Very muscly legs... Anything I can do?

Options
2

Replies

  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Options
    I'm the exact same way. I have to wear a size 34 slim fit just to fit my calves when I'm a size 30 waist! It's weird but it's something I've learned to embrace. It's always a nice pick-me-up when someone comments like "do you run a lot? you have KILLER calves" or "how do you have calves like that?! I want them" even though I don't do any calf exercises at all!

    *sigh* no nice pick-me-up here. Mine are just big, nothing nice about them. :(
  • likemeinvisible
    likemeinvisible Posts: 309
    Options
    I've had very muscly calves all my life. I've never done dance classes or joined a sports team or exercised at all really. They are just naturally muscly. My mum is the same.

    I have a bit of weight left to lose, but if I tense my calf muscles I can feel that there is no more fat on the bottom halves of my legs any more. It's all muscle, but I don't like it. I find it hard fitting in to skinny jeans because of my muscly calves and I want to go down another jeans size, but I can't because of my stupid legs!

    Is there ANYTHING I can do to reduce the amount of muscle in my lower legs? Or am I stuck like this and have to try to embrace it somehow?

    I can't see your diary, are you doing a lot of walking ? When started walking less and running more my calves reduced in size.
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the kind comments everyone. I suppose it's not all bad! My calves don't LOOK especially big from the front, but if you look at me side-on, they stick out at the back. I don't think they particularly look huge, but they are too big for skinny jeans to fit properly; either the jeans are just right in the leg but too loose around the hips, or they are too tight in the leg but just right on the hips. I'll have to start wearing straight leg or bootcut jeans. I don't think that's a bad thing. I'll just learn to embrace a new style. Thanks for the tip about the heels - that's a good idea. I'm very short too so most jeans are too long, so heels will help that aspect too!
  • ggcat
    ggcat Posts: 313 Member
    Options
    Muscles are hot. Love them. Screw skinny jeans. Leave them for the hipsters.

    :happy:
  • tpittsley77
    tpittsley77 Posts: 607 Member
    Options
    I have large muscular calves. Have a hard time finding boots that zip up over them. And until you said it, I had never thought that was a bad thing. Thanks for making me insecure about my large calves !:ohwell:

    J/k people!
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    Options
    I have large muscular calves. Have a hard time finding boots that zip up over them. And until you said it, I had never thought that was a bad thing. Thanks for making me insecure about my large calves !:ohwell:

    J/k people!

    Lol, I didn't really mean that I don't like the way my calves look, I just meant that I love to wear skinny jeans but they don't fit properly with my calves. I have the same trouble with boots as you, but I have the added trouble that my feet are a REALLY weird shape, so very few styles of shoe fit me in the first place :(
  • TallCurvyMuscles
    TallCurvyMuscles Posts: 50
    Options
    wow of all the things to complain bout in the world
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
    Options
    embrace what you got...some people would kill to have calves. I personally have cows so I am just going with it.

    I have been called bird legs my whole life. I would kill for some muscles.
  • DollyMiel
    DollyMiel Posts: 377 Member
    Options
    I have the same issue. Find it hard to relate to others here because they all seem to want them and I want to get rid of them. You're definitely not alone. XD Fortunately there's always stretchy skinny jeans~
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    Options
    wow of all the things to complain bout in the world

    Everyone is unhappy with some part of their body. I could just have easily been talking about love handles or the shape of my nose or anything else. I don't see why me disliking my calves is any more ridiculous than someone else disliking a flat chest or big feet.

    Besides, I wasn't really complaining. I was asking if there was anything I could do. And if you'd read any of my follow-up posts, you'd know that as I've discovered, as I suspected, that there's nothing I can do about it, I'm now trying to embrace who I am and find a new style that suits me better.

    If you ask me I think it's even more silly to complain about someone else complaining...
  • pittsblue99
    pittsblue99 Posts: 277 Member
    Options
    I know this is probably not the kind of answer that you are looking for but the way I look at it is like this; yes, I have fairly large leg muscles and my calves may resemble cows or buffalo now but I have legs that work and I thank God all the time that I can use them. My son has cerebral palsy and cannot use his legs at all so I am thankful for the muscles that I have.
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    Options
    I have the same issue. Find it hard to relate to others here because they all seem to want them and I want to get rid of them. You're definitely not alone. XD Fortunately there's always stretchy skinny jeans~

    I know right! I've never liked my big calves, I've always longed for lean, smooth lower legs and small ankles. But since there's so many people here who seem to want muscly calves, I'm thinking it's about time we started appreciating what we've got! I think it's another case of the whole "If you have straight hair you want curly, and if you have curly hair you want straight" scenario! The grass is always greener on the other side, etc!
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Options
    I have the same issue. Find it hard to relate to others here because they all seem to want them and I want to get rid of them. You're definitely not alone. XD Fortunately there's always stretchy skinny jeans~

    I know right! I've never liked my big calves, I've always longed for lean, smooth lower legs and small ankles. But since there's so many people here who seem to want muscly calves, I'm thinking it's about time we started appreciating what we've got! I think it's another case of the whole "If you have straight hair you want curly, and if you have curly hair you want straight" scenario! The grass is always greener on the other side, etc!

    I totally hear you. :)
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    Options
    wow of all the things to complain bout in the world

    Everyone is unhappy with some part of their body. I could just have easily been talking about love handles or the shape of my nose or anything else. I don't see why me disliking my calves is any more ridiculous than someone else disliking a flat chest or big feet.

    Besides, I wasn't really complaining. I was asking if there was anything I could do. And if you'd read any of my follow-up posts, you'd know that as I've discovered, as I suspected, that there's nothing I can do about it, I'm now trying to embrace who I am and find a new style that suits me better.

    If you ask me I think it's even more silly to complain about someone else complaining...
    Well said.

    Those with no calves go do weights and make them bigger if you want.
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    Options
    I know this is probably not the kind of answer that you are looking for but the way I look at it is like this; yes, I have fairly large leg muscles and my calves may resemble cows or buffalo now but I have legs that work and I thank God all the time that I can use them. My son has cerebral palsy and cannot use his legs at all so I am thankful for the muscles that I have.

    I'm so sorry about your son. I wish you both the best. I agree that I need to look at things optimistically. I'll skip the thanking 'God' part, but I'm certainly going to start appreciating how lucky I am to be healthy when so many others have it worse than me. Thank you for helping me put things into perspective :)
  • tubway
    tubway Posts: 86 Member
    Options
    Skinny jeans should be banned anyway. They don't even look good on skinny people. :tongue:
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    Options
    I know this is probably not the kind of answer that you are looking for but the way I look at it is like this; yes, I have fairly large leg muscles and my calves may resemble cows or buffalo now but I have legs that work and I thank God all the time that I can use them. My son has cerebral palsy and cannot use his legs at all so I am thankful for the muscles that I have.

    I'm so sorry about your son. I wish you both the best. I agree that I need to look at things optimistically. I'll skip the thanking 'God' part, but I'm certainly going to start appreciating how lucky I am to be healthy when so many others have it worse than me. Thank you for helping me put things into perspective :)

    My son has Duchenne muscular dystrophy - wasting away of all his muscles - particularly the legs and arms first. He is in a wheelchair. The first sign of DMD is huge calves and toe walking while an infant. We always used to be proud about his muscular calves thinking he was going to grow up into a little muscle man.
    Anyway, I know we all tend to complain too much about what we look like so definitely need to be thankful for what we have.
  • ZugTheMegasaurus
    ZugTheMegasaurus Posts: 801 Member
    Options
    I'll share with you a personal story of mine.

    When I was a kid, I got bullied by the other girls at school because of my legs. I've always had a very muscular build, still do. These little girls called me "fat" and made fun of me for it, even though I wasn't anywhere close to overweight; I just had shapely calves, big thighs, and a prominent butt while they had more typically androgynous little kid legs.

    I took it seriously. I thought I was fat. My parents tried over and over to tell me that I wasn't fat, I was strong. I could run fast and jump high because of my legs. But I didn't listen. They told me about the amazing women in my family who came before me, who were also mocked but accomplished great things, but I didn't care. They even took me to my doctor who told me that I was strong and powerful but would "never be stick-skinny like that." To me, that meant FAT. My mom even told me that someday these girls would be jealous of my body and my curvy legs, but that seemed craziest of all.

    I thought all these people were lying to me because they loved me and didn't want to hurt my feelings; the people who were mean and tormented me must have been telling the truth.

    This year, almost 20 years later, you know what? I realized my parents were right. I am just naturally stronger than a lot of the people around me. I do have a lot of power in my body to harness. And even the craziest thing, that those mean girls would envy my big butt and legs? That's true too.

    Embrace your body. You cannot change it. You cannot wish it away. All you can do is work to make it the best damn body it can be. It's worth it. You're worth it.
  • LoyalAngel16
    LoyalAngel16 Posts: 186 Member
    Options
    I definitely understand the big calves thing too. I have always had very muscular calves and more so now that I am working out. Can't wear boots either. I also have weird shaped feet. They are as long as they are wide. My husband likes to say I have box feet or Flintstones feet lol. But now that my calves are getting more muscular, I love them even more. The only muscular part of my body right now.
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    Options
    My son has Duchenne muscular dystrophy - wasting away of all his muscles - particularly the legs and arms first. He is in a wheelchair. The first sign of DMD is huge calves and toe walking while an infant. We always used to be proud about his muscular calves thinking he was going to grow up into a little muscle man.
    Anyway, I know we all tend to complain too much about what we look like so definitely need to be thankful for what we have.

    Oh goodness. I'm so sorry, really. I can't imagine how much stress and pain your family must be in and my heart goes out to you all. I feel just awful about complaining now when I have it so good.

    I just looked up DMD and for a minute the symptoms worried me until I saw that the dystrophy occurs by age 12 and that it is extremely rare in females. I walked on my tip-toes for most of my childhood too, and have always had extremely poor co-ordination and balance, and very muscular calves!

Categories