Will My legs every get slimmer ?
connorlauren3638
Posts: 76 Member
Replies
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8lb down im these pics but my legs still look heavy ! Will
They eventually slim down if I continue eating at a calorie defecit ?0 -
Ps it's been 2 weeks and 5 days that ive been back calorie counting0
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8lbs and three weeks isn't very long at all. What were you hoping, to have lean legs already? You have a lovely shape but your legs are one of the places you hold most of your fat so they're just going to take a lot longer to lean out. I'm the same position. Patience and time.7
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Okies x1
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It takes a while for legs to look leaner or whatever is the person's particular problem area. I know I lose from boobs, arms & neck first and legs & tummy last.
Congrats on 8 pounds lost already! But I must say that much in that short a time period means it's likely a lot is water weight loss which doesn't make a huge difference to body shape the way losing 8 pounds of body fat would.
Just be patient and keep going, great start!!
Also are you exercising too or just counting calories? I find strength training & hiit cardio to be very helpful for fat loss and preserving muscle, along with consuming adequate protein.3 -
Ye doing cardio and the odd body pump but I worry I will bulk doing weights0
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you won't bulk doing weights, you will get slim and sexy!3
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Women don't bulk easily, at all, takes a lot of effort and a lot of food. And muscles take up way less space than fat, they're a good thing!5
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tcunbeliever is absolutely right! You can't bulk, you're female. Keep with a calorie deficit, and start lifting. Your shape will improve, although much of that is determined by your genetics. So you may not get the legs you want, but you'll improve your body overall. You won't regret it, believe me.3
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OP- You can't gain muscle and and you won't look bulky by eating at a calorie deficit. It's impossible. Secondly, you can't spot reduce. That's impossible too. Try not to focus on the ascetics of weight-loss at this point. Focus on building better habits that will set you up for success to a better life style. Everything else falls into place. I will say, weight lifting is a personal choice, however it will change your body composition better than just cardio and diet alone.2
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Weights don't bulk you. That's a myth. Especially in a caloric deficit it's almost impossible to actually gain muscle but it will help you retain the muscle you do have and tone. Strength workouts also create an afterburn effect so you burn calories not just during your workout like with cardio but also for hours or days after. Having muscle keeps your metabolism higher, promotes fat loss, and has health benefits too.
If you don't train your muscles and/or eat too little protein you risk losing muscle while in a caloric deficit- you could even end up losing more muscle than fat and just end up with that "skinny fat" look, you don't want that.
Don't be afraid to do weight training/strength exercises. The only way you'll end up looking bulky is if you gain fat and muscle and the only way that will happen is by doing weight training while also eating in a caloric surplus (over maintenance)3 -
Ok thanks peeps0
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One more question .... Will spin classes make my legs bulky ???0
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connorlauren3638 wrote: »One more question .... Will spin classes make my legs bulky ???
No. Again, you are in a calorie deficit. You CAN NOT get bulky.11 -
short of steroids, there's very little you can do to make your legs bulky...the more muscle you build in your legs, the leaner they will appear as muscle is more compact than fat...4
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Nothing will make your legs bulky while you are losing weight. I swear. Lift weights, do spin classes, run, sprint. Your legs will not get bulky and as your weight goes down you will fall more and more in love with your legs. Unfortunately our bodies are all different and the weight comes off where it comes off. I'm getting to the point where my abs are starting to poke through but my pesky love handles are still hanging around.
Just give it time and be consistent day in and day out. Be thinking 3 months from now not 3 weeks.5 -
I like this example I found recently online- this girl actually weighs more in the photo on the right but LOOKS slimmer because she has more muscle and less fat. The look on the left is the cardio only type results, the right is more like strength and hiit cardio type results.
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I always find it disturbing that women, who have a fraction of the muscle-building potential of men, worry about getting "bulky".
As if women were going to put on stabs of muscle, after a few months of work, practically overnight.
Not gonna happen.
Think about it & use some common sense:
If it was that easy then every guy in the gym could be running for Mr. Universe after a few years training...
Here is the reality:
An average woman would be doing well to put 10 or 12 pounds of muscle on in the entire first year of heavy weight lifting.
The potential muscle gain goes down by about half each succeeding year.
By the way, most men probably prefer you with more muscle unless he has self-esteem issues or maybe if you have more than him because of steroid use...
A lean, muscular woman looks far better to most men.
That is why I always advise women to do more weight training than cardio.
Get off the treadmill or bike and into the squat rack. No different than for a guy.
There are far more metabolic benefits to having more muscle also.
In particular, it makes it far easier to keep extra weight off...
Don't do Steady-State Cardio, do HIIT cardio instead.
Only do cardio after you lift or on days you don not lift.
No different than for a guy.
Regardless, you cannot spot reduce weight. It will come off your body whenever and where ever.
The only thing you have much control over is how fast it happens and what it looks like after it does.
Try "Thinner Leaner Stronger" or "StrongLifts5x5" and eat about 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat.
Source: I am a guy who finds women attractive. Other guys like me discuss what we find attractive in women.
Obligatory:
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And don't neglect that protein either- that's a big mistake I made in the beginning. All carbs and no protein makes for a poor physique.
Not sure if that's even an issue for you but since it was such a game changer for me I always like to mention it just in case.1 -
Maybe not in the way you may want them to. If you naturally carry most of your weigh in your hips you may have to lose more all over than you may like to get your hips/thighs as slim as you want. There is only so much change you can make to your natural shape.2
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I always find it disturbing that women, who have a fraction of the muscle-building potential of men, worry about getting "bulky".
As if women were going to put on stabs of muscle, after a few months of work, practically overnight.
It doesn't work like that.
Think about it, use some common sense:
If it did then every guy in the gym could be running for Mr. Universe after a few years training...
Here is the reality:
An average woman would be lucky to put 10 or 12 pounds of muscle on in the entire first year of heavy weight lifting.
The potential muscle gain goes down by about half each succeeding year.
By the way, most men probably prefer you with more muscle unless he has self-esteem issues or maybe if you have more than him because of steroid use...
A lean, muscular woman looks far better to most men.
That is why I always advise women to do more weight training than cardio.
Get off the treadmill or bike and into the squat rack.
There are far more metabolic benefits to more muscle also - like it is far easier to keep extra weight off!
Regardless, you cannot spot reduce weight. It will come off your body whenever and where ever.
The only thing you have much control over is how fast it happens and what it looks like after it does.
Try "Thinner Leaner Stronger" or "StrongLifts5x5" and eat about 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat.
Source: I am a guy who finds women attractive. Other guys like me discuss what we find attractive in women.
Obligatory:
This. All of this. Thank you. The struggle is real.4 -
courtneyfabulous wrote: »I like this example I found recently online- this girl actually weighs more in the photo on the right but LOOKS slimmer because she has more muscle and less fat. The look on the left is the cardio only type results, the right is more like strength and hiit cardio type results.
The tan doesn't hurt, either.
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I can only speak to my own experience: from about knees down, my legs DEFINITELY got slimmer after losing 60 lbs. From the knees up-- meh. I can see the differences in the shape of my lower thighs, but the closer you get to my butt-- not so much.1
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Exactly this.courtneyfabulous wrote: »I like this example I found recently online- this girl actually weighs more in the photo on the right but LOOKS slimmer because she has more muscle and less fat. The look on the left is the cardio only type results, the right is more like strength and hiit cardio type results.
The right side. Give me lean and muscular every time.
I don't care that she is 18 pounds heavier.
I care that she looks more fit, strong, confident and healthy.
For the sake of argument, let's say that is 18 lbs of muscle.
Does she look "bulky" to you?
Is that what women are worried about ending up like?
If that is the case then it seems like a nice problem to have, from the male perspective.
Wait... Maybe I should try it....
Ohh Noes!!! I don't want to end up bulky like Dwanye "The Rock" Johnson!!
Grrrr...
Didn't work.
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connorlauren3638 wrote: »One more question .... Will spin classes make my legs bulky ???
No1 -
I don't want to be rude but did you really think you'd see a difference in two weeks and eight pounds?3
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alyssa0061 wrote: »I don't want to be rude but did you really think you'd see a difference in two weeks and eight pounds?
Iv seen people expect faster. lol1 -
connorlauren3638 wrote: »One more question .... Will spin classes make my legs bulky ???
The only thing that will make your legs bulky (aside from getting fat) is taking anabolic steroids and YEARS of heavy weight lifting.
Here's a great article on the topic - including a frank discussion of why "getting bulky" isn't something a woman should worry about because it's simply not going to happen: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/workout-routines-for-women/1
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