large calfs, help please

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roundana
roundana Posts: 2
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok so I have alot to lose, and I do bothe cardio and strength. My arms looks better, my belly looks better. But my calfs are a cowboys dream....they are huge:-( what am I doing wrong?
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Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    lose more weight.
  • bara_rei
    bara_rei Posts: 49
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    I wouldn't say you're necessarily doing anything wrong. I'm a 5'4" woman who honestly can't fit into many of the knee or thigh high boots because my calves are too big and never have been able to even when I weighed 50 pounds less than I do now. If I flex my calves, they're all muscle.
    People are made tons of different ways. Maybe you just have big calves.
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
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    If it is fat then just keep losing and they will get smaller. If it is muscle, use a wheelchair until they atrophy enough.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    You can't spot reduce. Keep working on overall fat reduction and eventually you'll get there.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    I don't know what to tell you. I have bird legs.
  • sapf
    sapf Posts: 146 Member
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    If it is fat then just keep losing and they will get smaller. If it is muscle, use a wheelchair until they atrophy enough.

    LOL :-) This is how I feel. Years of sports as a kid = even when I weigh less than 130lbs I have 15'' or more calves. Some people are just cursed with the huge calves.
  • Capt_Chev
    Capt_Chev Posts: 93 Member
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    lose more weight.
    douche

    I would actually be interested in learning any specific training that could help with reducing some calf size!
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
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    If it is fat then just keep losing and they will get smaller. If it is muscle, use a wheelchair until they atrophy enough.

    :laugh:

    this...
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
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    Overall fat reduction is the way to go. Most women don't have a lot of calf muscle naturally, so it is most likely the amount of fat that is making you unhappy. Some people think that running burns muscle off your legs, so give that a go. It won't hurt, running darn sure will help you burn fat :)
  • Laura8603
    Laura8603 Posts: 590 Member
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    Mine are large, too, even after losing 200 pounds. I think carrying around so much excess weight bulked up my calves over the years and they still big. Ce la vie.
  • jamimari777
    jamimari777 Posts: 101 Member
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    Just keep losing weight. It'll come off of your calves eventually. I know b/c I have large calves too :) Be patient and focus on the areas where you are losing fat. Also, if you aren't already doing so, lift weights. May be counter intuitive, but I've had great results.
  • jamimari777
    jamimari777 Posts: 101 Member
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    lose more weight.
    douche

    I would actually be interested in learning any specific training that could help with reducing some calf size!

    He's actually right.
  • sdclark
    sdclark Posts: 5 Member
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    Good call on the "douche" remark! I thought it!
  • Brunner26_2
    Brunner26_2 Posts: 1,152
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    Avoid milk, because as we all know, milk is what makes calfs grow into cows. Think about it.
  • Kelley528
    Kelley528 Posts: 319 Member
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    you may be cursed with them despite your weight. Hopefully that is not the case for you.

    I have never been able to wear knee boots in my life due to my calves and I wasnt overweight until recently. Im a size 6 now and even though my feet have gotten thinner and my calves are noticebly smaller, I still cant zip up high boots.
  • sdclark
    sdclark Posts: 5 Member
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    Even at my thinnest in my 20's I had big calves. I have short legs and was a dancer/tumbler. No matter how hard I work I still have muscle girth there. There are a lot of tall boots I can't wear because I can't get them zipped over the calf. I am almost 5/4 and 133lbs. I have lost 20 pounds and I can say the boots I have had since being heavier do fit a little looser. In summary, girls like us won't get rid of them entirely, but continued cardio and weight loss can help.
  • TylerJ76
    TylerJ76 Posts: 4,375 Member
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    lose more weight.
    douche

    I would actually be interested in learning any specific training that could help with reducing some calf size!

    He's 100% right and NOT a douche.
    You CAN'T SPOT REDUCE!
  • sortasandy
    sortasandy Posts: 7
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    I'm down to a size 2 (US). I can barely squeeze my calves into wide or extra-wide boots. I think some of us are just "blessed" with naturally large calves (or booties, or chests, or whatever).

    I have found my calves look better since I've been running. I also appreciate my calf muscles (and my -ahem- derriere) when I have to run up hills. With that said, I'd probably avoid any hill or speed work while running if you want to reduce the size of your calf muscles.
  • ARDuBaie
    ARDuBaie Posts: 379 Member
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    If your overly-large calves are due to fat, you will eventually be able to reduce them. If it is due to muscle, reduction is not going to happen. You would have to wait until the muscle changes to fat through atrophy and then lose the fat. I doubt you want to do that.

    I have had large calves all my life. I worked on the family farm, rode my horses, ran, and played sports. It was inevitable that my calves would be well-muscled. Over time, though, I found out that many men love women with large calves. I never asked them why; just appreciated that they appreciated my muscular legs.

    Why does having large calves bother you? That is the question that you need to ask. Is it because YOU don't consider them attractive?

    In the end, you may have to accept that you have large calves. Just realize that you are not the only woman with large calves. Mine are 18.5 inches around.
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
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    If it is fat then just keep losing and they will get smaller. If it is muscle, use a wheelchair until they atrophy enough.

    LOL :-) This is how I feel. Years of sports as a kid = even when I weigh less than 130lbs I have 15'' or more calves. Some people are just cursed with the huge calves.

    I wish I were cursed. Right now my flexed calves and flexed arms are about the same size. In a year my arms will probably be bigger than calves.

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