Ok....I'm new here so I guess I start from the top! I've been "dieting" since September. I'm 5'9 and when I started I was @ 190 lbs. I've lost 35 lbs since then...yaay for me!! So I have 15 more to go. Now my upper body is close to perfect....by my "standards"...but I have the ugliest legs and butt in the world. No joke!! I'm large boned to begin with but this is pathetic!! My calves are so thick. I've got muscle there, its not flabby. I just want them to be smaller. And I've got all this chubb around my knee. I hate it. Ive been walking 15 miles a week. I've also been doing alot of toning exercises from my butt and thighs. I've come to terms with the fact that my legs will never be small but there has to be something to slim my calves down!!....Any suggestions??
There is only two ways to slim down your calves--lose muscle or fat. Losing muscle isn't healthy. The only way to lose fat from your calves is to lose it from your entire body. Your body will decide where to take it off from.
Take a look at this web page: http://www.stumptuous.com/weights.html . She has a page for women weight lifters. Take a look at her before and after pics (they are in different places). She has the same pear shape only smaller. And she works out!
I'd rather be a small pear than a large one! I have my mother's genes to thank for this. There is nothing you can do about your genes.
Hey, I'm kind of in the same boat, except I'm shorter than you and have short, stumpy legs! I just know that after I lose my weight, I'm still going to have these short. stumpy legs. When I was smaller, I was athletic in high school, but I've decided that I'll always have these "soccer girl" legs, so I might as well be proud of them. They don't seem the least bit feminine to me, but at least I'll know they are healthy!
REC is right...it is unhealthy to lose muscle..and those same muscles in your legs worked to help you lose the first 35 pounds, and they're going to work more to help you lose the next 15! Be glad that you have them and thank them!
Thanks girls!! I'm I this stupid depressed rut that started this weekend. I feel like no matter what I do I'm always going to look in the mirror and see fat...whether I'm 300 lbs or 130 lbs!! I hate feeling this way!! Hopefully I'll get over it. I just want to wear shorts and be comfortable. I feel like I'm covered in cellulite. And how discouraging is that... to know that you can't get rid of cellulite no matter what you do and how hard you exercise. I'm sorry, I'm just feeling sorry for myself. I have no problem with exercising...I look forward to it.... dont mind dieting....I'm finally starting to get used to it. I just am soo scared that once I get down to the weight I want, I'm stilll gonna feel fat!! My Mom tells me that once you have a weight problem, that no matter how thin you get, you will always see yourself as fat. Do you think this is true?? I'm driving myself and everyone around me crazy!! Please help me!!
I haven't been through this personally, but I'll come face to face with this sooner or later, after I get to my goal.
I have a friend though, who has. She got down to her goal, and still isn't happy. I really hope I don't feel that way though, but it all has to do with knowing that you're healthy and that you've achieved your goal. We can't choose where and how we lose weight..it will happen on it's own. The problem is low self-esteem, and looking at other bodies and comparing them to your own. It's really hard to do because we see the "beautiful people" everywhere, telling us how we should look, and what is beautiful.
I'm sure you look GREAT!!! You're tall and athletic looking! Would you rather be bone skinny and unhealthy? That's how things like bulimia and anorexia start...you're just never happy...until it gets deadly! If you've ever seen documentaries about these diseases....arrgh... I'd rather weigh 300 pounds and work to lose the weight rather than have my mind so warped like that! I just want to be happy and healthy! Both of them start in your mind!!!
I know it. It's sooo sooo terrible how society makes us feel like we have to be bone thin in order to look attractive. Why cant it be back in the Marilyn Monroe days when curvy was sexy....and it is still sexy if you ask me. I dont think that these models look good. I'm just fustrated and I need to come to accept the fact that I'm not a small frame nor will I ever be small framed. I should be soo happy to have lost all this weight...up to 40 lbs now!! But all I can think of is my flabby butt and thighs and these log legs!! I want to feel confident in the "bedroom" but I dont think that will never happen! I a serious self esteem boost....I know I'm being soo hard on myself!!
I understand how you feel. I felt sooooo fat when I was 15, 120 pounds and a size 9, that I dieted to get down to 108 pounds--a size 7. I'm 5'6 1/2"! The fat is all in the head, along with low self esteem.
Besides my mother's thunder thighs, I also inherited her cellulite and have had it on my butt and thighs since college (18 years old). That's when I had my first boyfriend and I was terribly self concious about it. I still am at 42.
Now I have two choices. Be 40 pounds overweight with cellulite or be the correct size with cellulite. It's here to stay (and I do HATE it. I won't even wear a bathing suit.). I don't like to see myself naked or be that way in front of Sweetie, but better to be 40 pounds lighter with it than overweight with it! So, I have to do the best with what I have.
Of course, there are always guys like my last boyfriend who once replied to my comment "I have such a big butt" with "but I LOVE you and your butt."
There is one thing that is supposed to help reduce cellulite, if you keep it up--endermology. It's a deep tissue massage (expensive) that I have heard works, as long as you go back monthy for your massages. I promised myself that would be my reward for my 40 pound loss. I still have 12 pounds to go.
I did take a long look into endermoloy when I started my current weight loss trek and the only negative comment was that you needed to keep it up. Well, I also had acne and to help keep my acne down I had to keep my monthly facial peel appointment. I have to keep my monthly haircut/color (I started going grey at 22).
If the cellulite bothers me enough and I have the money to spend (I'll buy less clothes and eat out less) and I'll feel better, then it's money well spent, IMO.
Of course, if our self esteem isn't good, no physical changes will make us feel better.
try looking at yourself in the mirror naked or as close as you can get to that, and just look. look for something that you can love about your body.
so what if you aren't your perfect weight right now. be thankful that your body works. it carries you now, and it will carry you later on, after your weight loss. you can use your hands and arms and legs....you can breathe, you can laugh.
marilyn monroe wasn't considered beautiful just cuz she had a chest and butt...she was beautiful cuz she felt she was sexy and she knew that others saw what she saw in herself.
walk with pride in yourself, no matter what size butt you have or how much cellulite your thighs have. you just have to see it in yourself first.
Personally, if I had the bucks to spend on endermologie I'd just save up the $$ I would've spent on it and get liposuction instead...just can't see myself shelling out $150-200 monthly on something like this...I've never had liposuction but I've thought about having it done eventually (maybe when I win the lottery ...) But again that's just IMHO.
I am not much of a runner right now, but can I recommend someone to you?
A gal on here does...shes trying to lose weight and her choice is running. Maybe you
two can share tips. I'm sure she won't mind if you PM her...
You know, you must look so great! You're 5'9 and what...about 130?? That would be a DREAM to me! You are so lucky!! Just know that you are totally buff and athletic! Just face it...you'll never be a size zero Charlize Theron or look like Julia Roberts...but you are YOU!!!
At my size, I get self consicous "in the bedroom too", but I'm sure whoever you're with finds you totally attractive and is there because he/she WANTS to be with you and WANTS to see you! You are what you are, and you've already done so much to change...if no one else is proud of you, just know that I'm proud of you and think you're absolutely gorgeous! Once you start feeling good about yourself, your attitude will change. My SO likes nice undies and stuff like that, and sometimes, I just think, why should I bother? I'm already disgusting!! But when I see him look at me, I know he loves all 203 pounds of me...and a few weeks ago, he loved all 213 pounds of me...just like he loved me at 160 two years ago! (and that he'll love me at 155 this fall!).
It all starts with you, Idevlin! Don't EVER feel down like that...you're a great inspiration to someone like me!
I am new to this site. I am sooo glad to see that I am not the only person out there that has 'ugly calves'! I have been dieting and exercising most of my adult life and have had successes but for one reason or another have put some of the weight back on. I guess you could say I go in cycles. I come from a family of very athletic people which is great but unfortunately I take after my Mom in regards to my body...you know, big butt, thighs and calves. In college I was asked if I was very athletic as I had 'athletic' legs. Of course I had to ask what that meant....big legs! No matter how tiny I get my legs will always be big.
Idevlin, I can totally relate to you as my upper body is very tiny and I like it but my lower body just doesn't cut it! I am now walking about 3 miles a day on my treadmill and once the weather gets a little nicer, I will begin walking on my lunch hours as well. I also purchased a butt and thigh machine last month and have been quite dedicated about going on it. I haven't seen big results yet but I know I will.
Aww....you guys are all soo sweet!! I havent been here in a few!! Thank you soo much for your input!! You really made my day!! Ive been feeling better about myself lately and I've actually been more comfortable with myself. Easter is in a few days...ut oh!! I'm gonna stay away from the ham, I already promised myself that!! But mashed potatoes are my favorite food in this whole wide world so I will be having a nice helping of them!! I'll try not to beat myself up afterwards!! Thank you for your inspiration!!
You've had an awsome success so far!
...) But again that's just IMHO.
