Discouraged over thighs - Page 2

Lannette · 07-19-17, 01:49 PM

Congratulations on your weight loss! I actually think you look great but I respect your feelings and goals.

First off, weight loss often leaves women who carry more weight in their lower body (I do!) looking disproportionately smaller on top but over time the difference may even out.

Second of all I actually DON'T recommend adding anything with a lower leg emphasis to your plan. I can't help wondering if the steady diet of leg assaulting WOs isn't causing your legs to stay bigger than they might if you gave them recovery in between leg days.

Lastly, If you don't enjoy Callanetics I'd ditch it. In her books Callan states that isolating one part of the body to the exclusion of the rest doesn't work anyway. I'm not saying that doing her Quick DVDs or Lacey's Express WOs isn't a good thing. I just think you'd be better off not having it be your only Callanetics. Even her ab work targets the legs when your form is deep.

Good luck with whatever you decide to try. It doesn't seem like goal is too far off.

desie · 07-19-17, 02:03 PM

I think you are beautifully in proportion exactly as you are, give your thighs a hug. The picture suggests great muscle tone and strength. You might be able to eat fewer calories (every day, forever), to get one inch smaller, if there is a little too high overall body fat BUT the proportions will not change as the waist and hips will slim out at the same rate as the thighs. Trust me, you will be dissatisfied until you reconsider that you have an ideal curvy figure and always have had this. Most clothes don't fit the hourglass, every hourglass woman is a very picky shopper because of this. If you are just buying clothes off the rack, chances are you're buying the size so that it fits your shoulders/thighs and is way too big everywhere else!

blueskies · 07-19-17, 02:41 PM

I agree with mostly everything Lannette said above, especially the parts about weight loss for women carrying most of their weight in the lower body, and definitely not overemphasizing leg workouts.

Like you, I'm pear shaped, and found that my lower body really started slimming down once I hit <20% body fat. Right now, I'm 5'5", less than 115 pounds, and have 15-16% body fat. I did this mostly with controlling my food intake (PM for details; I've shared my plan with many VFers over the past year and a half) and cutting way back on my workouts. My workouts consist of 10K daily steps and an extremely short (less than 15 minutes) daily total body routine that I developed based on my years of working out and experimenting with which exercises work best for my body.

Ironically, it was when I cut down my workout time and stopped hitting the legs hard that I got the results in my lower body that I wanted. The trick is to find that personal sweet spot that works your lower body enough but not too much.

From my own experience, I will say that directly working on the inner and outer thighs tended to widen my legs in all the wrong places. Focusing more on exercises that tighten and lift the glutes really "pulled in" my legs without widening the thighs. Exercises such as rear leg lifts and bridgework work well for me--maybe give these a try?

KathyW · 07-19-17, 03:07 PM

I have a very similar body shape, and my thighs have always bummed me out, no matter what weight I am or fitness level I'm at. That said, I think you look great in the photo you posted, and congratulations on all that you've achieved!

I don't have workout advice for you, but just wanted to jump in and say that your figure will be fabulous in fit and flare dresses. Perhaps a maxi dress that's kind of tank top-like on top with a flowy skirt. And wrap dresses would be great, too. (I love Leota - which you can buy from their website or through Nordstrom, and Boden for flattering dresses. And Nordstrom also carries a few other brands with perfect dresses for us pears - Eliza J, Maggy London, and Ellen Tracy off the top of my head!)

Jeanne Marie · 07-19-17, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueskies

From my own experience, I will say that directly working on the inner and outer thighs tended to widen my legs in all the wrong places. Focusing more on exercises that tighten and lift the glutes really "pulled in" my legs without widening the thighs. Exercises such as rear leg lifts and bridgework work well for me--maybe give these a try?

This was what I was going to suggest. I am a completely different body type, but I do personal training twice a week. Thursdays are leg/lower body, and we do LOTS of glute work. (Hip thrusters, rear leg lifts with weights on ankles, squats, lunges, leg curls, sumo squats with heavy weight...) I've seen it slim the thighs of the women who do the same thing I do. And bonus... it makes your glutes look awesome too!

Pat58 · 07-19-17, 03:20 PM

Well I think you look FABULOUS. I have heard that after a weight loss it just takes time and staying dedicated to your workouts, and you will see improvements that you desire.

Congratulations on your hard work!

Lucky Star · 07-19-17, 03:28 PM

Congratulations on your achievement!
As Lannette mentioned, you may be overbuilding your leg muscles by working them every day. I'd do lots of walking and reduce strength training to 2-3 days a week. Perhaps your quads are overdeveloped; rest and letting the muscles atrophy slightly could give you slimmer legs.

I do think you look great though, fwiw. Good luck!

poohpeggy · 07-19-17, 04:01 PM

I can only answer what has worked for me. I find Cathe Kick Max Leg Drills and her other standing barre type exercises for legs, very defining for my thighs. I also find all her floor work very slimming. To the Mat, PLB Floor, B&G Floor, L&G all. Gym Legs Floor, GG and LL& Abs have great floor work. There are more I probably forgot about. Cathe disc and band work is also good!

I've lost a lot of weight slowly and have extra skin and these still have worked wonderfully for me. The key for myself, is not to use heavy weight for defining the legs as in floor & barre work. I do it at least 4x a week. I just tack it on at the end with abs.

I use heavy weight to build muscle for my legs when I feel they need it.

I would just try new things and see if it works for you. Everyone is different. I also second the spinning. I bike everywhere, so I see where that would work nicely with floor work.

One more thing, Kick Boxing workouts are good for me also. I feel the jiggle on my legs while kicking

toaster · 07-19-17, 04:15 PM

flight301, I feel your pain! I think you look great in your photo too, BUT I understand all too well what it is like to honestly feel good overall about your weight and your body but still feel frustrated that one part of you feels very out of proportion. I am very similar to you, just a little shorter--I say 5'5", but I'm probably just shy of that--and correspondingly a bit lighter, around 140 (which is a little on the high side for me). Like you, if I lose much more weight (for me, it's going under around 130), it looks weird on me, as it all comes off my torso, and my ribs start poking through.

So right now, I have well-defined arms, a slim torso, a relatively small waist, and fairly muscular legs. But like you, my thighs are big, and even more so, my BUTT is out of proportion to the rest of me!

Seriously, I have a major J-Lo thing going on here. I've tried various things over the years, but I haven't seen any significant changes. I have come to believe that short of liposuction (which I'm certainly not planning to get!), there's not much I can do. Most of the time I can accept/ignore it, but can be a little discouraging when I see photos of myself from behind. I'm attaching a photo too to show you that you are not alone.

toaster · 07-19-17, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueskies

Like you, I'm pear shaped, and found that my lower body really started slimming down once I hit <20% body fat. Right now, I'm 5'5", less than 115 pounds, and have 15-16% body fat. I did this mostly with controlling my food intake (PM for details; I've shared my plan with many VFers over the past year and a half) and cutting way back on my workouts. My workouts consist of 10K daily steps and an extremely short (less than 15 minutes) daily total body routine that I developed based on my years of working out and experimenting with which exercises work best for my body.

I don't mean to hijack the OP's thread, but this might be related. Rebecca, I'm curious about how you got your body fat so low--not necessarily just about the diet part (although I would welcome receiving a PM from you about that!) but regarding how you are still able to have a nice shape with lower body fat. It seems that the OP and I have both had the issue of losing weight and having this look unattractive. I've never been able to to just lose the excess body fat from the "pear" parts of my body; it's never seemed possible before even though I've never been overweight.

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07-19-17, 01:49 PM
Lannette Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NH	Congratulations on your weight loss! I actually think you look great but I respect your feelings and goals. First off, weight loss often leaves women who carry more weight in their lower body (I do!) looking disproportionately smaller on top but over time the difference may even out. Second of all I actually DON'T recommend adding anything with a lower leg emphasis to your plan. I can't help wondering if the steady diet of leg assaulting WOs isn't causing your legs to stay bigger than they might if you gave them recovery in between leg days. Lastly, If you don't enjoy Callanetics I'd ditch it. In her books Callan states that isolating one part of the body to the exclusion of the rest doesn't work anyway. I'm not saying that doing her Quick DVDs or Lacey's Express WOs isn't a good thing. I just think you'd be better off not having it be your only Callanetics. Even her ab work targets the legs when your form is deep. Good luck with whatever you decide to try. It doesn't seem like goal is too far off. __________________ Lannette See my profile for info on relationships with various video distributors. Do you really want to look back on your life and see how wonderful it could have been had you not been afraid to live it? - Caroline Myss

07-19-17, 02:03 PM
desie Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Canada	I think you are beautifully in proportion exactly as you are, give your thighs a hug. The picture suggests great muscle tone and strength. You might be able to eat fewer calories (every day, forever), to get one inch smaller, if there is a little too high overall body fat BUT the proportions will not change as the waist and hips will slim out at the same rate as the thighs. Trust me, you will be dissatisfied until you reconsider that you have an ideal curvy figure and always have had this. Most clothes don't fit the hourglass, every hourglass woman is a very picky shopper because of this. If you are just buying clothes off the rack, chances are you're buying the size so that it fits your shoulders/thighs and is way too big everywhere else!

07-19-17, 02:41 PM
blueskies Join Date: Dec 2002	I agree with mostly everything Lannette said above, especially the parts about weight loss for women carrying most of their weight in the lower body, and definitely not overemphasizing leg workouts. Like you, I'm pear shaped, and found that my lower body really started slimming down once I hit <20% body fat. Right now, I'm 5'5", less than 115 pounds, and have 15-16% body fat. I did this mostly with controlling my food intake (PM for details; I've shared my plan with many VFers over the past year and a half) and cutting way back on my workouts. My workouts consist of 10K daily steps and an extremely short (less than 15 minutes) daily total body routine that I developed based on my years of working out and experimenting with which exercises work best for my body. Ironically, it was when I cut down my workout time and stopped hitting the legs hard that I got the results in my lower body that I wanted. The trick is to find that personal sweet spot that works your lower body enough but not too much. From my own experience, I will say that directly working on the inner and outer thighs tended to widen my legs in all the wrong places. Focusing more on exercises that tighten and lift the glutes really "pulled in" my legs without widening the thighs. Exercises such as rear leg lifts and bridgework work well for me--maybe give these a try? __________________ Rebecca PACE Express rotation: completed 11/14/12 Life is a wonderful thing even with the difficulties that are sprinkled in. ~little bird from VF I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. ~Jimmy Dean

07-19-17, 03:07 PM
KathyW VF Supporter Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Boston, MA	I have a very similar body shape, and my thighs have always bummed me out, no matter what weight I am or fitness level I'm at. That said, I think you look great in the photo you posted, and congratulations on all that you've achieved! I don't have workout advice for you, but just wanted to jump in and say that your figure will be fabulous in fit and flare dresses. Perhaps a maxi dress that's kind of tank top-like on top with a flowy skirt. And wrap dresses would be great, too. (I love Leota - which you can buy from their website or through Nordstrom, and Boden for flattering dresses. And Nordstrom also carries a few other brands with perfect dresses for us pears - Eliza J, Maggy London, and Ellen Tracy off the top of my head!)

07-19-17, 03:20 PM
Pat58 VF Supporter Join Date: May 2002 Location: Connecticut	Well I think you look FABULOUS. I have heard that after a weight loss it just takes time and staying dedicated to your workouts, and you will see improvements that you desire. Congratulations on your hard work!

07-19-17, 03:28 PM
Lucky Star VF Supporter Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: A helluva town	Congratulations on your achievement! As Lannette mentioned, you may be overbuilding your leg muscles by working them every day. I'd do lots of walking and reduce strength training to 2-3 days a week. Perhaps your quads are overdeveloped; rest and letting the muscles atrophy slightly could give you slimmer legs. I do think you look great though, fwiw. Good luck! __________________ ~ Gina ~ "Remain cheerful, for nothing destructive can pierce through the solid wall of cheerfulness." ~Sri Chinmoy "We are so fortunate that we get to exercise!" ~Erin O'Brien

07-19-17, 04:01 PM
poohpeggy Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: michigan	I can only answer what has worked for me. I find Cathe Kick Max Leg Drills and her other standing barre type exercises for legs, very defining for my thighs. I also find all her floor work very slimming. To the Mat, PLB Floor, B&G Floor, L&G all. Gym Legs Floor, GG and LL& Abs have great floor work. There are more I probably forgot about. Cathe disc and band work is also good! I've lost a lot of weight slowly and have extra skin and these still have worked wonderfully for me. The key for myself, is not to use heavy weight for defining the legs as in floor & barre work. I do it at least 4x a week. I just tack it on at the end with abs. I use heavy weight to build muscle for my legs when I feel they need it. I would just try new things and see if it works for you. Everyone is different. I also second the spinning. I bike everywhere, so I see where that would work nicely with floor work. One more thing, Kick Boxing workouts are good for me also. I feel the jiggle on my legs while kicking

07-19-17, 04:15 PM
toaster Exchange Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Western NY	flight301, I feel your pain! I think you look great in your photo too, BUT I understand all too well what it is like to honestly feel good overall about your weight and your body but still feel frustrated that one part of you feels very out of proportion. I am very similar to you, just a little shorter--I say 5'5", but I'm probably just shy of that--and correspondingly a bit lighter, around 140 (which is a little on the high side for me). Like you, if I lose much more weight (for me, it's going under around 130), it looks weird on me, as it all comes off my torso, and my ribs start poking through. So right now, I have well-defined arms, a slim torso, a relatively small waist, and fairly muscular legs. But like you, my thighs are big, and even more so, my BUTT is out of proportion to the rest of me! Seriously, I have a major J-Lo thing going on here. I've tried various things over the years, but I haven't seen any significant changes. I have come to believe that short of liposuction (which I'm certainly not planning to get!), there's not much I can do. Most of the time I can accept/ignore it, but can be a little discouraging when I see photos of myself from behind. I'm attaching a photo too to show you that you are not alone. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Beth aka Toaster (she/her) *Follow me @YogiBethC* YouTube\|Instagram\|Facebook And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon.