THIN shapely elongated legs and thigh gap cellulite diet yoga Self acceptance Beauty
ODE TO LEGS
Thick thighs and legs? And what to do about it 😀
by Laura Jones-Miller
thighs legs inner thigh self acceptance function cellulite genes vegan vegetarian diets
Legs are one of those body parts that are gifted to us from the good old gene pool box. Kind of like the nose. I look in the mirror when I miss my dad…because there is his nose looking right at me…I also have his two front overlapping teeth…genetics. I figure if my nose can blow, breath in and out, whistle when it’s stuffy, and run when I eat soup…that I got a pretty good deal. One of the nostrils is smaller than the other…just like dads…That’s just how the deal works.
I know that we THINK we’d like to change our imperfections…but really, it is a concept that is getting out of hand. Every time I open a magazine or watch television I find that my new hairdo, or my fat “Brunswick Bowling Ball” booty had lost it’s “TRENDING NOW” status…It is just crazy thinking you have to keep up with the media’s split second attention span…it is just not possible…To me, this new leg thing is really silly. To be “in” right now you need to have a “riding a horse” gap between your legs…Come on man…really!!?? How in the heck are you going to do that if you are not built tall and very slender…I am pretty sure that if I died and got dug up… my freaking thighs would still be rubbing together! Again, the gene pool. And seriously, I do not think that a lover, spouse, or a partner would say to you, (unless this is your natural build), “Wow, you look sexy when you are emaciated. I especially like the huge gap between your legs”. I gotta believe that a certain amount of fleshiness is a really nice thing to grab onto in the dark.
While the gene pool does make some body alterations impossible…there ARE some things we can do for a positive change. Our largest leg concern should be the condition they are in. Are the joints healthy and pain free?…do they hop, skip, and jump good? You really learn to appreciate a healthy body part when one isn’t functioning well. The amazing thing is that long or short, thin or meaty, knobby or smooth… makes no difference in how they function. So everyone with healthy, functioning legs out there give a little shout of gratitude!
Now for a look at the cosmetic appearance of the leg. Is there anything we can do to improve them? Sure there is. The most important things we can do to improve our legs appearance is
1. yoga and exercise, which builds and tones muscle. Well developed and toned muscle beneath the skins surface smooth the appearance of cellulite. It also replaces some of the body fat with muscle,
2. maintaining a healthy body weight (which reduces the amount of excess fat from beneath the skins surface) and,
3. Eating a healthy, low in fat diet which is mainly plant based (even better when raw… and chosen from all of the five produce color groups…red, yellow, green, purple, and white),
4. drinking enough water to stay hydrated, and
5. eliminating foods cooked in oils…no heated oils! (especially if you are working to reduce dimpling and cellulite). If you eat oils they should be polyunsaturated and in VERY small amounts. And junk food!!!…… well there should be NO junk food…none!  I’m not writing this to torture you (Ali here -Laura common, admit it! – you are!!!! 🙂 ) …It is just fact…you are the one who will make the choice to eliminate it or not… because like all the old wives say…”You might as well skip eating it and plaster it directly to your thighs!!! And, if you know any old wives…I’d say they can often be a very reliable source of information on excess thigh fat! It is all about making choices…
I know everyone wants to hear that there is a magic cream or pill that will help with the appearance of cellulite and excess fat. Save your money…There isn’t. I know from personal experience that the only way to improve the appearance of your legs/ your body is through extreme effort and hard work. You have to stop eating an unhealthy diet…stop rewarding yourself with food. You have to practice a strenuous yoga plan, one like Ali has outlined for you in so many beautiful forms (something for everyone) on her Interval Yoga Web Site. You know her program works because look at Ali…No one waived a magic wand over her…she did the work! And because she is the kind and amazing person she is, she shared everything she learned from experience with us.  Because of her we all have the opportunity to be our best us…In all our differing and beautiful sizes and shapes. And we are all beautiful…all the way through…inside and out.
PS I little birdie told me she has a new yoga class for us all focusing on legs. Thank you Ali! I’ll bet if I ask her nice, she will include a lovely picture of her super strong gams!
With love, and (genetic) Brunswick Buns 🙂 …xoxoxc, Laura
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Laura, your writing style is so engaging, friendly, dynamic and hysterical!!
May I ask one (insecurity based) question? 🙂
It’s amazing to look at Ali and know, “WOW, she has a fantastic body just from doing Interval Yoga!” It’s also easy to say, “That’s just her genetics!”
I’ve been a hardcore exerciser for most of my life. This includes becoming a personal trainer, hours and hours in the gym, heavy weights, light weights, plyometrics and a handful of marathons. To be quite honest, I plum tired of most of it and have found sweet respite, challenge and fun in Ali’s style of yoga. It’s a different kind of physical and emotional peace too that I don’t find from all the other means of exercise.
Is it possible to be strong, in excellent shape, lean and healthy by doing only Interval Yoga workouts like Ali’s? Is that what you do? Because girl, I’ve seen your picture and you’ve got a Bombshell butt 🙂
Thanks for your time and friendship here!
Abby another thing about working out hard for a long period of time is that it can actually put the body under so much stress that it can produce some negative side effects. example – marathon runners. also working out till failure although good every so often is just such a negative concept to project to your subconscious mind. not great for the joints either. things i used to study for example bodybuilders that do the working out till “failure” approach vs powerlifting vs working out only for the first few strongest reps… etc. many approaches. i am using what i consider to be most effective in my approach and i think its not a coincidence that it seems easier yet it works 😀
Thank you! I know you’re right 🙂
When I work out in the gym I tend to get very bulky muscles (some people have short muscles …have nothing to to with height because I’m pretty tall)…it is also a genetic thing…with Ali HIIT and yoga combo I have just as much muscle tone…just a longer, sleeker profile.
thats interesting. because we all know that people with short limbs can look very very buff quickly. also long torsos can get more defined abs…
Hey Benjity, It’s nice to hear from you again. I am going to try my best to give you an accurate answer to your question. 1. The butt is inherited from my mom, her mom, and her mom (and so on)…These are the three butts I have personal knowledge of, four counting my own…I know that without diet and exercise their butts got very big, very lumpy, and very droopy. I was lucky as a kid because my dad wanted a boy and I started weight lifting with him when I was about 16. However, after 4 kids (with moderate weight gain each time…about 30 lbs)…I found weight lifting was not enough. I tried all of the aerobics classes, kick boxing (kickboxing did help some with the butt…but the repetitiveness made it hard to hold my interest), running…which is really hard on a body with a lot of T and A… I started yoga at 16 as well but it was more of the peaceful, meditative style…I don’t think anyone had come up with a power yoga, like we do, yet. I discovered a power yoga teacher about 17 years ago. You start out slowly because power, or interval yoga is pretty difficult…you have to learn to be able to focus, balance, contort and maintain with stamina all at one time…so, it takes time…I did see results pretty quickly, but not the dramatic ones I experience now until I hit an intermediate level, practiced on a regular schedule, which is for me, 6 days a week. The most dramatic change in skin, surface appearance of my thighs and butt, body tone, and my weight occurred with the diet change. I was already a long time vegan…but we all know there are plenty of not so healthy vegan foods to be made and eaten. The raw lowfat (80/10/10) diet that I learned from Ali is what put me over the top. I went from good to great pretty quickly with the diet change. Also, when I do the interval yoga, I really do it. If the direction is to hold chataranga for 20 seconds…I hold for 20 seconds or until I literally collapse. I always do the second chataranga if I am able. The exercises that seem to have done the most for butt and thighs are the lunges…in all of the variations. The plies’ in a side lunge hold where your butt is sticking out a bit is so effective for me I can feel my thighs begging to be released …and I can feel the effects for several days after…I guess the point I am trying to make is that you have to keep pushing yourself…You have to give up all the comforts of the foods you love… and trade out for another group of foods that you will come to love. It is not an easy thing to do, and it doesn’t happen overnight…But, it will happen if you keep at it. I am now getting to see the results of what happens to an aging body under these stringent practices. I am nearly sixty and I have very little wrinkling ( a bit around my eyes). no neck lines or sagging ( in yoga you use all your muscles…even face and neck muscles), and the diet is proven to assist in producing collagen in the body. I am very strong and can so all of the balancing postures including a Rocket Handstand (thank you ALI)…We will see as time goes on what the results will be. It is pretty hard to do sometimes but I come from a very long line of early cancer deaths…I would like to avoid that if possible. The phsical and cosmetic results, for me, are just proof that there are very good and healthy things going on inside of me. It is nice to look good but it isn’t what I am all about…Me, I am an eccentric artist and that IS a lot of who I am. Benjity, if you work steadily without feeling that the changes need to be immediate, enjoy the process, enjoy the health benefits, I promise you that you will see results…Everyone is different so give yourself the credit you deserve for your hard work and enjoy your personal growth. If I can do anything to help you, please let me know. If you will request to friend me on facebook, I will inbox you my email address. I hope I answered your question…xoxox,Laura
Laura that was fun to read 😀 my dad wanted a boy too 😀 and i also come from a long line of big butts on one side of the family <3 to me yoga goes way beyond the physical benefits - but the physical benefits just happen to be better than most other workouts out there....
Sorry about the typo…physical change
Laura, thanks for the invite to “friend” you on FB. I absolutely will!
Thanks for your insights and taking the time to answer. I know these things, I do. I eat very well and push hard. I think the mental shift from “workout until you’re dying” and “pain means gain” to the idea of exercise as way to enjoy and care for my body is just a bit hard for me. It’s such a paradigm shift from what most of American culture teaches and emphasizes.
You’re a treasure. Thanks again for your time and insight!
PS. How do I find you on FB? What’s your name on there?
Hey Benjity, Thank you, You are such a lovely friend as well…I appreciate the time you take to support us. Facebook name is facebook.com/laurajones-miller1…I am not to fabulous with computers!!! I really try though! xoxox, L
My neckline was gone after yoga. and my body weight is back to teenage time because of yoga tooooo…