Slimming calves to fit comfortable into tall boots?

lucky2beinlove
lucky2beinlove Posts: 32
in Health and Weight Loss
I know it's impossible to lose weight in a spot of your choosing, but someone told me that you CAN slim down your calves. He told me to stretch them a lot and do slow and low resistance (no hills) long-distance running. This guy's just a PE student-teacher at my college, so I know to take that with a grain of salt; however, I do really need to slim down my calves FAST. I have tall dress boots for horseback riding and I have a show at the end of the month.. and because I've gained weight, they're too tight! Does anyone have any ideas that might help me out? :(

Please don't suggest buying new boots. I'm a poor college student. -.-

Edit: AND YES I NOTICED MY TYPO IN THE TITLE. It should have been comfortably, not "comfortable."

Replies

  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Just eat at a deficit. Three weeks is a decent amount of time to lose a few pounds. If you're trying to wear boots that fit when you were 14, then you may be out of luck.
  • lucky2beinlove
    lucky2beinlove Posts: 32
    Just eat at a deficit. Three weeks is a decent amount of time to lose a few pounds. If you're trying to wear boots that fit when you were 14, then you may be out of luck.

    They fit as recently as this summer! I've just put on a lot of college weight.. and apparently it's located in my calves. -.-
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    I don't know how tight they are...if they fit, but are just too difficult to put on, here's one trick you can try: get 2 plastic grocery bags, one for each foot/leg, put em on like socks. Then get some powder in your boots, make sure it coats the inside. Now, put the boots on! The plastic and powder will make it super slippery and they may slide on.

    Of course, this only works if they are a little too tight to pull up, not completely too small. (as a horse person you may already know this, sorry of I'm stating something you already tried!)
  • dawndovell
    dawndovell Posts: 48 Member
    Think about lean yoga-doing people. Stretching is great for the muscles. No one ever regrets a good stretch.
  • bkw99508
    bkw99508 Posts: 204 Member
    I can FINALLY wear non-wide boots! Yayyy.....

    I jog, walk, lift weights, and my calves look damn good. But then I have also lost weight. I think it's a combination of ALL that!
  • sunsetzen
    sunsetzen Posts: 268 Member
    How small are they? There are zipper inserts you can buy to make the calf opening bigger. In the meantime, stretch a lot!
  • lucky2beinlove
    lucky2beinlove Posts: 32
    I don't know how tight they are...if they fit, but are just too difficult to put on, here's one trick you can try: get 2 plastic grocery bags, one for each foot/leg, put em on like socks. Then get some powder in your boots, make sure it coats the inside. Now, put the boots on! The plastic and powder will make it super slippery and they may slide on.

    Of course, this only works if they are a little too tight to pull up, not completely too small. (as a horse person you may already know this, sorry of I'm stating something you already tried!)

    I actually hadn't try this.. must give it a go!
  • lucky2beinlove
    lucky2beinlove Posts: 32
    I can FINALLY wear non-wide boots! Yayyy.....

    I jog, walk, lift weights, and my calves look damn good. But then I have also lost weight. I think it's a combination of ALL that!

    Aw congrats:)
  • lucky2beinlove
    lucky2beinlove Posts: 32
    How small are they? There are zipper inserts you can buy to make the calf opening bigger. In the meantime, stretch a lot!

    Unfortunately they don't have zippers :( thanks for the idea though!
  • irunforcookies
    irunforcookies Posts: 111 Member
    Just to give you some hope - I can now wear all the boots! I have always had to search for the 1 or 2 boots that would fit my calves, and I wasn't really that overweight (maybe 15 lbs). I've just always had big calves. Genetics. I have been running and doing HIIT for 5 months, and my calves have shrunk almost an inch around! There really is no way to spot reduce, so just focus on your overall fitness, and I'm sure it will all work out. I am loving my skinny jeans tucked into my new boots so much!
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    Oh something else to consider...cut down on sodium, and make sure you hydrate. This will prevent you from retaining water, which will help a little. You've got a few weeks right? Maybe between this, discipline in your caloric intake, and the plastic bag trick, you'll get em on when you need to.
  • Dgadd17
    Dgadd17 Posts: 49 Member
    I decided to google this, as it rang a bell for me, since I used to work for a horse magazine. Apparently, it's a far more common problem than you might think. I found three promising links that might actually help you stretch out the boots just a little.

    http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-227556.html

    http://thedevilwearsballetflats.wordpress.com/tag/stretching-boot-calves/

    http://www.wikihow.com/Stretch-Leather-Boots

    I hope one of these helps you until you can get the calves where you want them. :) (And this is why I don't wear high boots myself! lol)
  • Okapi42
    Okapi42 Posts: 495 Member
    A somewhat more comfortable variant of the plastic bag approach is sheer nylon stockings *over* your trousers. That helps get them on and off. I used that for years with tall boots; now I use jodhpur boots and half chaps or full chaps. Maybe compression socks, to help reduce your calves a little? Just make sure it won't make them cramp up when you ride.
  • MizSookeh
    MizSookeh Posts: 106 Member
    Thanks for this post! I'm not a horse rider, but loveloveLOVE tall boots. I've been making do with a big pair of Docs that both lace and zip so I can loosen them up if needed, but looking forward to getting back into something a bit sleeker and sexier. :happy:
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    Lucky those of you who can wear them. Even at my smallest (US size 6 in pants) I was never able to wear normal tall boots. My calves are just too muscular. It is just the way I am built.
  • lucky2beinlove
    lucky2beinlove Posts: 32
    Oh something else to consider...cut down on sodium, and make sure you hydrate. This will prevent you from retaining water, which will help a little. You've got a few weeks right? Maybe between this, discipline in your caloric intake, and the plastic bag trick, you'll get em on when you need to.

    Only about 2.5 weeks :(
  • lucky2beinlove
    lucky2beinlove Posts: 32
    I decided to google this, as it rang a bell for me, since I used to work for a horse magazine. Apparently, it's a far more common problem than you might think. I found three promising links that might actually help you stretch out the boots just a little.

    http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-227556.html

    http://thedevilwearsballetflats.wordpress.com/tag/stretching-boot-calves/

    http://www.wikihow.com/Stretch-Leather-Boots

    I hope one of these helps you until you can get the calves where you want them. :) (And this is why I don't wear high boots myself! lol)

    Some of these seem kinda dangerous for the leather o.o like rubbing alcohol?? yikes. thanks though. :)
  • lucky2beinlove
    lucky2beinlove Posts: 32
    A somewhat more comfortable variant of the plastic bag approach is sheer nylon stockings *over* your trousers. That helps get them on and off. I used that for years with tall boots; now I use jodhpur boots and half chaps or full chaps. Maybe compression socks, to help reduce your calves a little? Just make sure it won't make them cramp up when you ride.

    Compression socks?? I didn't know those exist. I'm definitely going to have to look into them!!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    you could always crisco them...
  • grentea
    grentea Posts: 96 Member
    Can you try to stretch the boots? That would probably be the easiest thing. I have chunky legs and I've never been able to wear tall boots. It is on my to do list for the fall to find some that will fit!
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  • katorihanzo
    katorihanzo Posts: 234 Member
    I used to have this same problem. I bought a pair of boots today that zip up and they fit PERFECTLY. I've lost 25 lbs and seriously haven't worked out at all (not saying that proudly, I gotta get into it). But I think this has more to do with losing weight than any kind of spot-exercise. I never had anything I'd call "fat" calves but they were too big to fit comfortably into tall boots. Not anymore! Work out and eat at a deficit and you can lose 4-8 lbs in a month. That'll help.
  • lucky2beinlove
    lucky2beinlove Posts: 32
    Caloric deficit + Squats & Deadlifts

    What are deadlifts?
  • KathleenMurry
    KathleenMurry Posts: 448 Member
    You're right...spot reducing isn't possible. I'm one of those people who stores most of her fat in her legs. I've always had big calves and I used to blame it on competitive riding and hockey.

    In the last few months, each of my calves have gone down a couple inches (but so has the rest of me). At 16% body fat, I can finally wear boots and get skinny jeans on. I don't think it matters much what kind of exercise you're doing, as long as you're eating at a calorie deficit to shrink. You'll just likely notice the difference in your upper body first. While I'm a healthy body fat, I look like I'm 13-14% body fat from the waist up and 20% body fat from the waist down. It's weird. Just keep burning dem calories and be patient.
  • lucky2beinlove
    lucky2beinlove Posts: 32
    Can you try to stretch the boots? That would probably be the easiest thing. I have chunky legs and I've never been able to wear tall boots. It is on my to do list for the fall to find some that will fit!

    I've considered stretching them... but I've heard of good and bad results. Not sure I wanna take the risk??
  • Hydrowallets
    Hydrowallets Posts: 1
    Take the boots to a cobbler. Providing they are leather, they can stretch them on a machine.

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