thighs/calves .........are they the bain of your life 2 ? HE

deetra
deetra Posts: 35 Member
edited December 17 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi ladies, wondering if they are any other women out there that are in a similar position to myself...............LOATHING their thighs and calves. I am not in a bad shape and i am fairly satisfied with my top half but no matter what i do i cannot loose weight from my most troublesome areas. i know you cannot spot reduce from certain areas but i have lost 14 kilos so far and only 2inches off my thighs so far and NOTHING off my calves...............looking for help or advice on what i can do !! Im 5'6 and currently 146 ish pounds, wondering what you girls reckon are the ideal size thighs (in inches) ?? PLEASE HELP NEED SOME ADVICE GOING INSANE !

Replies

  • NotGoddess
    NotGoddess Posts: 1,198 Member
    I don't loathe my legs but we have a troubled relationship. I rather like my calves. They are big, but muscular-I can see the outline of the muscles even when relaxed. My thighs on the other hand.... I wouldn't mind them but they just seem so out of proportion-I look bow-legged in my profile :)

    Walking and running has helped a lot. It's not spot reducing so much as spot-building. If you are able to walk/run I suggest trying the c25k program or just walking a lot at a brisk pace. If your leg muscles aren't in great shape they'll respond to this. You'll train your slow-twitch fibers...the muscle fibers that are strong but lean-e.g. it won't make your legs bigger. Losing body fat over-all will reduce the layer of fat on top and you'll start seeing results. They may still be a little bigger than you prefer but they'll start looking better and better.

    As for ideal sizes? I don't think there is one. So long as you look proportional, it doesn't matter. I've seen girls with bigger calves/thighs than me and they look great, and others that are smaller but look much bigger because of their height/shape.
  • deetra
    deetra Posts: 35 Member
    Thanks for your advice and help. For ages i havent been able to run or do alot of walking as I have some bad back problems but slowly slowly I have been upping the running and I am doing interval training which I think may be starting to work at last !! Its just such a nightmare !! I dont think i will ever get the legs i want ( id love skinny legs) but i tink if i cant get them to the size i want then at least i want to be able to tone them up to the best that they can be !! My legs are 22inches now and im aiming for 20 where possible !! Do you think it is realistic ?
  • deetra
    deetra Posts: 35 Member
    Also i have heard alot of conflicting advice that running and anything that pounds the ground will build muscle is this true ? or is running and walking the best thing to burn fat from legs and calves ?
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    Gosh, my thighs are 24" right now and I am not unhappy with them. I do run or do the arc trainer at the gym 6-7 days a week, so my legs get a great workout pretty much every day. I have great calves from the exercise I do and my thighs are starting to really firm up, though I still have some cellulite and fat on them. I have wide hips and shoulders and a small waist, so when I buy pants, they are almost always too big in my thighs.
  • deetra
    deetra Posts: 35 Member
    Yes that is my biggest problem that when i buy jeans or any trousers they never fit right. I always have to buy a size that fits my thighs and hips and so they never fit my waist properly and i end up having to wear a belt pulled ridiculously tight to keep them up thus making it impossible to wear a nice fitted top ! my legs certainly arent jelly and they are getting more toned and im starting to see definition, im just worried that i will end up with huge toned legs instead of skinny toned legs. Basically what im saying is i want to make sure that the running and interval training im doing wil help to slim my legs aswell as tone them, i do not want to build huge muscle ! Well done by the way on your weight lose and ur drive to go to the gym 6 days a week ! fair play to u !
  • Summersadiva
    Summersadiva Posts: 111 Member
    My calves are fine. But my thighs..ugh!! Even at my smallest, they are large. My boobs will shrink and my tummy will be near concave, but my thighs...thick.
  • NotGoddess
    NotGoddess Posts: 1,198 Member
    Look at a marathon runner vs a sprinter. The sprinter has large, powerful muscles, where the marathoner has long, lean ones. They both have muscles, but they've developed differently because of the type of work they are asked to do. Do a google search for slow twitch vs fast twitch muscles to get an idea of the difference.

    As for shrinking- my thighs were almost 22 and have shrunk to 20. I haven't lost muscle there, but fat. But the difference in appearance from normal muscles with puffy fat on them to stronger muscles with a smaller layer of fat is amazing (for me). Having the solid muscle underneath has made the legs look better, even if they aren't quite to the size I want them to be. I figure I'll lose at least another inch as my body fat lowers and I'll have the muscle underneath to make them look good.
  • deetra
    deetra Posts: 35 Member
    ah ok finally someone whos in the same boat as myself !! well at least im not the only one !! it is a nightmare !
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