Reducing calf size

xxriane
xxriane Posts: 3 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm female, 5'2" (159cm), 108lbs (49kg).

Measurements:
34-26-36
Thighs: 20in
Calves: 14in
Ankles: 8in

I've lost about 5kg during the past 3mos unintentionally since I've been eating way less at home compared to when I'm out. I didn't exercise at all (unless vacuuming the house everyday counts as one)

I measured my calves today & was surprised that my calves had gone down from 15in to 14 in.

Because of the 1in I had lost this time, and I must emphasise UNINTENTIONALLY, I've gained motivation to try and slim them down again.

I don't think I'd lose any more weight at my current daily calorie intake (1200-1400cal) and I don't particularly want to reduce them any further. Any helpful tips? I've tried power-walking, calf raises etc before but they only toned them but not really reduce them. My goal is to hopefully reduce them to 12in.

Replies

  • Mithridites
    Mithridites Posts: 600 Member
    You're probably walking less being at home. Spot reducing (of fat) is not a thing. More likely you lost muscle.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    I have to ask. Why do you care about the size? As long as they're visibly muscular and lean rather than bulbous, why would you want to intentionally cause muscular atrophy?
  • xxriane
    xxriane Posts: 3 Member
    Mithridites wrote: »
    You're probably walking less being at home. Spot reducing (of fat) is not a thing. More likely you lost muscle.

    Yikes. My whole body had slimmed down since I'm pear-shaped and I always lose fat on my calves last so I assumed it was fat, not muscles.
  • xxriane
    xxriane Posts: 3 Member
    jessef593 wrote: »
    I have to ask. Why do you care about the size? As long as they're visibly muscular and lean rather than bulbous, why would you want to intentionally cause muscular atrophy?

    Because they're not muscular. My BF percentage is around 24% last time I checked and a large part of it is from my thighs and calves.

    I want to reduce fat in my calves whether or not I gain muscle on that area. That was why I was doing cardio (power-walking) + exercises targeted on that area but I still couldn't lose fat on that area. That's why I'm asking here for any helpful tips that might work.
  • spyro88
    spyro88 Posts: 472 Member
    My understanding is you can't really target an area to lose fat from. You can only target an area to tone (e.g. with your calf exercises - they will most likely build muscle/ tone your calves). As someone else said, you prob lost muscle because you were exercising and walking less.

    The only way to lose fat is to have a calorie deficit and unfortunately you can't really choose where you lose it from! :s
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    You can have a high body fat % and have muscular legs depending on where your body stores fat. You can't spot reduce this just have to lose and hope eventually it picks there. That being said what happened is likely that you've lost muscle mass in that area and some fat but I'd wager more on muscle.
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    edited August 2020
    Double post sorry.
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