Leg and Thigh fat, knee fat

KanCrav
KanCrav Posts: 439 Member
edited September 27 in Fitness and Exercise
I have always had THICK legs and I am ok with that. But now that I am loosing weight and I am more aware of my legs (especially when they hurt) I am concerned. My knees give me alot of pain. Sometimes they stop me from doing what I want to do. (Running, adding tension in spin class, squats things like that) The pain isnt ALL the time, so maybe I just need to buid up the muslce? I have been working out regularly for a few months now so I know my knees arent all that out of shape. Can someone help me? I want to loose my knee fat, my thighs and my calves. Oh another thing, my legs are pretty solid, I am scared that they are just going to get muscly and buff... I DONT WANT THAT!~!

Replies

  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    me too! curious to see answers!
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
    bump
  • Mustangsally1000
    Mustangsally1000 Posts: 854 Member
    I don't think it matters how much weight i lose...I'm never gonna have great legs. Not even good legs. One of those genetic things
    (from where, i don't know..both parents had great legs!) i can't do anything about. Dang it!
  • lil_missfit
    lil_missfit Posts: 565 Member
    BUMP
  • KanCrav
    KanCrav Posts: 439 Member
    swykes.... I will not take that for an answer!~!~!~! We can find something to do with our legs to make them at least OK,,,, I know we can... someone will help us!~!

    Right??? Is someone going to save us??? We want to wear shorts and not scare little children!~!~! Hellp~!
  • numi79
    numi79 Posts: 13
    I am bottom heavy too, big thighs, knees, calves... ugh. I have some muscle but I've lost so much weight that a lot of mine is skin with some fat. I do not want to bulk my legs with muscle either, my trainer recommended spinning class and I must say I have seen a difference, pluse I burn like 700 calories in an hour. Crazy class but so worth it.. Unfortunately calves are very hard to slim down, you have to walk a fine line of not bulking them up with muscle, so low weight calve exercises (with your own body resistance) are the best.

    Good luck! :)
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    If the pain is in your knees, especially if it is happening when you exercise, you might want to consider visiting a doctor and seeing if there is any join issue (i.e. arthritis). Having been overweight may increase risk, as can prior injury. If it is arthritis, the doctor can recommend exercises that won't make it worse, and possibly suggest pain management.

    I have knee and hip problems from being in gymnastics. Some days I'm perfectly fine, others not so much. I try to listen to my body - if an exercise is making my knee or hip hurt, I will really watch my form to make sure I'm doing it correctly (I should all the time, really), and then if I need to back off a bit, I will.

    As far as toning legs, lunges and squats are the most efficient way. The machines all work those same muscles, but only one at a time, where the lunges and squats can work the whole muscle group and once. Go slow and pay attention to form. Especially focus on pushing up through your heel and feeling it in your glutes and hamstrings (back of your thigh) rather than quads (front). A good place to start is with a medium exercise ball against the wall. Start it lower on your back so as you roll down it rolls up your back. Step out enough from the wall so you're really sitting in the squat, and knees are not going over your toes (the ball helps you with this). Take 2-3 seconds in the downward motion, hold for 2-3 sec, and then 2-3 sec going back up, but not quite to straight legs. Repeat 10 times for one set. Do three sets. (I wouldn't worry too much about bulking up, that's part of the benefit of going slow and not adding extra weight, plus doing lots of reps. As your body builds muscle, and you continue to do cardio and eat right, the fat will go away and you'll look more trim. Never like Twiggy, but who wants that!)
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
    Lose fat...

    I hate that answer too! My problem area is my tummy but for those last strongholds you can do exercises that will strengthen the muscle and help it look better, no doubt, but you can't lose fat from them that way. You just need to lower your overall BF% and as you go down you see will see it in your legs.

    Also, weight training is key to both toning and losing fat. Don't go easy on yourself either!
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    The very best exercise for legs are squats using HEAVY weights (barbell or dumbbells). When doing squats and lunges proper form is crucial to avoid knee injury. When squatting or lunging, make sure your torso remains straight, chest is lifted and you're dropping straight down so your knee remains over the middle of your foot. NEVER let your knee go over the toes. Stand back up using your heels, not the ball of your foot. There are many videos online showing proper form. Check out youtube or bodybuilding.com.
    Edit: women will NOT "bulk up" unless they take steroids. It's very difficult for women to add muscle mass and nearly impossible when operating at a calorie deficit.
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    First of all, genetics does play a part. I've always said that I'm so glad I have my dad's legs and not my mom's. Her's were like fence posts. Just straight. However, she never in her life did a weighted squat or anything like that. My dad's are nice and muscular and curvy. Lucky for me, that's how mine are.

    Secondly, the more weight you lose, the better your legs will look. Listen to me - you will NOT bulk up! If you are losing fat and then building muscle eventually, unless you take steriods, as a female you will NOT bulk up.

    The pain may be caused by incorrect form of whatever exercise you are doing. This may just my coaching point of view coming out, but with exercise and working out, there's pain. That's just the facts. If you feel like it's more severe than just a bump in the road, go to the dr and get checked out.

    While you may be focused on losing fat right now, lifting weights (heavy!) will transform your body. Not doing a body weight squat, but doing one with quite a bit of added weight will do wonders for your lower body. Leg presses- wow! Weighted lunges - oh yeah!
  • getfitdiva
    getfitdiva Posts: 1,148 Member
    RUN!!! I always had big legs but lost 2 inches around my thigh from running. I also do lots of squats and lunges w/ weights (Jillian Michaels Shred & Shredding It w/ Weights). If you have big legs enjoy them and make them muscular - a bonus is you lose inches.

    I know you have knee problems maybe get them checked out to see if it's a good idea to run.
  • riley711
    riley711 Posts: 298 Member
    bump
  • Mayor_West
    Mayor_West Posts: 246 Member
    Keep in mind that your body composition, whether it's muscular or skinny, lean or fat, depends on two things: diet and genetics. So, if you don't eat like a bodybuilder, you won't look like one, and your genetic makeup will impact this as well.

    As for your knee issue, see a doctor. Since I'm not an orthopedist I can't determine the cause of, let alone a solution for, your knee pain. I will say, however, that I've experienced some pain and tendinitis in my knee in the past, which I've remedied using a few different methods. First, I started taking glucosamine with MSM, which does help somewhat. Second, I use knee wraps or bands when I do my leg workouts, which helps keep the knees warm and stable. Third, and probably most importantly, I took a long, hard look at my form on all of my lifts. Not surprisingly, making adjustments to my form has made a world of difference for me.
  • snowflakelaia
    snowflakelaia Posts: 214
    Running, swimming, squats with weights, kicks, and stretching will help get rid of the fat. However, if you don't eat healthy stuff, no matter how much you work out, you won't get rid of it...

    the more processed foods (carbs and sugars) you eat, the worse for your leg, thigh and knee fat.

    It's normal that your knees hurt if you're doing high-impact exercises when you still have a lot of weight to lose. Form is more important than lifting weights, and probably at the beginning, just your body weight is effort enough for the body to be lifting up.
  • kelligonzales
    kelligonzales Posts: 391
    You can tone your legs and they will look wonderful, as for them hurting.... It could be the extra weight you have and it's hard for you knees i know that is the case with me. you have to work through the pain on that... the bettter shape you get in the better they will feel. but i also this you should consult your doctor to make sure you haven't pulled something or twisted it...
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    I've shared this before on a different thread, but I'll repeat it here. My sister was a competitive wrestler in high school. She trained several hours a day and ate a very strict diet. She competed at the 112 weight class at 5'4" tall. Her bottom size was a size 4 which seems small until you consider that her top was a size 00 ... She looked terribly mismatched and her legs looked really fat while the rest of her body looked extremely thin. You could see every muscle in her torso and arms. She looked like a teeny tiny body builder on top, but her legs looked like someone who had never stepped foot inside a gym. Nobody could figure it out.

    Now we know the problem was lipedema. Which is basically a medical term for "big fat legs that are never going to go away" It can also effect your butt and lower abdomen.

    If you have lipedema you can lose some of the fat in your legs but not all of it. Women who DON'T have lipedema can lose weight evenly and get great legs even if they used to be fat. Women who DO have lipedema can't do this. It is genetic. I have a pretty severe case and I've made it worse by weight cycling. You can't really tell that I have it because I am also fat all over, but my two sisters you can tell very easily because they are smaller on top. (the former wrestler is now a size 2-4 on top and 6 on bottom and another sister is a size 12 on top and 18 on bottom)

    I'm not saying that having lipedema is an excuse for being fat... but if you have lost all the weight you can, but can't seem to lose that "stubborn" fat on your legs or butt, there may be a reason for it.
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