Really awful legs- minority

[thedendrochronologist]

I have really awful legs does anyone else?

Is there a solution or am I doomed to a life of midi skirts.

I think I just want some solidarity really and a bit of a moan!

I am size 16 / 18 so yes overweight and plus size. Yes I need to lose weight but short of a gastric band I have tried it all. I had a "mini analysis" and came out at pear out though I reckon I'm slight pear/hourglass .

I feel most people people at this size/ weight look fine in shorts and mini dresses and have proportioned legs but I can't wear dresses my legs are a prohibitive factor

I'm not sure if they are just fat or if I have stage 1 lipodema as the whole of my legs are covered in a blubbery layer that sort of shimmers. My ankles don't exist (I only realise this recently) and there is definitely some odema. My knees are dreadful. If wore a short skirt or dress my thighs and pants would be visible to the world

I thought I'd try some knee length shorts but they were even worse my knees looked like the Mitchell brothers.

I swim a lot too so it's not lack of exercise - mother and grandmother also afflicted. I have some. I've chino shorts from ASDA that are fine for home and holiday.

Tree trunk legs - mine don’t see the light of day unless swimming!

@Whatevershallidowithmylife yes I am tree trunked!

Do you never wear shorts at all?
What do you wear at home in hot days?

I be only recently realised that my legs are significantly worse than everyone elses as most people bemoan their legs.

I've seen some ads recently on FB which have me intrigued.

Smooth Tone UK
Miracle Legs - this works.
I have a young 72 yo mother who has thread veins etc and I've just chatted to her about both these products as she's so self conscious about having 'old' legs.
Any reviews on these products would be appreciated as I'm considering buying for her.
Let me know! I may even use these myself at some point so I'm certainly invested in responses on this thread x

I find linen trousers a good option for hot days or a maxi dress. But I feel your pain op, would love to be able to wear shorts or summer dresses 😞

Yes, I’ve got really odd legs. I am not overweight but my legs are genuinely a strange shape. I just don’t show mine. I look a million times better in long skirts, flares, or wide leg trousers, so I never wear shorts or short skirts… ever!

I'm the same OP. Convinced I have lipodema as my knees are cuffed. Reading online I'm not convinced the NHS will do anything. I'm a 12 on top, 14 hips and thighs of THUNDER. My bmi is just in the healthy range, but my legs are awful.

Outside the house I wear dresses, wide leg or boot cut trousers.

In the garden I wear what I like.

I have always carried my weight on my legs. Puffy ankles too. I am currently a size 16-18 with very chunky legs. I wear tapered trousers in a thin fabric in the Summer as strangely they seem to suit me, or wide leg linen trousers, but I have to try on absolutely loads to find even one pair that looks OK. Matalan have some nice affordable ones in at the moment. I rarely wear skirts or dresses, but sometimes culottes look OK. Winter is much harder, jeans never look right on me. I often end up in leggings and long jumpers, probably a very dated look.

You wouldn't be in the minority in my family! We've all got rubbish legs. I'm not pear shaped, I'm bowling pin shaped. No idea what to suggest to help you, I also don't get mine out but I'm happy enough in maxi-dresses, cotton trousers and long skirts

My legs are awful. Thick thighs and all covered with veins. Even in teens. HATE beach and swimming for these reasons.

Weirdly no cellulite.

In summer - long dresses, long tapered trousers, cropped wide leg.

Fake tan or Sally Hansen air brush legs.

I dream of slim toned tanned legs!

Don't feel bad we all have parts of ourselves that are less then great. My legs are fine but I always collect weight on my tummy. It looks ridiculous, material stretching across my belly, material straining between the legs, then an OK fit from the waist down. But it still looks silly. We all have non-perfect bits of ourselves we don't like x

Yup! I definitely have lipoedema though and it’s plagued me since my teens. I’m a 14 top and 18/20 bottom. Knees are the worst but also with thick calf and ankle area. Loathe them but have come to realise this year life is too short. I’m wearing board shorts and a swimming costume to swim this year in the sea on holiday. Not missing out on swimming with my children because of my legs.

I wear tapered mom jeans - I know you’d imagine this was the worst idea ever for an extreme pear shape but the turn up at the bottom balances it a bit and the loser fabric round the knees hides some of the cuffing I have there. Boot cut look like skinny jeans on me! I’d love to wear midi dresses but that would be a disaster with the width of my calf.

Just to note there is emerging research about lipoedema and how women who struggle with it tend to be significantly less likely to have cardiovascular disease and diabetes later in life. I guess because we don’t store fat abdominally as much. Silver lining!

Linen trousers or a maxi dress.

Mine are bandy, big knees, big thighs, lots of cellulite, cankles. Oh, and really short, to add to the overall effect. I'm a pear, 12 on top 14 on bottom. My legs look like they belong to a different person than my top half.

I wear straight leg jeans, midi dresses that are long (not quite maxi), tapered cotton trousers. Wide leg trousers look daft as I'm both short and short-legged.

Trainers with a chunky sole, or platform heels balance things out a bit. I never wear shorts or short skirts.

I’ve got really awful legs. Lots of cellulite from hips to knees and a big varicose vein in one thigh that makes them look even worse. I also have chunky lumpy calves.

I swim and walk quite a bit and I’m not particularly overweight. I’m embarrassed to show my legs and usually wear midi length dresses/skirts or trousers. I’d love nice slim legs or even legs without so much cellulite. I don’t think there is anything I can do about it.

I never show my legs either . I tend to wear loose fitting linen trousers when it is hot. .

I actually find it cooler to have my legs covered as they stick to each other/ chairs when it is hot .

I am overweight but my legs are ok in shape but one leg is discoloured and I do have veins. Last time I wore shorts was in my late 30s, after I'd lost a lot of weight and before I developed type 1 diabetes which let to the discolouration. But I'm not a short skirt/shorts person anyway. I like long, and it's now fashionable to wear maxi dresses. I also have linen trousers which are great when it's hot out.

I never wear shorts or shorter dresses/skirts. Ever since I was 14 I had a varicous vein. I also have very transparent skin, very white and look awful. I am size 8, nearly 50, but would never ever get them out now. Just long skirts and dresses.

Solidarity is there!

Thanks everyone who can truly feel my pain!

@overwork is bowling pin shaped had me howling!

Googling cuffed knees....

Sympathy. I have awful legs. Really fat knees, very cellulite-dimpled thighs and bum. No amount of exercise has ever changed them. Even when I exercised all the time and almost never sat down, I looked like a crisp eating coach potato. (So when I turned into a crisp eating coach potato later in life, at least I was already resigned to having that figure.) Even when I was size 6-8 on top my legs were size 12. My figure is actually better balanced when I'm overweight as a sort of size 14 hourglass rather than 8 on top, 12 below.

I have never worn shorts or mini skirts. And I hated that endless decade when skinny jeans were in. I just have to accept that some clothes don't suit me. I wear maxi and midi dresses, wide leg trousers, straight legged jeans.

All I can suggest is, focus on finding clothes you really love in the styles that happen to suit you.

Long shorts aren't flattering. Go mid thigh length. But you will see lumps and bunps. Dont worry about the cellulite. Everyone has it.

Maybe capri pants would be a better look and feel ?

I have to hide my legs because of varicose veins. I can only wear long skirts or trousers.

I do love clothes and have many long skirts and dress and culottes and sandals for summer
getting a Jean to fit is tricky (I'm sure it is for everyone)

Skinny White jeans- the horror!

Seem we are all in the same boat.

I do think it lipodema stage one as I have episodes of sever unexplained leg pain.

As above the NHS will give me some painkillers and tell Me to lose weight!

Going to Matalan to buy some more clothes!

Thanks a you really cheered me up.

@Meadowwild

My legs are terrible and I have a BMI of 25. I think it's because I'm short, and I carry my excess weight on my legs and bum. I wear chub rub shorts and long skirts, that's a nice combo of cool in the heat but doesn't mean I'm looking despairing at the sight of my legs. Also means less sun tan lotion and shaving. I am envious of my friends with long, slender, tanned legs but as a short arse that was never going to be my win, I have to enjoy my good hair and boobs instead (I'd have preferred the legs!)!

Glad I made you smile!
I do agree with some of the others on this thread, whilst I won't be making a feature of my legs I'm also not missing out to keep them covered up - I'll still swim!

I've found my people! I'm fat now but even when I wasn't, I have excessive cellulite. I'm pale too so it looks vile. I'm determined not to be so fat next year.

I also have dark hair on practically blue skin and you can see every pore. Yuk!