2 simple questions I need help with?

they're not related, but they're both pretty simple questions.

1. My thighs are muscular, I do elliptical pretty much every day, but don't hate, I do high incline and high resistance usually and it really burns and I've noticed toning, and I also do weights and stuff and abs. I don't just chill on the eliptical. But I was wondering, what do you all consider big thighs, like what's the line between good big and bad big, like I said mine are pretty muscular, but still have some fat in the inner thigh (any help for that?) and the biggest part of it is 24 inches and the smallest part about 16 inches, is this still considered really big?

2. Why do people say drinking diet soda is so bad? is it really that bad having it not daily?
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Replies

  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    any answers?
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    1. Why does it matter?

    2. Some people don't like artificial sweetners. If you like having diet soda, drink diet soda.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Sorry, I don't have much help. Yours are smaller than mine (which are 28)? Mine are covered in fat right now, but working on it (squats and deadlifts for the win!)
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
    1. I'm also wondering why this matters

    2. I drink diet soda once in awhile and it doesn't effect me in any way.
  • The problem with diet soda is the artificial sweetener they you increases your appetite and makes you crave more junk foods. So even an occasionally soda is enough to through your diet in a tail spin.
  • 1. I personally, love muscular legs. Mine still are pretty muscular too, from playing soccer when I was younger. I've always cared more about not jiggling than being really skinny. Healthy and strong.

    2, People say diet drinks (well and all soda too) are bad because of all the chemicals in them. It's just bad for you. That being said, I still love me some Diet Coke, but try to limit how much i drink.

    Hope that helps.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    #1 does kind of matter for how your clothes fit LOL. I consider mine large and they are fairly flabby. They're down to 22" now. But, Maybe they wouldn't seem "large" if they were more muscular. I'll let you know when they get there LOL.

    #2 Everything in moderation :-)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    they're not related, but they're both pretty simple questions.

    1. My thighs are muscular, I do elliptical pretty much every day, but don't hate, I do high incline and high resistance usually and it really burns and I've noticed toning, and I also do weights and stuff and abs. I don't just chill on the eliptical. But I was wondering, what do you all consider big thighs, like what's the line between good big and bad big, like I said mine are pretty muscular, but still have some fat in the inner thigh (any help for that?) and the biggest part of it is 24 inches and the smallest part about 16 inches, is this still considered really big?

    2. Why do people say drinking diet soda is so bad? is it really that bad having it not daily?

    1. There is no definition of what is considered big and not. If you think it's too big, it's because it's a layer of fat covering it.

    2. already answered.


    3. I would highly suggest you do not use the elliptical every day. It will prevent you recovering and exposing you to injury. Also, you make all your gains when you recovery. Also, are you lifting heavy (max around 6-10 reps)? If not, you are not maximizing strength gains. Although fat loss is the same if you do 6 reps or 15 reps, you will get stronger with less. Now, you can do a day or a few sets of high rep low weight to hit both slow and fast twitch muscle fibers.
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
    She's asking about very precise measurements, who the hell determines what's big and what's not? Get them down to a size you're comfortable with.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    because as much as people like to say it doesn't, apperance matters, and I don't always feel good about myself, so I want to know what other people think, so I can put my thoughts in some sort of perspective.
    If I think I look good and everyone else thinks I don't, that matters to me, because clearly there is something that makes people think that, and they will think less of me. It's just a fact, clearly not every single person cares about others apperances, but there's enough studies been done to show that it does have a significant impact in things like getting jobs, relationships, things that are important to me.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    3. I would highly suggest you do not use the elliptical every day. It will prevent you recovering and exposing you to injury. Also, you make all your gains when you recovery. Also, are you lifting heavy (max around 6-10 reps)? If not, you are not maximizing strength gains. Although fat loss is the same if you do 6 reps or 15 reps, you will get stronger with less. Now, you can do a day or a few sets of high rep low weight to hit both slow and fast twitch muscle fibers.

    I can't run regularly because I have knee problems, bikes are boring and less effective to me, I don't have access to a pool, so I have an elliptical at my house it's what I use. When I'm at school I do alternate, bike, running, eliptical, and a different sort of elipitcal that feels like running in sand, also different weights, and dance.
  • moniquedeanne
    moniquedeanne Posts: 249 Member
    Soda whether diet or not is just a bunch of chemical and is not good for you. Don't get me wrong I drink it too sometimes.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    When you drink diet soda your body reacts to it as if it were sweet and pumps insulin into your system in response to the sugar it thinks is in your blood stream. This sequesters the blood sugar to be stored as fat (that's what it's supposed to do) and makes it so you can't burn fat.

    When you are trying to live your life and use energy (i.e., burn those calories, use that fat, use that blood sugar), you don't have much in your blood stream because you drank diet soda (which doesn't have usable calories). And you can't burn your stored supply of energy (fat) because insulin suppresses your ability to do so.

    So you get hungry.

    Immediately, you're more likely to eat or more likely to want to eat if you're trying not to. Long term this can make you gain weight and also can lead to insulin resistance, a risk factor for diabetes.
  • meghan6867
    meghan6867 Posts: 388 Member
    1) Muscular legs are hott. Mine are 25"... love them.

    2) Everything in moderation.

    :happy:
  • minsch
    minsch Posts: 144 Member
    When you drink diet soda your body reacts to it as if it were sweet and pumps insulin into your system in response to the sugar it thinks is in your blood stream. This sequesters the blood sugar to be stored as fat (that's what it's supposed to do) and makes it so you can't burn fat.

    When you are trying to live your life and use energy (i.e., burn those calories, use that fat, use that blood sugar), you don't have much in your blood stream because you drank diet soda (which doesn't have usable calories). And you can't burn your stored supply of energy (fat) because insulin suppresses your ability to do so.

    So you get hungry.

    Immediately, you're more likely to eat or more likely to want to eat if you're trying not to. Long term this can make you gain weight and also can lead to insulin resistance, a risk factor for diabetes.

    Wow....thanks for the explanation. When I did WW they had us all stop drinking diet soda for 1 week to see what would happen and the difference of weight loss was significant. I have slipped back into drinking diet soda....I think I will stop!
  • All things are relative - to help tone the inner thigh, have you ever tried the "eggbeater" kick for treading water in the pool? I think that would help.

    As Meghan said, all things in moderation :)
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    I drink diet soda every day. I will probably die from it.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    3. I would highly suggest you do not use the elliptical every day. It will prevent you recovering and exposing you to injury. Also, you make all your gains when you recovery. Also, are you lifting heavy (max around 6-10 reps)? If not, you are not maximizing strength gains. Although fat loss is the same if you do 6 reps or 15 reps, you will get stronger with less. Now, you can do a day or a few sets of high rep low weight to hit both slow and fast twitch muscle fibers.

    I can't run regularly because I have knee problems, bikes are boring and less effective to me, I don't have access to a pool, so I have an elliptical at my house it's what I use. When I'm at school I do alternate, bike, running, eliptical, and a different sort of elipitcal that feels like running in sand, also different weights, and dance.

    What I am suggestion is don't do workouts that target the same muscle group consecutively. Running and elliptical will both target lets. You need time to rest, so one day weight train and the next then do a cardio type exercise. You should see greater benefit and will be less prone to injury by separating them.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    1. I consider my thighs to be on the smaller side. Before I started working out at lot and just lost weight through dieting my thighs were 17", then I started working out a lot and they got to 19", then lost a bit more fat and now they're 18".

    2. For some people artificial sweeteners can cause cravings. It doesn't for me so I still drink diet soda.
  • 1. Well the in the Us the average thigh circumference is 22. 3" yet this does not mean anything unless you take into consideration your body type and overall fat to muscle ratio. Therefore to generalize for all women would be inaccurate, however in the end it is all about how you feel about yourself that makes all the difference. So, in regards to your comment about the affect on important relationships and opportunities, this has a very insignificant effect. The important attributes that many look for is your personality and appearance in terms of how you put yourself together and present yourself rather than weight.
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
    I personally don't like things like diet coke or pepsi because it gives me headaches. Aside from that, I don't care what you or anyone else does with soda lol. I just hate it because I don't enjoy headaches =)
  • peacefulsong
    peacefulsong Posts: 223 Member
    because as much as people like to say it doesn't, apperance matters, and I don't always feel good about myself, so I want to know what other people think, so I can put my thoughts in some sort of perspective.
    If I think I look good and everyone else thinks I don't, that matters to me, because clearly there is something that makes people think that, and they will think less of me. It's just a fact, clearly not every single person cares about others apperances, but there's enough studies been done to show that it does have a significant impact in things like getting jobs, relationships, things that are important to me.

    The problem here is that everyone is going to feel differently. Ask 10 different people what they like and you are likely to get 10 different answers. You are never going to be able to look good in the eyes of everyone, because everyone thinks different things look good. That way lies madness. If you feel good about yourself it shines through no matter what, I promise. I realize that is easier said than done but honestly your opinion of yourself is the only opinion you're ever going to have real control over.
  • cgraylyon
    cgraylyon Posts: 292 Member
    1. I just checked mine and I am only 5'1" and my thighs are 20.5" at the biggest and I wear a size 3. My brother in law says my legs are super skinny and really muscular. So NO I don't think 22 is big.

    2. I have met so many people with different opinions on diet soda and I love diet soda, so I asked my 3 heathiest/most fit friends (athlete, body builder, runner) and they all drink it! So I do, but not every day!

    Hope this helps!
  • It's just a fact, clearly not every single person cares about others apperances, but there's enough studies been done to show that it does have a significant impact in things like getting jobs, relationships, things that are important to me.

    No one will measure your thighs or inspect them for flabby insides at a job interview or on a first date (if they do, there are major issues there).

    If you are comfortable and confident and in a healthy weight range, you can cross this off your list of things to worry about.

    Diet Coke is my treat. If I've made it to the end of my day and met all my goals, I get to crack open a can of Diet Coke. :)
  • Lovelyhal
    Lovelyhal Posts: 15 Member
    Unable to answer re what is normal for thighs.

    However, re the diet soda - the main reason would be that any carbonated drink does NOT rehydrate the body. It dehydrates you because it acts as a diuretic and you expel more than you take in.

    It is so important to remain hydrated - not only for the body to maintain all its functions properly (keep organs working, keep the blood flowing through your whole body which transport food to all parts of the body). The body, also, when it is dehydrated, misinterprets and thinks it is hungry, therefore encouraging more snacking.

    Occasionally all right, but not often. Stay hydrated.

    Good luck
  • Bocch
    Bocch Posts: 191 Member
    Question 1) If your thighs are muscular and you try to lose muscle by following a starvation diet you will lose muscle all over your body. Also remember you can not just lose fat in your thighs you will lose fat over your whole body. Also your hereditary build has a lot to do with the way your thighs are, if you are trying for thighs that look like a runway model's thighs your body might not be the right shape for that.

    Question 2) Most importantly in regards to diet soda or regular soda or beer or vodka...moderation! If you have type 2 diabetes or diabetes then watching sugar in take is vital. If you are drinking 4 cans of diet soda an hour then you can actually promote type 2 diabetes. So use moderation as your guide.
  • nalfavi
    nalfavi Posts: 174 Member
    Be happy with what YOU think it beautiful/acceptable. If you learn to be confident in yourself you will exude it, and THAT is what people are attracted to. The people who are attracted to looks alone don't matter. Honestly? If you think people are going to judge you based on your THIGHS, those are emotional issues. It might sound like I'm coming off harsh, but that's my opinion.

    As for diet soda, that's been answered already.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    All things are relative - to help tone the inner thigh, have you ever tried the "eggbeater" kick for treading water in the pool? I think that would help.

    Yeah I played water polo and my legs got huge and muscular but the inner thigh didn't change for some reason
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    Be happy with what YOU think it beautiful/acceptable. If you learn to be confident in yourself you will exude it, and THAT is what people are attracted to. The people who are attracted to looks alone don't matter. Honestly? If you think people are going to judge you based on your THIGHS, those are emotional issues. It might sound like I'm coming off harsh, but that's my opinion.

    I never said I wasn't confident, I just wanted to know what other people think too, what's so terrible about that?
    And as for people attracted to looks alone, very few people are only going to find someone attractive because of looks, or not find them less attractive if they're *****es, but looks are what get you started, what get's someone to want to start knowing you more often then not, yes sometimes you know someone already and then as you get to know them better you start thinking about them in a more romantic sense. But usually you see someone, or someone sees you and you want to get to know them and then you do and if they ALSO have a great personality that meshes well with yours and they agree and find you mututally attractive, you have something there.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    Question 1) If your thighs are muscular and you try to lose muscle by following a starvation diet you will lose muscle all over your body. Also remember you can not just lose fat in your thighs you will lose fat over your whole body. Also your hereditary build has a lot to do with the way your thighs are, if you are trying for thighs that look like a runway model's thighs your body might not be the right shape for that.

    This is irrelvant because I'm not following a starvation diet, I'm following a healthy diet and exericse LIFESTYLE not some short term diet, and did I say I wanted them to look like a runway model? That's gross. And yes I know you can't spot lose, you lose all over and can work on toning other areas.