos. I could see a difference after a few weeks.

    Be careful with the ankle weights, weighting the extremity of a limb can put a lot of pressure on joints.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    You answered your own question in the OP. You can't spot reduce fat or "tone". What you can do is lose fat or build muscle. One requires eating in a deficit, the other, in a surplus.

    Or recomp........

    As a "natural" recomping is the worst of both worlds. Firstly it takes much longer, secondly a person will not normally see results and be tempted to go back to old ways of eating. Pick a goal, achieve it and reassess.

    I am a lifter and have no desire to do bulk cut cycles. I prefer to recomp.

    The goal is to recomp.
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    You answered your own question in the OP. You can't spot reduce fat or "tone". What you can do is lose fat or build muscle. One requires eating in a deficit, the other, in a surplus.

    Or recomp........

    As a "natural" recomping is the worst of both worlds. Firstly it takes much longer, secondly a person will not normally see results and be tempted to go back to old ways of eating. Pick a goal, achieve it and reassess.

    As someone with no interest in bodybuilding per se, just achieving an aesthetic, I've no desire to do bulk/cut cycles. Some people don't want to do anything more than bodyweight, some don't want to/can't lift heavy (this is me, no desire to hit a squat rack). Some are totally happy cutting and bulking, some want to just hit maintenance and give themselves broad fitness goals (again, this is me).

    So recomp is an option that many many people take and are satisfied with. Give someone the options and let them decide what is best for them personally. Once I hit maintenance or am close to it, I'll switch to recomp. My choice, what is best for me.

  • MlleKelly
    MlleKelly Posts: 356 Member
    Squats, lunges, deadlifts, running/cycling...

    You're right: You can't force your body to lose weight in a particular area (or else I would have gotten rid of my love handles FIRST!!! ARGH!), but you can find exercises to target the muscles in those areas to help you create the shape that you want. For legs, stick with the standards...squats, lunges, deadlifts, and calf raises. You can do these using your own body weight at home, or you can add dumbbells/barbells at the gym to really build strength.

    Recommendation (I'm not a trained anything! Doctor, trainer, physical therapist...I just speak from experience): If you're doing body weight at home, do high reps (3 sets of 25 each exercise). If you're using weights, do lower reps (3 sets of 10-12 or 4 sets of 8-10, depending on how much weight you use).

    Just make sure you're using proper form!
  • AmberSpamber
    AmberSpamber Posts: 391 Member
    I agree with everyone here. Just keep doing what you're doing and you will eventually see the cellulite vanish. It is always the last thing to go on me and can be quite stubborn. I'm like you and don't want the quick fix, but I did see something about dry brushing on pinterest. If it's on pinterest, it has to work right?:p I guess the logic behind it, is when you brush your skin it increases your circulation, which can help with the appearance of cellulite. Might be worth looking into. It's better than taking a "magic pill" and if it doesn't do anything, at least you'll have smooth skin :)
  • AnnaNicoleFriend
    AnnaNicoleFriend Posts: 5 Member
    Thank you everyone for your responses!! So useful

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