At what weight/bmi will my thighs stop being fat? Taking bets

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bendyourkneekatie
bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So after gaining a couple kgs over the last year I’m back at calorie counting, mfp is giving me 1200 calories and I’m eating roughly 50% exercise calories (I’m a distance runner, exercise calories can be huge). Since I’m back on the weight loss train I’ve decided that rather than an arbitrary number, my goal will be to finally eliminate the body fat I hate and that just won’t seem to shift: my thighs.
I’ve hated my legs since I was 8. I feel with the amount I run I deserve legs I like.
So I’m gonna stick at this till my thighs shrink or I hit an underweight bmi, whichever comes first (as in, I’m not gonna go into the underweight bmi range for this). What I wonder is, how low do I need to go?
My bmi is currently 20.85. My lowest bmi has been 19.9
I’m guessing I’m going to need to hit the bottom of 19 to see improvement.
Has anyone else had success getting rid of that one area that just won’t go? I’d really like to reduce chafing, wobbling, and not feel self conscious in running shorts finally. And maybe fit pants without them falling off my non-existent hips or squeezing my thighs ridiculously.
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Replies

  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    I noticed my first weight loss on my fingers - I can wear my wedding band again! Now I wonder if my pinky - toe is next. I don't think you can hope for weight loss in a specific area - unless you choose serious fat / skin removal surgery or lose a limb.
  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 978 Member
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    There are various factors that will effect how big your thighs are. Genetics and ethnicity are a large part of that. When you already pretty light, chances are that you will just have thighs that look like that and you probably will never be happy with how they look. I hate to say it, but I just can't face seeing someone setting themselves up for disappointment like that.
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
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    I agree with Sardelsa. You need to build muscle! Too much cardio with little/no resistance training will give us flabby looking legs. It’s not about weight, it’s about body composition. Start lifting weights 3 times a week. I was 126lbs when I was a teenager and I had a flabby body. Now I’m 152 lbs and I’m way more ‘toned’ if that’s the word women like to use. I’m aiming to lose 22 lbs of fat to reveal more of this nice muscle. Also you might want to look into body dismorphia. From the picture your body looks totally fine!
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    I agree with Sardelsa. You need to build muscle! Too much cardio with little/no resistance training will give us flabby looking legs. It’s not about weight, it’s about body composition. Start lifting weights 3 times a week. I was 126lbs when I was a teenager and I had a flabby body. Now I’m 152 lbs and I’m way more ‘toned’ if that’s the word women like to use. I’m aiming to lose 22 lbs of fat to reveal more of this nice muscle. Also you might want to look into body dismorphia. From the picture your body looks totally fine!

    Yep, to get the legs you want, you need to put in some serious weight training on your lower half. Running isn't going to do it.
  • kgb6days
    kgb6days Posts: 880 Member
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    I carry my highest fat percentage on my thighs. Always have - and unless I have it sucked out I always will. Even when I am nearly underweight. The only thing that helps me is building the muscle in my thighs with weight training. It will help your running too
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
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    I agree with others have said above. Losing weight will not make you any happier with your legs. Weight training will build muscle to make them look more defined. If it is a thigh gap you are going for, that is just not practical for some women. As another member of the thick thigh club, through lifting I have learned to love more what my body can do that what it looks like.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
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    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    I know you didn't mention it but this post made me think of other posts people have about wanting the "thigh gap". I have not had a "thigh gap" even when I was underweight in the past. Some people have more narrow hips, making their legs appear not as slim as others. I have learned to accept my shape. You may be able to get the look you want without being underweight, but just keep in mind some people can never achieve the "thigh gap stick leg" look due to hip width. (I know that may not be exactly what you mean by thin legs, but I am just using it as an example)

    And from the opposite perspective - I do have a 'thigh gap', even though my BMI is around 24 and I carry my weight in my thighs. But I also have wide hips, so my thighs are just further apart to start with!

    (...and I have collarbones so prominent I can actually tuck my fingers behind them to hold my arms in place when I'm doing crunches, and you can count my upper ribs, and yet I still have fat on my thighs, stomach and bum. That is just the way my fat distribution goes; my mother's is the same.)
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,476 Member
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    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    I noticed my first weight loss on my fingers - I can wear my wedding band again! Now I wonder if my pinky - toe is next. I don't think you can hope for weight loss in a specific area - unless you choose serious fat / skin removal surgery or lose a limb.

    This. I have a near-six-pack at a BMI of 21.6-ish... my ribs and collarbones show big time. And I carry all my weight on my thighs. if I wanted slim legs... well.. I had a BMI of 19.5 at one point in the past. It just didn't happen.

    I know you didn't mention it but this post made me think of other posts people have about wanting the "thigh gap". I have not had a "thigh gap" even when I was underweight in the past. Some people have more narrow hips, making their legs appear not as slim as others. I have learned to accept my shape. You may be able to get the look you want without being underweight, but just keep in mind some people can never achieve the "thigh gap stick leg" look due to hip width. (I know that may not be exactly what you mean by thin legs, but I am just using it as an example)

    I actually do have a bit of a thigh gap. But as you say: because I have a very wide pelvis. Still my padding sits on my thighs. A massive amount on the inside, and also quite a bit on the outside. Front and back are fairly ok though :D Nothing I can do about it. It's just what it is.
  • BuffMom84
    BuffMom84 Posts: 180 Member
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    Um, if that's really you in your profile picture, I don't think you have anything to worry about! My legs have been big my whole life (because of my dad) and I learned by now that there's no way they're ever going to look how I want them to. However by doing squats, deadlifts, etc. I can make them stronger and less jiggly at least. Everyone has something on their body they don't like. Also, I didn't know "thigh gap" was still a trend. That's so 2004!
  • endermako
    endermako Posts: 785 Member
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    You can't spot reduce. You are already at a healthy bmi, my recommendation is to do a recomp

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