Can I thin down my calfs/thighs??? HELP

cazziepola

I currently have really wide calfs and thighs and I was wondering how I could try slim these down.
I'm trying to lose weight all over in general
Me and hubby are watching what we eat and going the gym when we can

Any help welcome thank youuu

echofm1

I would love to know this as well, particularly the calf bit. My family seems to all have big calves, and I'm no exception.

NeonHeartz444

If you want to get rid of fat, do a lot of cardio. For toning add some body weight/strength training.

aszwarc

I also have large calves, that I refer to as my Calves of Doom™. The only real way to thin them down is to lose overall body fat. There's no way to spot reduce. I'm getting to the point that I will have to resolve myself to the fact that I'll always need to look for wide-calf boots and knee socks that stretch a LOT.

micheleb15

Unfortunately, you can't spot reduce. Lowering your BF% will make you smaller, but fat is evil and only leaves the places it wants. I have pretty thick thighs and calves too - they will get smaller, but not any sooner than other body parts. Keep doing what you are and be patient.

leannerae40

I think the general consensus is that you can't slim down one particular area. You can however continue to lose body fat (80% diet and 20% gym). Strong legs are a beautiful thing!

Learn to love your body for how it is now. If you love it, so will everyone else. There's always work to be done, but you have air in your lungs, and the ability to feel great every day! Just do that!

:flowerforyou:

aelphabawest

You can't spot reduce, unfortunately. You just need to thin down everything and it comes off however it works for your body.

I have found since I started running that both my thighs and calves are pretty much all muscle now - which is not a thin down, really, more of a "muscle up."

EmmieBaby

you can't spot reduce but I find doing barbell squats and deadlifts (lifting heavy) gives me strong calfs and legs (and a nice perky butt to boot)

SoDamnHungry

Lose weight in general, just like you're doing. Cardio and strength training would definitely help, but losing fat through a caloric deficit will help reduce the size of your thighs and calves unless they're all muscle.

xiamjackie

Along with what everyone else said, some parts of your body you just have to accept. I am 5'0 125 pounds and I still need to buy extra wide calf boots or ones with stretchy inserts in them because my calves are actually only a few inches smaller than my thighs and regular boots never fit. Some skinny jeans actually don't even fit because my calves are so large. I will always have big calves, no matter how much weight I lose. I do focus on strengthening them through weights and I always get my cardio in along with my 3-4 days of weight lifting. I would suggest to do cardio, weights, but to also not get discouraged if you don't see the drastic reduction in those areas as you're hoping for.

bcattoes

I, too, carry a lot of my weight in my legs - big thighs, and weirdly muscular calves even when not working out. My mother and her sisters all have these same calves, even in old age.

Running is the thing that reduced these the most for me. I don't run anymore, but burn just as many calories through other exercises, but my legs have never been as thin as when I ran. They were still muscular, but less fat than any other exercise I've tried. I wish I enjoyed running.

RGv2

You can't spot reduce, unfortunately. You just need to thin down everything and it comes off however it works for your body.

I have found since I started running that both my thighs and calves are pretty much all muscle now - which is not a thin down, really, more of a "muscle up."

Sorry, unless you're doing a ton of sprint work, hills, etc... "running" itself doesn't "muscle up" your body, especially in your caloric deficit.

qtgonewild

it seems most of my weight i have lost so far has come from my calves. i guess everyone is different.

ElliottTN

I generally agree with you can't spot reduce except in this one exception. Focus in long distance cardio. I'm fighting shrinking calves and thighs (although just normal loss everywhere else) so I have the opposite problem as you.

aelphabawest

Sorry, unless you're doing a ton of sprint work, hills, etc... "running" itself doesn't "muscle up" your body, especially in your caloric deficit.

I said *I have found* as in, *my personal experience* that since I started running, that my leg muscles are more intense.
Thank you for telling me how *my* body has or has not changed in the past six months.

bcattoes

Sorry, unless you're doing a ton of sprint work, hills, etc... "running" itself doesn't "muscle up" your body, especially in your caloric deficit.

I said *I have found* as in, *my personal experience* that since I started running, that my leg muscles are more intense.
Thank you for telling me how *my* body has or has not changed in the past six months.

Yeah, when I ran my legs definitely got more muscular.

RGv2

Sorry, unless you're doing a ton of sprint work, hills, etc... "running" itself doesn't "muscle up" your body, especially in your caloric deficit.

I said *I have found* as in, *my personal experience* that since I started running, that my leg muscles are more intense.
Thank you for telling me how *my* body has or has not changed in the past six months.

It's not "your" body, it's how the exercise in question affects the human body, especially in a caloric deficit. Steady State cardio doesn't build muscle, can it help provide more definition as you lose BF% due to the larger caloric deficits the cardio helps create.....yep.

Unless you are morbidly obese, or extremely undertrained, you can't "muscle up" or "build" substantial muscle while in a deficit, especially when only performing solid steady cardio.

There is a difference in "Muscle Up, build, bulk" and your muscles becoming more "intense", "defined", "muscular".

cazziepola

Thanks so mucho or all the help guys!

I'll do my best and keep at the fitness and fingers crossed for them to maybe lose some size there.