Legs

[katluvr]

I have no idea where to post this question...felt it fit best here. So here it goes:
First some backgroud. I am 4'10". I weight about 124, so BMI is 24-25...a bit high. I am not "petite". I have big legs and I have a real compact (maybe "stocky") build. So I have always had large legs, big muscles and of course a bit of fat (ok maybe more than a bit). I have NEVER EVER liked my legs. When I began cycling it helped. However I now have fat and "sagging" to my legs. It is like when I pull up on my thighs and make it tigher it is better. I mean when I do downward dog I see saggy elephant knees! :eek:

So YES I need to lose some weight and I am back focusing on diet (cutting back) and more rounded (and steady) exercise: running, cycling and weights/functional exercises. SO do you think IF I lose %fat and continue to "tone up" will the "sagging" go away. Or is it the fact that I am 47, lost elasticity and that darn gravity...I am destined to have this sagginess?

I really am pretty upset by how they look. I already wear a LOT of long shorts or capries...but I live in FL I cannot stay covered up...nor do I want to.

Any suggestions? I am not interested in anything like lipo...and I dont' think I would ever of thought of plastic surgery....but I am afraid that this look is here to stay.

Any thoughts? Advice? I don't mean to sound vain...but I just want my legs to look better and I am feeling discouraged.

Thanks!
K

[Veronica]

No real advice, I'm not wild about my legs either. Miy thighs also look saggy doing downward dog and I have 18.9% body fat. Guess where it all is. :D

My advice - learn to love 'em as they are.


Veronica

[Biciclista]

Veronica gives good advice

Accept the things you cannot change, change the things you can.
if your legs are working well, they get you to the store, they pedal well on a bike...they're keepers.
you're never going to be a model, you're too short. So... no one's perfect..!
but one thing for sure, if you live to be old, a lot more than just your legs are going to sag. And the choice?
well, for me, I'd rather get old and sag. and that's EXACTLY what I'm doing..

[indysteel]

I have the same complaints about my legs. Even when I'm otherwise in good shape and at a healthy weight, my legs just don't look all that toned. I've never had that taunt, smooth skin of that some people have, not even when I was thinner than I should have been. My knees have always been kind of chubby; I hate that the most.

Now that I'm 40, they aren't getting any better. I'm not a sun bather, but I do use a lotion during the summer that adds a tiny bit of color. My skin is whiter than white, so that helps a bit. I have also embraced knee-length skirts, as my calves are at least okay. When my legs are at their best, it's because I've been doing a lot of walking. That, more than cycling, seems to tone up my entire lower half. Of course, running helps, but I hate running.

I agree that you should just embrace them. I'd encourage you to do whatever activities make you otherwise feel strong, healthy and energetic. If they improve the look of your legs, then great, but I wouldn't let you legs be your primary (or even secondary) motivation. When I focus on body issues as a motivator to exericise, it doesn't work--at least not for long--because when I don't see the changes I really want, I get discouraged. It's better for me to focus on my overall health, strength, stress relief and energy. I see results there.

[lph]

SO do you think IF I lose %fat and continue to "tone up" will the "sagging" go away.

I think you will see a steady decrease. Cycling, especially cycling a lot, does tone your legs, and a constant high level of aerobic exercise plus weight training will cause you to lose bodyfat, though it may take a long time. But if your legs happens to be where you store fat, it's probably not worth the effort trying to get them really toned. I happen to store around my waist, and I only have an obvious waistline when I'm really too skinny or dehydrated. Not an effect I can or want to keep.

And skin does sag with age no matter what. Take a look at aging marathon runners - they're skinny and toned as all get out, but they still have saggy skin over their muscles.

It might be more rewarding to log and focus on what you are achieving in terms of distance and speed in your bike riding (and healthy eating of course), because that can improve quite fast and maybe make you appreciate your legs more for what they can do. And I'll bet you suddenly notice that they have firmed up quite a bit :)

[OakLeaf]

Sounds like we're built pretty similarly. I try not to mind... but there are certain things, like short skirts, that I just. won't. wear.

If you can stick to it, a good diet with most of your calories from vegetables is really healthy for your skin... and taking good care of your connective tissue with a lot of foam roller work might be helpful too. But I think there's a lot that we just can't change - some genetic, some having to do with nutrition at puberty.

:( Take care of yourself. Self-esteem is hard.

[moonfroggy]

i am also 4'10 and i have short stubby muscular legs with a longish torso and broad shoulders. right now i weight 120. i used to weight a lot more. when my son was 3 months old i read a book called eat to live by dr furhman and i started eating a lot less starchy foods and a lot more veggies and fruits and i lost a lot of weight then when my son was a year and a half i started riding my bike again. the combination of eating healthier and bike riding have helped how my legs look they are still short and stubby though and i think my knees look funny. :o

also my weight seems stuck at 120 but i keep getting thinner and more muscular and going down in clothing sizes. maybe that's because muscle weights more than fat?

[michelem]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but my bodyfat was hydrostatically tested at 10% and I too have the same "droopy" saddlebag area of which you complain. I've gained some muscle weight doing P90X and weigh about 100 pounds at 5'2". I can pick up the elephant skin area and pull it up and have even daydreamed about having it removed . . . but then I think of the horror stories surrounding cosmetic surgery gone wrong. Yikes! Learning to love my aging 40+ self and thanking God for Spanx. :D I am grateful that my body allows me to cycle, run, dance, hug my DH, walk and pet my doggies, etc. :o

Don't mean to hijack this thread, so feel free to not respond if you feel it is off-topic, but I am curious if any of you have the same trouble I do with reconciling your aging self with your inner self-concept? Not sure that makes sense . . . what I mean is that, I still feel at least 10 years younger than my chronological age and have to remind myself that I am 40+. I look in the mirror and see these changes (wrinkles, sagging, etc. -- only the stray gray once in a while though) and the reflection I see does not jive with how I feel! It really hit me this weekend when I saw some "old" friends who have gotten quite gray and I thought, how the heck did we get this old? I don't feel this old! :eek:

[KnottedYet]

I don't think of 40 as "old" or "aging."

Don't die before you're dead.

[Veronica]

I'll say something about being old to my students and they tell me I'm not old. I know I am older than many of their parents, whom they think are old. I think exercise keeps you feeling young. I did start going gray at 19 and apparently I'd be quite gray now if I let be that way. :D I love my hair stylist.

Veronica

[indysteel]

I don't think of 40 as "old" or "aging."

Don't die before you're dead.

If you're referring to my own reference to being 40, I didn't suggest that I was old, aging or dead.

But I have aged. I won't go into all the details about how I've aged, nor will I assume all of us are aging at the same rate. My 40 may be another person's 50 or 30. I'm also not suggesting that aging is necessarily a negative. Like most things in life, there are pros and cons to it. I don't want to be 20 again, that much I know, but I wouldn't mind a few extra years of fertility. It probably goes without saying, but that's a biggie.

[moderncyclista]

Learn to love yourself. Love where you are at and aspire for greater. That's what is really the hardest for everyone, including myself. S'okay - we all age. I plan to do it gracefully if I can pull it off. :) We'll see. We'll see.

[malaholic]

Katluvr, I can definitely empathize with you on this one. For me losing weight helps a wee bit with the appearance, but in my case not dramatically. Even at a perfectly healthy and normal weight, my body just seems to want to store some of its fat there. I just have to accept it. I do find that with cycling even though I still tend to store fat in my legs, my calf & quad muscles are getting a lot more definition so that makes me feel good about them anyway.

Now, all that said, while we can't change our genetics, we can definitely try to do the best we can with what we've got. ;) I think someone mentioned Spanx tights in an earlier thread - I love those for use with a skirt if my knees will be showing. The compression effect feels good on my legs and makes them look a bit more streamlined. Also, if I'm wearing shorts or a skirt and get to feeling self-conscious, I'll try not to stand with my knees locked straight. Bending ever so slightly at the knee sends my kneecap out a bit to where it doesn't look like it's getting "sagged over" quite as much. Those are about the only cosmetic tricks I've figured out so far.

[KnottedYet]

If you're referring to my own reference to being 40, I didn't suggest that I was old, aging or dead.



Nope, I was referring to the question MichelleM asked in her second paragraph.

[Crankin]

I can relate. I am 5' 1" and *look* thin. My body fat is around the same as Veronica's, but will go down to about 15-16% at the peak of the season. But, I still have some saggy skin in places. My legs are stocky and athletic looking, but I wish I could lose some fat off of my hips. It's not horrible, but sometimes it's annoying. I started doing some functional core work/weights twice a week. I am hoping that helps. I can't run anymore and sometimes at the beginning or even throughout the riding season I have trouble keeping my weight down. Normally I weigh 107 and it just creeps up a couple of pounds if I have even whole wheat bread or other healthy foods/complex carbs. I cannot ride on a low carb diet, but that is the only thing that helps me lose weight. When I first started riding, I would lose weight after every ride. Now, it seems to be a struggle to maintain. Yea, I know, intervals. I just hate "training." If riding isn't fun for me, I get burned out.

[tulip]

I like my legs alot, but I don't like my middle. However, I found that Pilates really re-shaped me. I wish I could afford to do one-on-one sessions on the apparati, but for now I do the mat exercises at home. If I'm consistent, I do really notice a difference. YMMV, but it might be worth a try if you are discouraged. No negative side effects, that's for sure.

[MommyBird]

I have great legs and better than average skin tone for a woman who is almost 50 yrs old. No saddle bags at all. But before you blow raspberries at me you need to keep reading.
I am a classic apple shape. No matter my weight my hips, waist and bust do not differ by more than 2 inches from each other. I have a number of problems associated with metabolic syndrome. From fertility issues to HBP and Cholesterol. I have no lifestyle habits that contribute to my health issues. My body type is my only indicator. I have been in hypertensive crisis twice but the only evidence is damage in my eyes. Because of my lifestyle, I show no plaque build up even though my HDL is extremely low and my LDL is fairly high without meds.
I had oily skin until a few years ago. Does wonders for retaining good skin tone but is a big pain in every other way. Another MS issue.

Women with shapely hips often want my secret for eliminating saddle bags. I have to inform them that I have never had them in the first place, point out my less than desirable mid-section and then tell them how blessed they are to have the healthier shape.

From my observation, most women get either good legs or good stomachs but few get both. Those that do work for VS.

[katluvr]

Thanks to the replies...
I think I "knew" the answer...I may get some change, but not much.
Yes, I need to learn to live w/ it, love my body, yada yada.
Yes, I am struggling w/ my partner and sister turning 50 this year...I am not much behind. I DO wish I could turn back the clock. (Yep, that is where I am at right now and will work thru it and embrace my age and wisdom at some point and time!).

I may not have really asked the right question, but some of you hit on it. I was wonder IF I could make changes what would help. Tulip mentioned pilates. What has someone done that did the most to firm up/tighten there legs. Lunges, squats, what seems to be beneficial?

K

[tulip]

Thanks to the replies...
I think I "knew" the answer...I may get some change, but not much.
Yes, I need to learn to live w/ it, love my body, yada yada.
Yes, I am struggling w/ my partner and sister turning 50 this year...I am not much behind. I DO wish I could turn back the clock. (Yep, that is where I am at right now and will work thru it and embrace my age and wisdom at some point and time!).

I may not have really asked the right question, but some of you hit on it. I was wonder IF I could make changes what would help. Tulip mentioned pilates. What has someone done that did the most to firm up/tighten there legs. Lunges, squats, what seems to be beneficial?

K

Pilates...works the core, which includes hips, butt, and even legs. Find a reputable Classical Pilates studio and get serious about it and I bet you will see good changes. Pilates is not just good for the middle.

I'm like MommyBird, but I've seen pear-shaped people benefit greatly from Pilates.

[GLC1968]

You probably won't like my advice - but here it is anyway...lift weights. Heavy ones. With your legs. Squats, lunges and step ups with a barbell or dumbells on your shoulders (among other things). If you don't know where to start, there are some fantastic DVD workouts out there that would be great for this.

If you want to fill and tighten that skin, the best way to do it is by growing the underlying muscle. Give up on having 'small' legs and go for muscular ones. That the plan for this over-40 pear who still has much fat to lose. :cool:

[Susan Otcenas]

katluvr,

I'm 40 years old. I lost nearly 40 pounds between 11/08 & 5/09 and am now 130 pounds at 5'4". I'm in the best d@mn shape of my life, for which I am ecstatic. I could kick my 30y.o. self's butt. ;)

Still, when I was losing weight, my greatest desire was to have the slim, lithe body I always wanted (and had for a brief period in my mid-20s). And, truth be told, I think I look really good in my clothing now. I'm blessed with the classic hourglass shape.

It's *out* of my clothing that disappoints me so much. :o Even though 40 isn't "old", at this age weight loss (for me) means having a lot of loose "empty" skin. When I came out of college, I was pretty heavy, and lost 35 pounds over a 2-3 year period - got down to 133. As I lost weight, my skin shrunk at the same time, and I had great skin tone. At 40? um, not so much. Unless I fill it up with triceps, I suspect I will always have that annoying loose skin on my upper arms. My stomach is flat, but the skin is jiggly. I'm working on filling it up with a killer six-pack, but in the meantime I have to settle for jiggly. And finding a lingerie bra (having dropped from a 36DD+ to a 32C) is an exercise in frustration. (My own mother actually told me I should get a lift!!)

But, to give you a glimmer of hope.... I've been this weight for 11 months now, and I do think that very very slowly, my skin is shrinking just a bit. Maybe a little less jiggle on the tummy and arms. And, as I've added muscle in my quads, hamstrings and glutes from all the cycling, running, and swimming, my legs have actually firmed up alot! I used to hate how the cellulite looked on the back on my legs and now they're firm and mostly smooth.

So, while I didn't get the "dream" body, all in all I'm far far far happier with my body and fitness than I've ever been. I look around me and see obesity levels skyrocketing, see how unhealthily people eat (have you ever really LOOKED at what other people have in their grocery shopping carts!! :eek:), see what sedentary lives so many people lead, and realize that I'm doing pretty well for myself, and really shouldn't be so hard on myself.

So, while you and I might see the nitpicky little flaws in ourselves, I'd bet that what most other people see when they look at us is strong, healthy, vibrant, active women.

Susan

[michelem]

Nope, I was referring to the question MichelleM asked in her second paragraph.

Doesn't help that everyone else in my office is at least 10 years younger. I know 40 isn't really "old" . . . it's reading that 40 is "middle aged," and listening to these younger folks that reminds me I am no longer just-graduated-from-college-aged.

[michelem]

You probably won't like my advice - but here it is anyway...lift weights. Heavy ones.

Yes! Muscles are great! :D I think my sagging skin mainly comes from WAY too much time in the sun without sunscreen when I was growing up. I think it killed the elasticity or something.

[badger]

my legs have always been a good part of my physique, but one thing that's bothered me since I was 18 is vericose veins. Now that I'm 40, it's not getting any prettier. The inside of my right knee started getting big, blue, bulgy veins and now I see them starting up on the shin part of my right leg. It's genetic; my father had it way worse and my brother has them, too. Once, I slipped on the pool deck, and while I recovered myself enough not to fall, I knocked my knees and broke one of the vericose veins. The bruise that happened there was quite spectacular, I should've taken a picture as a momento.

I used to have a nice little bubble-butt, but I see the bubble's getting a bit deflated...

Regarding chronological age vs inside age, I feel about 10 years younger, too. 40 kind of snuck up on me, and I feel better than I ever have in my life. Even though the texture of my skin's changed, it's never looked better. I always had acne and now it's finally cleared up. My hair's gotten wavier and definitely more grey (and to my shock I even found grey *down there*). Since there isn't anything to stop aging, I guess we just have to learn to love it (I struggle with it sometimes).

[emily_in_nc]

I just turned 50, and at 5'2" only weigh around 105. Even at that weight, which sounds tiny, my body fat is too high. I have jiggly, pinchable flab in the abs and hips, and loose skin as well. When I put on bike shorts, I have flab above the waistband (love handles) that is most unflattering, so I don't like my jerseys too tight. My legs are pretty good, but I get that loose skin around the knees in a downward dog as well. It's all part of growing older and the skin losing elasticity. When I was in my 20s/30s I weighed a bit more (107-115) but everything was tighter, I had a flat stomach, a waistline, and no love handles. Not now. Ah, hormones! Same thing happened to my mom when she hit her 40s. She transformed from a solid "pear" to a total "apple" over time, and I see the same happening to me. Thankfully, even with that "dangerous" shape and being overweight, she's not diabetic, and she's still got great cholesterol, triglycerides, and BP even in her 70s (I do too).

I could totally relate to what Susan said about feeling like she looks really good in clothes, but when she's nude, she sees a lot that disappoints her. Me too. People who see me in clothes think I'm very small and don't understand that no, I don't have 15% (or even 20%) body fat -- I think it's in the low 20s (last time measured). So I am a long way from "perfect".

I too feel about 10 years longer than my age and am sometimes shocked when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Where did this gray hair, this saggy skin, these age spots, and wrinkles come from? Hopefully I've at least been granted the wisdom that should go with them! :D

[badger]

ah... muffin top. I'm quite familiar with it, too. I've always had this little bit of fat around my belly button that no amount of exercise will rid of. I even had it when I weighed 100lbs. Now I weigh a bit more and it's gotten a bit more squishy, so I get the ever-flattering spillage when I wear anything with a waistband (which is pretty much everything). The muscles underneath are pretty damn solid, but alas, no flat tummy.

[Crankin]

+1 Emily. People who see me in clothes think I am teeny teeny. And yes, thanks to size creep I wear a teeny tiny size. I am barely 5' 1" and my normal weight is about 107. During the cycling season, it's between 104 and 107, but if I am not totally stringent with my eating and exercise, it goes up pretty quickly to close to 110. At one point, in my early thirties I weighed 92-95. That didn't look so good, either.
I've always had a small waist and bigger hips/butt. In fact, my butt was huge at one point. When I was in my twenties, before I started going to the gym, it was very difficult for me to buy pants or skirts. I have a very small bust, too.
So, in the last couple of months, I notice my stomach, which is flat, is getting loose. I do not like this at all. I did core work all winter, but I think doing it at home doesn't push me enough. My hips seem to be getting bigger, too. My clothes still fit, but I am noticing a little more muffin top. The beginning of the cycling season has been slow here, with rain and cold. The muffin top usually goes away by June, but I think it's going to take more work.
My legs are short and my thighs are big from riding, but not entirely "hard." They seem to be a bit more flabby now, even with all of the x country skiing I did this winter. Well, at least my calves have that "cyclist" look.
I asked my DH to pay for personal training for my graduation present. I think it's going to take a big push to get me back to where I want to be. I know that for age 57 I look good, but it's not good enough for me.

[emily_in_nc]

The muffin top usually goes away by June, but I think it's going to take more work.

My problem is no matter how much I cycle and work out, all that activity makes me eat more, so I can't seem to get ahead the way I could when I was younger. Therefore, I am quite sure I'll still have a muffin top in May or June. It used to be that I could eat everything in sight and still not gain, so long as I was really active. Now, not so much. I know you have experienced the same from some of your other posts. Frustrating, isn't it? :(

Good luck with the personal training -- you are right that they will push you harder than you will push yourself!

[Crankin]

Yup, DH and I have deduced that it's all about the eating. I know I eat well and I do not like to restrict myself... I already eat so much better than most people, it's not fair. And I like to cook, it's as relaxing as riding is for me. So, I think the personal training, weights and core stuff will help jump start my metabolism. I am hungry *all* of the time, except for when I am so busy I can't think about it. I don't worry about it too much when I'm on a hard tour or riding in the Berkshires, but for normal riding/living, it does matter. The only food thing I am trying to watch is the bread, event the whole wheat bread, rice, etc. I think I might have to cut down on the wine, too. In the last year I have upped my red wine from maybe once a week to 3 or 4 times a week (I mean a glass, nothing more), and it has made a difference in my cholesterol.
Then I look at my friends who don't exercise, eat kind of badly, and have resigned themselves to thinking "this is what getting older is."
Noooooooo.

[emily_in_nc]

In the last year I have upped my red wine from maybe once a week to 3 or 4 times a week (I mean a glass, nothing more), and it has made a difference in my cholesterol.

Interesting. I drink a glass of wine per day (or a beer, if we're having pizza, say), and my cholesterol is pretty close to ideal -- high HDL, low LDL, low triglycerides. My doc says the red wine helps that, not the opposite. But I guess everyone is different.

I totally, completely agree with what you say about your friends who aren't fit. It's amazing how many people reach a certain age -- often 40 -- and just GIVE UP on fitness and healthy living and let themselves go. Never! :eek:

[OakLeaf]

I'm not sure those people are really "letting themselves go," I don't know that they ever had a hold of themselves... :cool:

A lot of it I have to blame on the medical establishment, honestly. It seems like every time I've had an injury, from age 16 to relatively recently, the only advice I've ever gotten from doctors is rest, rest, rest. I had to figure it out on my own that after the acute phase was over, resting was making it worse, and that in a lot of cases, if I stopped resting (and maybe made some tweaks in form or strength), the problem would go away entirely.

There are a very, very many people out there who don't exert themselves because it hurts. Many of them have been my clients. I would never advise someone to ignore pain, and I really try not to discount others' pain. Unfortunately, these people have just gotten very bad advice when it comes to dealing with their pain.

[Crankin]

That is all certainly true, Oak. I once went for a walk with a friend, down to a beautiful nature reservation about 2.5 miles from my old house. It was kind of a hot day and my friend brought a large towel, put it around her neck, and then proceeded to wipe the sweat with it and complain and sigh loudly with every step. I thought I was going to kill her.
Emily, I meant the red wine has helped my cholesterol. I also have very high HDL, low LDL, and good triglycerides. But my total is high.... so over the past 2 years I have been tweaking my diet with the red wine, dark chocolate, and more salmon and tuna. Right before I started cycling, my total was 244:eek:. I had totally burned out on the exercise I had been doing and had gained almost 20 lbs. I had it down to 220 after a year of riding, and now ten years later it's 208. I really want to get it below 200, even though my doctor has told me my ratio is the best she has ever seen.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, I meant the red wine has helped my cholesterol. I also have very high HDL, low LDL, and good triglycerides. But my total is high.... so over the past 2 years I have been tweaking my diet with the red wine, dark chocolate, and more salmon and tuna. Right before I started cycling, my total was 244:eek:. I had totally burned out on the exercise I had been doing and had gained almost 20 lbs. I had it down to 220 after a year of riding, and now ten years later it's 208. I really want to get it below 200, even though my doctor has told me my ratio is the best she has ever seen.

Ooops, sorry I misinterpreted! My doc has also told me my ratio is very impressive. The best it ever was was when I was doing a low-carb diet and eating plenty of meat. Now I eat much less meat and my HDL actually isn't as high as it used to be, but it's still very good. Seems like if your ratio is that good, getting the total down below 200 isn't necessarily needed. Does your doctor think it should be < 200?

[Crankin]

My gyn always tells me I should, but I've had sort of "whatever' opinions from pcp doctors. My gyn is an obsessive tri-athlete who I really like, but there is no way I would try anything other than dietary changes at this point.
I've heard the same thing about the meat/HDL connection. Mine is also a little less lower and I wonder if it's because I've been consciously eating less to get the total down and to maintain wieght. At one point, my HDL was 81.

[emily_in_nc]

I've heard the same thing about the meat/HDL connection. Mine is also a little less lower and I wonder if it's because I've been consciously eating less to get the total down and to maintain wieght. At one point, my HDL was 81.

Heheh, mine was 103 at its peak! :D Not that high now, but high enough.

[OakLeaf]

Y'know, I just had mine done, and the doctor told me that insurance won't pay for the breakdown unless you're diagnosed with dyslipidemia. So I only got the total cholesterol done, which actually was kind of high at 197. The last time I had it done my HDL was 102 (so you've got me beat Emily ;)) but I expect it isn't that good now. I had to pretty much cut out soy for other reasons, and I think that was a lot of why it was that high. I'd like to know, but oh well.

[Crankin]

Wow, you 2 are awesome. I have heard of anyone with HDL in the 100's.
Oak, I can't believe your insurance won't pay for the breakdown... what, they would rather have you have a heart attack or a stroke? I could see them limiting it to every X number of years, but geez.

[emily_in_nc]

And how do I make HDL's go > 100? I eat pretty well. What else can I do?

It may not be possible for you - with LDL that low, your ratio is still great, and that's most important. Olive oil, nuts, red wine, fatty fish, and exercise are some of the things I've read that can increase HDL.

Crankin, my HDL is no longer that high -- it was that high when I was doing a low-carb diet. Now it's like 70 something, I believe. Higher than my LDL so still very good, according to my doc. But I sure liked that 103!