the THICKEST calves

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KatieLK14
KatieLK14 Posts: 90 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am bred of short, stocky people with thick calves. I want leaner calves. HELP
(the word calves no longer makes sense after having written it so many times)

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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Do you still have fat to lose?
  • KatieLK14
    KatieLK14 Posts: 90 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    Do you still have fat to lose?

    want to lose about 5 more lbs.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    pic?
  • EmmaFitzwilliam
    EmmaFitzwilliam Posts: 482 Member
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    I have similar genetics, and I say this with deepest compassion.

    Make peace with your body.

    When you lose weight, some things will slim, but your general body shape will not change.

    One of my biggest mistakes with earlier diets was thinking that I would get slim calves, and other dramatic body changes.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited February 2015
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    enmouvement wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Do you still have fat to lose?

    want to lose about 5 more lbs.

    Meh. Your calves might get thinner, might not. I've lost 27 pounds, I'm almost down to 135 and my calves are still 15 and a half inches thick.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,683 Member
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    Muscular/thick calves usually are genetic and if someone has been very overweight/obese for a good amount of time, the excess weight cause hypertrophy in the calves. Only way to slim them down at that point would be to cause atrophy and that involves not using them at all for a pretty long period of time. In others words, basically going around in a wheelchair.
    There really is no other way to slim them down that much at this point.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    Almost no one is looking at your calves, promise. Maybe wear platforms if it bugs you.
  • Codilee87
    Codilee87 Posts: 509 Member
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    Learn to love 'em - you might be damn grateful for those thick calves one day ;)
  • llUndecidedll
    llUndecidedll Posts: 724 Member
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    I just say accept them. And as someone who's always had big calves I disagree with the statement that no one is looking at your calves. Over the years I've received a good amount of comments on having big legs. So many people thought I was somewhat athletic in high school/college that I just started lying and said I was.

    I'm hoping to lose an inch or two off of mine since I have about a hundred lbs to lose. I'm 5'6, 230 lbs with 17.75 inch calves. I've learned to accept them. Besides they're not my least favorite body part.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,683 Member
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    Emily Bett Rickards has "thick" lower legs and is considered one of the sexiest females on television right now. She's learned how to use them to her advantage. Loving me some Felicity Smoak on "Arrow".

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • snarlingcoyote
    snarlingcoyote Posts: 399 Member
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    My husband was raised on a farm. He is quite fond of the innocent little double entendre uttered by Burt Reynolds in Smokey & The Bandit. "Cowboys like girls with big calves." It's quite true too, by the way, and my calves, although thick with running, not riding a horse, are, well, appreciated by my husband. He IS a cowboy in his heart, I suppose.

    Enjoy your calves!
  • 00figg
    00figg Posts: 111 Member
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    this is somewhat dishearthening, lol. i always dreamed that when i reached my goal weight that i would have slimmer calves. yet here i am, oh so very close, and i still have to buy 'wide calf' tall boots. oh well, i am okay with taking the good with the not so good. :smiley:
  • Codilee87
    Codilee87 Posts: 509 Member
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    00figg wrote: »
    this is somewhat dishearthening, lol. i always dreamed that when i reached my goal weight that i would have slimmer calves. yet here i am, oh so very close, and i still have to buy 'wide calf' tall boots. oh well, i am okay with taking the good with the not so good. :smiley:

    You can try 'calf-specific' strength training. They could get tighter and more compact if you focus on them - but they may also get larger and more muscular lol
  • MamaRiss
    MamaRiss Posts: 481 Member
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    I've lost over 50 pounds now, and I've lost a grand total of one inch off each calf, bringing them down to about 14inches. I used to think they were huge, but in the 11 months I've been on MFP I've learned that 14-15 is pretty much average.

    I don't think losing 5 pounds will do much to change the size of your calves
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Calves are very genetic. Some people have calves. Some people have bulls. Embrace them.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
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    I didn't measure my calves at my highest weight, but at 247 my calves were 16.5 inches and I had a hard time finding tall boots to fit. Now, at 179 they are 15.5 inches. So 68 pounds resulted in only a one inch loss, and the last .25 inches just happened two weeks ago! Even my forearms lost more than that. LOL!

    I doubt they will get much smaller. I am still 8 pounds overweight, and want to lose another 20 or 30 pounds, but the calves probably won't move much. I'm 5'10, skinny calves would look terrible on me so i'm fine with that.

    Even at 15.75 I was finally able to fit into most tall boots and I love my legs...even at my highest weight I would routinely get compliments on them. Big calves are not a bad thing.
  • sfbaumgarten
    sfbaumgarten Posts: 912 Member
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    I've always had thicker calves... I was a little surprised that at 130 lbs (5'5") that I still have to try on regular and extended calf boots when I shop. Extended mostly seem too big now, but regular can be VERY snug. Skinny jeans are also very snug on my calves.

    My opinion- It just is what it is. Shopping is really the only time I notice it. Oh, and sometimes I have to sort of stretch and loosen up my skinny jeans after I wash/dry them. Typical girl problems.

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