Sad about lack of inch loss :(

I have always had big legs, but when I weighed 160 (my highest weight), I just assumed that my legs were big because the rest of me was. When I got down to about 135 lb I went shopping for knee high boots because I love them and had never owned a pair. I could not find a single pair on the high street that fit my huge calves. I found a website online that makes 'custom width' boots and bought a pair. My calves measured 15" then.

I am now about 120 lb, and measured my calves for the first time in ages. They are still 15" :( I am just so sad about this. My legs are disgusting. I am only short so it just makes them look even worse... short and stocky and revolting. The only boots that fit me are lace up ones with EXTRA long laces, and even then they are at their very maximum and are a little too tight for me. I have another 15 lb to go until I reach my goal weight, but now I am stressed because I fear that this 15 lb will make no difference, either. I don't want to go any lower weight-wise, but I am not sure what else to do. I also have to be really careful with the exercise I do as my calves bulk up so quickly.

I guess I am just interested to see if anyone else has dealt with this, or if at some point my legs will just HAVE to get smaller? I guess my last alternative is surgery, but I really wanted to get the body I want and feel I deserve through hard work. My husband is desperately anti cosmetic surgery, but this affects my confidence so much that I don't understand why he can't at least be a bit more supportive.

Anyway, sorry for the rant, it just gets me down sometimes. For lack of a better word, I just want my legs to be 'normal'. I'd like to be able to wear skirts in summer, you know? :/

OK, I have decided to be pro-active about this. I will make an appointment to see a specialist at a local clinic this week and see what my options are as regards surgery and will discuss it with my husband. Sorry for grumbling!

You are not alone!  I am short also, 5'1" and have large calves, always have.  Mine are 13.5" around.  I too have the boot issues you have.  I got as low as 103 lbs and my calves stayed the same.  The top part of my legs were almost as big as my lower part!  It was so weird looking in certain clothes!  Sad to say they probably won't get smaller...it's just your body's makeup.  I have seriously thought of having them liposuctioned...let me know what you find out!

ditto! let us konw..im short as well 5 1 with 16" calves..of course i just started..but they have also been big ..even when i was 30 pounds lighter...so..yeah.

My thighs are pretty big, but I have never worried as much because there are so many things you can do to disguise that... there is control underwear for big thighs, and then just wearing a knee length skirt usually does the trick! But with calves there is NOTHING I can do that disguises them. On the very rare occasions I do wear a knee length skirt (about once a year) I wear totally opaque black 70 denier tights/pantyhose, but it really doesn't disguise them,  just feel betr being 'covered'. Anyway, to scare you totally my thighs are only about 3 inches smaller than my natural waist O_O I think I am a mutant. Plus my calves being big means that even regular jeans are tight around my LOWER legs. It's so disheartening.

I will go next week and report back on anything I find. I am concerned because I know my legs are very muscular, so I know there is a limit to what can be done. But even an inch off would mean the world to me. I'll let you know how it goes :) And thank you for responding! I am the only girl I know with this problem, so it is nice to hear that I am not totally alone. All the other women in my family have lovely slim ankles and calves.

skyebudge--I'll let you know how it goes :) I think my calves were probably more like 16-16.5" when I started, so there is a chance you will lose a little bit :) I guess I am just sad because it seems like I haven't lost any inches there since about 140 lbs, and that seems kind of cruel when it's the place I'd most like it gone from!

Yup, basically from the knee down, it's tree trunks!  I hate it and it has always bothered me my whole adult life.  I hate even wearing sandals because of my wide ankles.  I don't feel like a true "woman" because of this.  I feel it looks masculine for some reason.  I think the average calf size needed to wear knee high boots nowadasys 11-12", maybe 13" tops.  I can't tell you how many knee-hi boots I've tried on that I can't buy because of it....same thing with a lot of jeans I try on.  I have small breasts too and for most woman that would be what bothered them the most, for me it's hands down the calves!  If I have ever thought about any plastic surgery, it was to do something with my calves.  I saw a program on plastic surgery once where a woman had hers done through liposuction, but to me it didn't look like much of a difference...who knows....

So are my measurements strange then?

I have 11.5 calves and 18.5 thighs (MY THIGHS ARE THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE, I AM NOT PROUD OF THAT)

And I still consider them HUGE.

I really think it's genetic. I don't like my thighs or my calves, but losing weight never lessened them. I lost weight from everywhere so my calves were still proportional to what they had been before.

I'm underweight right now, so I'm afraid of going up inches.

Laika (sorry, I shortened your user name) Why are you aiming for such a low weight for you height anyway. I've seen your pictures and you look amazing. I don't get it. You will be underweight at a weight of 105.

Anadrea

Calf Liposculpture - Liposuction techniques can be used to reshape thick or wide calves. The incisions are small and the recovery short.

I found some before/after photos on the internet of liposuction of the calves too.  Just type in liposuction of calves before and after photos... 

Yeup, I am exactly the same, but with bigger legs, alas! I have never, ever worn flat shoes with a skirt or shoes. I have felt this way since I was about 12 years old when I realised all my friends had skinny legs and mine were literally twice the size. If I do wear a skirt then it has to be with either a) extra wide boots, which are often too tight or LOOK like extra wide boots, and so are not especially flattering, or b) with MEGA heels to at least try and make the leg look leaner.

Like you I feel like it looks masculine on me. I think if you saw a picture just of my legs you would guess my weight at 50+ lbs heavier than I am because they are so chunky. My legs are actually just like my dad's, and he was very muscular. And again, like you, I am small busted but have never had a hang up about it... always just been pretty much fixated on the fact that my legs are abnormal. I remember going a website, something like mybodycomp.com which measures your bodyfat depending on a number of measurements you have to input. It then tells you if you are within the norm for your sex and weight. And of course it told me my calves were waaaaaaaaay beyond normal, it wasn't even funny how big the spike the graph was!

I haven't seen any TV shows on it, but recently there was a girl in a magazine who was my height (5'3"), and she went from 140 lb to 126 lb and decided that she wanted lipsouction on her legs. Her legs were a very similar build to mine. There WAS a difference... they didn't look small for sure, but they did look more contoured and feminine.

Anyway, thank you SO much for your responses... I have been feeling really low the last couple of days and this evening I was very down, but now I feel a bit better before going to bed. Thanks :) x

You're welcome.  Isn't it funny though, how just when you think you're the ONLY one, there's always someone else out there with the same issues!  Talking here about it actually made me feel better too!  Especially since the other night I just about ripped my finger to shreds trying to zip a boot over my monster calves.  LOL

Hi Anadrea! I don't mind that you shortened the name at all, it is rather cumbersome :P I am small framed and generally the medical profession consider a BMI of 18.5 to 25 to be healthy, which at my height is approximately a weight of 104 lb to 141 lb. When I was overweight I discussed with my doctor what a good goal weight for me would be at my height and frame size, and he recommended 105-115 lb. Don't worry, I have no intention of going any lower... I'd just end up all giant legs and nothing else ;)

Thanks for the kind words, but I am crafty and don't post the terrible photos ;D By the way, I know it is all relative, but I'd love to have 18.5" thighs! Maybe one day :)

thebcc, I will go and type that in and have a look, thanks!

If it is helps...my calves have reduced by and inch since I started running. Although they still measure 14 inches, they are far leaner than before and look ok now...the top part of my thigh is 21 inches but I am happy with those measurements :)

thebcc: We have stories in my family of how my mum has nearly lost fingers trying to help me zip up boots that just won't go ;) I'm glad this helped make you feel better, too! I looked up a few photos and was really impressed with some of the results. If I could achieve something similar I would be over the moon!

Larrylou, that is actually really encouraging to hear. I have been told that one of the few exercises that helps slim down the legs is distance running, so I have been gradually trying to build up. So far there is no change, but I have only been running for the last few months. Before I make any decisions I will definitely try to reach my goal weight and keep up the running, because obviously if there is a way to get them slimmer without going to expensive and uncomfortable surgery route, then I would like to exhaust all those options first. 14" calves would make me really happy :)

My calves are the same way and I always thought I was doomed. When I was at my lowest weight post-puberty, 138 (and I'm short too, 5'3) they were still huge. Not sure of the exact measurements but I know I could not fit into most knee-high boots, and knee high socks were troublesome. They currently measure around 18 inches, and I know they're not going to reduce too much... My calves bulk up easiest too when working out, and currently they're already pretty muscley. That liposuction thing is new to me, I didn't ever really think about that application for calves but maybe it's an option to be considered for myself in the future if my calves are still huge at my goal weight.

laika stick with it...I started running 6 months ago and the change in my legs has been astonishing! I am hoping to get that 14" measurement down to 13 eventually...but rome was not built in a day and all that :)

 I can run 6 miles now and my legs feel really really strong as a result. Keep it up and you will be assured to see the changes :)

OK, I never post pictures and this one won't stay up for long but I had to show you my GOAL WEIGHT calves.

When this picture was taken, I had a body fat percentage of about 19%, I was running about 40 miles a week and regularly placing in my age class in local races. My calves and thighs will never be smaller than this.

Now I don't think my legs look *bad* per se, in fact I'm working to get back to those legs, but just look at the calves of the runner to the left of me in that picture!

I'm just learning to love my body as it is. My legs are very strong and I think it probably means that I'm less likely to get osteoperosis. I plan on being active and having fun on my strong legs til I'm an old, old lady.

Also I've noticed that there's a certain type of guy who likes that kind of leg.

colbers: This is my lowest post-puberty weight, as I was overweight for a lot of my childhood and throughout my whole teenage years, so I really have no idea what to expect from my body. I just have a feeling that things being the way they are my legs won't get much smaller. My leg are similar to yours in that I build muscle in my calves insanely quickly. I am sorry that you have had to deal with this as well because I know how awkward it can be. It often seems to be something that shorter girls have to deal with! So unfair :P

larrylou, I will definitely stick with it, especially as you have had such promising results. I actually ran 5K on Monday for the first time and was so pleased :D I hope one day I'll be running 6 miles like you, that is fantastic. I have a friend who is a distance runner and her legs always look great when she is training (although her physiology is completely different to mine, so my legs would never look as hot as hers do!)

classiccolors, I couldn't see a photo in your post or profile :( I hope I didn't miss it! Running 40 miles per week is an amazing achievement, wow. I think you're right... having strong legs has some definite advantages. My grandma has much slimmer legs than I do, but she has remained active her entire life, and at 80 still plays tennis twice a week (and could probably run circles around me on a tennis court). You're right--there is *definitely* a certain type of guy who likes that kind of leg... my husband is one of them. He absolutely loves my legs! Sadly I just can't see what he sees, although I have tried.

Yes, my boyfriend of 10 years is the same way - he always says I have strong, muscular legs, almost as though he's proud of them - so sweet!  :)

i looked at your pics and you look great! your calves dont seem big at all but of course...i am not you and i know what its like to hate something on myself and having others tell me it doesnt look like a problem. they cant see what i look like underneath my clothes.....thaaaaaank god lol. i have stalky legs and i hate it but im sure if i lose weight on them....id feel better. now i just have to lose it........so i can.......fell better!

Oh wow... you just made me really self-conscious. I never bothered to measure my calves, and they're 14in. The average is 11-12" o_O