Thigh/waist discrepancy?

[limewave]

I must not be doing my measurements right at all . . .
My waist is 33 and my thighs are 22 . . . But all my pants are tight in the thighs. I have BIG thighs, thunderous, strong, ginormous! Hmm, I must be measuring down too far.

[limewave]

Arghh genetics! My mom and I look exactly like these fine ladies (my grandmother, great, great-great, and great-great-great grandmother). Big flabby arms have run in our family for generations. I have to buy a shirt size up just so I can move my arms around.

[jp4995]

I have similiar issues finding jeans (flat stomach, small waist, larger hips and upper thighs) from when I was a size 4 in high school up to my biggest at a size 12/14 a few years ago. My best bet has been mens jeans. I'm in Levi's 541's Slim Straight jeans and I'm a happy camper. I wear a size 34/30 and the jeans sit 2 or so inches below my belly button.

[Selkie]

This is one of the reasons that I love skirts---I don't wear hose and I wear them w/loafers to work (boots in the winter). Forget about finding pants that fit well. I have to buy petites but they are too short in the inseam and usually, my thighs are too muscular so the legs are tight. I end up having to pin the waist regardless.

GLC - If you are like me, you lose weight from everywhere but your bum and thighs first. First to go on me are my already small bosoms! Only when I'm on the low side of my "training" weight do my thighs and bum lose the fat. So be patient and I expect you will notice your thighs decreasing some as you drop fat.

[ny biker]

First to go on me are my already small bosoms! Only when I'm on the low side of my "training" weight do my thighs and bum lose the fat.

Word. One of life's cruel jokes.

[mariposa]

I have this same problem no matter what my current weight. It's genetic - my mom has the very same shape. We just have huge thighs.

I went 20 years refusing to wear jeans (thinking they are ALL uncomfortable) till I discovered low-rise jeans with spandex. The more spandex, the better (2% +). Size up so there is plenty of room for your thighs...and the low-rise means the pants won't gap at the waist.

For more casual wear, there is nothing more comfy (and flattering) for our body types than the Prana Bliss pants/capris.

Mariposa

[shootingstar]

Presumably, people sit down in a chair to measure their thighs? I do. And sit so that thighs hang over edge of chair.

Never thought about any relationship between thighs and waist.
Shrimpo here, has 27" waist (with a small bust. Oh well.) and 19" thighs.

Not sure when I had a 26" waist..have at different times in adult life. Can't even remember how many years ago. Would take the measurement then forget the event, because I knew tummy would expand again eventually.

I'm pretty normal because my bone structure is small.

[shootingstar]

Important to remember GLC that women who look in good shape/no weight problems have their unique body shape problems to fit into store clothes.

There are alot of nice styles I have to pass up because my body shape isn't curvy enough.

[Biciclista]

limewave, great photo! those women don't look flabby to me..
BIG THIGHS=HEALTH you guys. remember the article about skinny thighs and DYING??
Believe me if your waist is 29" and your thighs are 25" you have a nice shape!!!

[shootingstar]

limewave, great photo! those women don't look flabby to me..
BIG THIGHS=HEALTH you guys. remember the article about skinny thighs and DYING??
Believe me if your waist is 29" and your thighs are 25" you have a nice shape!!!

I'll remember this ..for every tiny Asian woman I see over 85+ yrs. Many look elegant.

[ny biker]

Presumably, people sit down in a chair to measure their thighs? I do. And sit so that thighs hang over edge of chair.

?? I measured mine standing up, around the widest part. This is how my trainer did it back when I first joined the gym and we were getting starting measurements and body fat composition to track weight loss.

[Becky]

I measured mine at the widest part while sitting down. I figured that it didn't much matter whether they squished or not.

[Catrin]

This thread has been very helpful and encouraging to me, as my weight loss has slowed I've noted my thighs and calves are getting larger - perhaps "athletic" will mean better proportioned for me?

I have no butt. I have never had one, never will have one. That was even when I was something like 75 pounds overweight - ALL of my weight was/is in my stomach. Ok, and boobs, but for some reason those don't seem to change much outside of the cup size. I've always wished that I carried weight like most women do...

This has always made it HARD to find clothes that fit, though am glad to say that it is finally getting much easier to find clothes that do now that I am smaller than I have been in a LONG time It still is challenging finding bike clothes that fit though - if you go by the size charts. I have learned to ignore those charts and just try stuff on - it is much easier that way - assuming that it isn't something you HAVE to order from the internet...

[GLC1968]

?? I measured mine standing up, around the widest part. This is how my trainer did it back when I first joined the gym and we were getting starting measurements and body fat composition to track weight loss.

Me too. My thighs are much easier to measure when standing because the muscle is firm that way. Same thing for calves and biceps...

Mickchick - you just described me to a T. We must have very similiar body types. If so...I look forward to one day swiming your kind of distances!

Last night I mentioned to my husband that if I continue on the road I'm on, I'm going to be flat chested in a month. He said "I don't care as long as you keep your abs and a$$". Looks like I married the right guy!


Oh, and let me clarify something here, please. I'm not really complaining about my body (except that it's overweight right now)...I'm complaining about the fashion industry. I would NEVER want skinny legs - they are not who I am. I know that I like what my body will be when I get to my goals...I just don't like that it's soooo hard to find clothing to fit.

My question was whether or not my measurements were really all that different from everyone else, or is the fashion world just whacked? Clearly, shopping for pants that fit my legs and my waist has been a plight of mine since I was old enough to buy my own clothes...so it's not like this is a new revelation for me. I see people complaining about 'big thighs' and I guess I just wanted some concrete numbers about what that means and waist to thigh seemed the easiest way to make valid comparisons. We can't just compare thigh to thigh between different women because it's not just the thigh size that matters since this changes with body type, height, weight, etc. What I'm wondering is how odd is it that my thigh and waist measurements are so close together in size and are others suffering the same difficulty? Does that make sense?

This is not supposed to be a thread where we complain about putting on quad muscle. THAT is a good thing and that's not my point at all. I just had to put that out there as a woman who celebrates her muscles with every step she takes...

[Selkie]

I'm with you, GLC. I like my curvy thighs and bum, and like you, I wish that clothing manufacturers/designers would make clothes that fit female bodies.

About the swimming, just do it! All it takes is determination and stubbornness. What I love about being an endurance athlete is that I don't have to worry about being fast.... I'm in awe of you for completing your first Tri!!