Thread: why am i getting bigger?

I don't understand it! I started going back to the gym regularly about a month ago and it seems my thighs are getting bigger and I am not even working them out. I am only doing upper body/abs and then 1/2 hr on the elip 3 days a week. I am not working my legs on purpose because I have very "athletic" thighs and they bulk up fast. My husband calls them meaty thighs. I hate it! I want thighs the same size as my calfs. Instead my thighs are getting big and my belly looks all fleshy when I am doing so much abwork I feel like vomiting at the end of my workout. Anyone have any suggestions?

1) The eliptical seems to work legs more than any other machine. That's one of the reasons I like to use it.
2) They say that losing weight is 90% diet. I have to make sure I eat enough protein or I don't really notice a difference.
Just some suggestions to help you figure out what is wrong.....

Well first of all, you would look freakish if you had thighs the same size as your calves. Not even children have that ratio. Thighs HAVE to be thicker than Calves for you to be able to stand up. So lets be reasonable here.

Secondly, If you are a muscular person, you are blessed. Most people have problems getting that area to be nice and taught and muscular.

Thirdly, you are a bellydancer.... you need a feminine shape. Nothing screams "woman" like nice hips and a nice pair of legs (which include shapely thighs) Id be worried if they were getting flabby and jiggly... but if muscle is your problem... then you dont have a problem babe.

We are always our harshest critics. I would make sure that you are looking at yourself objectively and not comparing yourself to some distorted photo ideal that isnt real anyway. You are a gorgeous woman... and thats all... quit worrying about your thighs.

As a girl with turkey drumstick thighs, myself, I sympathize, but Amber is rght...cut yourself some slack, you need those curves!!

Are you hungrier after your workout? Counting calories in the food you eat afterward? Mrsnj20 is right about diet being the catalyst for weightloss.

Have you been drinking a lot of workout liquids, or consuming too much sodium, because those can help you retain liquid even if you are technically loosing fat.

HOWEVER...thighs the same size as your calves? Your thigh muscles would have to be so atrophied, or you calves would have to be so pumped up, that you literally wouldn't be able to walk. That is not normal.

Couple of thoughts.

1) Are you counting calories or otherwise keeping track of your intake? It's really common for people to work out, burn an extra 100-200 calories per day, then allow themselves an extra 800-1000 intake. It sounds crazy, but it's really common.

2) Are you actually measuring? Because if your thighs are the last place you hold weight, they may start *looking* larger when the areas around them (hips, calves) start shrinking.

3) Even Barbie doesn't have thighs the same as her calves. That's not realistic at all.

i like curvy gals

Originally Posted by Amber_moon

Well first of all, you would look freakish if you had thighs the same size as your calves. Not even children have that ratio. Thighs HAVE to be thicker than Calves for you to be able to stand up. So lets be reasonable here.

Secondly, If you are a muscular person, you are blessed. Most people have problems getting that area to be nice and taught and muscular.

Thirdly, you are a bellydancer.... you need a feminine shape. Nothing screams "woman" like nice hips and a nice pair of legs (which include shapely thighs) Id be worried if they were getting flabby and jiggly... but if muscle is your problem... then you dont have a problem babe.

We are always our harshest critics. I would make sure that you are looking at yourself objectively and not comparing yourself to some distorted photo ideal that isnt real anyway. You are a gorgeous woman... and thats all... quit worrying about your thighs.

AMEN! well said amber :) i had the hardest time in middle school and high school with my figure. i will always have thick thighs and a big butt (something very uncommon in my country) and i've finally learned to love it after many years of body image issues.
with that being said, you are a woman, embrace your curves! :)

give yourself some time to adjust to your new workout schedule. bodies do weird things when they start getting back in shape. don't stress.

ita: watch your diet & sodium.
also, as you know any new medication can change your metabolism too.
and of course try not to eat weird synthetic chemicals in your foods. they do things to our bodies...

perhaps try the treadmill instead of the elliptical? some people find the larger range of motion builds leaner looking muscles. not science, just some people's preference/observation

Originally Posted by stardancer

I don't understand it! I started going back to the gym regularly about a month ago and it seems my thighs are getting bigger and I am not even working them out. I am only doing upper body/abs and then 1/2 hr on the elip 3 days a week. I am not working my legs on purpose because I have very "athletic" thighs and they bulk up fast. My husband calls them meaty thighs. I hate it! I want thighs the same size as my calfs. Instead my thighs are getting big and my belly looks all fleshy when I am doing so much abwork I feel like vomiting at the end of my workout. Anyone have any suggestions?

How much resistance are you using on the eliptical? I would try to take some pilates mat classes. Remember when working out you always want to do less weight and more reps to stay long and lean. I have pilates friends who live out your way if you need some suggestions :)

Thanks for the dietary suggestions and advice ladies. I have not been consuming more calories than usual with the exception of having scrambled eggs with spinach a couple days a week instead of my usual whole grain cereal or oatmeal. I am 5'4 and weigh 112 pnds so I am not trying to lose weight so much as firm up. Not bulk up. That's why I have been avoiding doing any leg presses, etc and just doing the elip. I have it set to a 3 resistance and this machine goes up to 20. Maybe I will try a different cardio machine. I just hate the treadmill sooooo much. You know it's funny... I can work my arms till the cows come home and not get any definition but the legs start to bulk in a couple weeks. I guess I don't want my thighs as skinny as my calves but I would sure as hell would like to have Gisele's legs. Long and lean.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Couple of thoughts.

2) Are you actually measuring? Because if your thighs are the last place you hold weight, they may start *looking* larger when the areas around them (hips, calves) start shrinking.

I am guaging this observation based on the fact that my jeans are no longer fitting in the thighs, calves, (and have gotten tighter in the hips too). I had to go buy the next size up. I have gained a couple pounds when I figured I would probably lose a little because of the increase in activity. I really wanted all my measurements to stay the same but to look more toned. I think I am expecting too much.

Ah, well jean sizing is a great way to keep track. Then I don't know...

I've had the experience of doing everything 'right' and getting bigger, it sucks butt. You have my sympathy.

Originally Posted by stardancer

I guess I don't want my thighs as skinny as my calves but I would sure as hell would like to have Gisele's legs. Long and lean.

Maybe you should try swimming. I noticed that swimmers have lean muscular bodies.

Hi Stardancer,

I only have to look at the weight machines to put muscle on, and also have "meaty" thighs so I understand where you're coming from! Firstly, muscle is good. Secondly, you won't see the benefit of all the ab work if you carry weight around your middle. You'll feel it though! Love your body for what it is, and treat it well. On a more practical note I've found that pilates and Power Plate have been great for toning my body without adding bulk. I do a pilates class once a week and a short series of exercises on the Power Plate two or three times a week.

If you are 5'4" and only weigh 112 you are probably not talking about big pockets of body fat but untoned muscle, and if you have lost a lot of weight in the past, loose skin. You are right around the low end of healthy weight for a small boned woman of your height.

Since you are not trying to loose weight, but to tone up, choose your cardio for heart health and endurance rather than fat loss. Dancing probably keeps your quads and hamstrings in good shape. And like others have said, the elliptical does add some weight bearing to cardio.

What you might want to do is work on some functional fitness concentrating on your core. Swimming, pilates, work on a fitness ball, yoga, canoeing, gardening or yardwork, and maybe get a trainer to help you meet your specific goals.


Souzan

The other thing to bear in mind is that the first change to your body when you start an exercise programme will be an increase in muscle mass.

Because this happens more quickly than fat reduction you will see an increase in size at first. If you stick with a healthy eating programme and continue your exercise your body will gradually adjust and become leaner.
If you've got muscly thighs they aren't going to get thin, so learn to love them!

It is really about 95% myth that you can control the shape of your muscles by exercising different ways. "Toning" is not really a different process than "bulking up", its just a lesser amount of the same thing. Most of the time, "toning" just means ineffective strength training. Your genetic makeup for the most part determines how your muscles will respond to training. The whole concept of "high reps/low weight" for toning vs. "low reps/high weight" for bulking only has a slight effect on the outcome of a training regime in terms of your appearance (it can, however, affect muscle function in numerous ways). For more details on training myths, see this excellent site on women's strength training: stumptuous.com

If you are 5'4" and 112lb, you are already near the low end of your healthy weight parameters, which makes me wonder if this is a body image problem, not a body problem. There would be something terribly, terribly wrong with thighs the same circumference as calves...perhaps you need to work towards accepting your natural healthy body shape. I personally prefer muscular legs on both genders. Also, as you age, muscle is going to be the only thing to not let you down. Skin and fat will spread and sag, but well-trained muscle is always beautiful in form and function -- the eternal fountain of youth.

I just read this article on stumptuous.com It might be of interest to you:Strength without size: How to get stronger without getting bulky :: stumptuous.com

I prefer muscular legs too when they are proportionate to the rest of the body. If my arms and back were building muscle as easily as my legs it wouldn't be as bothersome. When you are working your arms like crazy and not working your legs at all, yet your legs are getting bigger and your arms the same... it is frustrating! When I was younger it was different. I was 100 pnds and had a very lean,muscular physique. Maybe I just need to accept the fact that I am middle aged and the ballerina body is a thing of the past...lol. I am just going to keep doing what my trainer recommended and see what happens in a couple months.

Thanks for the link Sedonia. Loved it. I just got a book called The New Rules of Weightlifting for Women that has a lot of the same type of info. I just started reading it.

Star, be sure to do a lot of stretching after your workouts as well. Stretching will keep the muscle long, which will give it a more slender look. Also, I'll echo the pilates recs--Odella, I still miss our workouts together! [But I still do the flexion series as part of my regular routine!!}

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Couple of thoughts.



3) Even Barbie doesn't have thighs the same as her calves. That's not realistic at all.

Actually, in some ballet dancers the calves and thighs are fairly close in size. But it takes a ton of diet and dance classes!

Fionna

Which, might I add, are HUGE! in comparison to the bone/muscle ratio.

Seriously, it boggled my mind when I saw it- All the ballet dancer legs I've seen have simply huge calves and thighs compared to the bone size-in other words, the leg looks like an hour glass unto itself...so i fully support the shapely leg.

well, here are a few things i've learned.

for one, women are designed to build lower body strength not upper body. it can be done, but it'll take A LOT of work.

also, different types of cardio do different things to your body. if you get your heart rate past a certain point, you will not be burning fat, but burning muscle and running mostly off of adrenaline. it's good to get your heart rate up for improving cardiovascualr health,but when it comes to fat burning you need to watch your bpm. i'm not sure what the exact munbers are but i think they can be "googled"

I also have to say that I strongly agree with the statement
"If you are 5'4" and 112lb, you are already near the low end of your healthy weight parameters, which makes me wonder if this is a body image problem, not a body problem."

not meaning to judge of course!

as for fiona's ballet refference ( not all) but very few ballerina's have a healthy BMI and I don't think those are realistic or healthy standards to measure oneself by.

not to mention, it's very normal gain a little weight over the winter, our bodies naturaly try to put on weight during the winter months to stay warm. ever notice that you crave lighter foods during the summer and heartier foods in the winter? ( maybe it's just me ! ^_^)

Good luck on your quest for a happy and healthy body!

oh another fun fact! typically women start to loose weight from the top down. ex...face, boobs, stomach...hips and thighs are usually the last to go! >_<

I am finding that even though I am dancing / walking / everything else much more at the moment, I have platued on the weight lose. I know that this is not unusual, but I also know that once I push through this, I'll see a significant drop. Something simular may be happening to you.

{{{HUGS}}}

Ok, now as someone who went through many years of being called "skinny bi***" and people saying insensitive things, please know that this is not meant at all as judgment or dismissal of what you're asking saying...but knowing how petite you are (from this post and others) I feel slightly inclined to ask (and please don't feel the need to answer), about how old are you?

It seems that, for many women, there are certain times when their bodies go through changes and redistribution that have little to do with diet or exercise, more to do with changing hormones. And this may not necessarily result in weight gain (sometimes it does, but sometimes the weight gain is minimal if at all), but stuff just...moves.

The first of these seems to hit around the late 20s when the body starts to change from the adolescent/early 20s body to a more womanly form--the hips and thighs may broaden a bit and sometimes the boobs get just a bit bigger. The skin on the abdomen also begins to change a bit. When this happened to me, my weight didn't change, by more than a pound or two, but the change in my body was initially a little upsetting until I got used to it. (I had a friend who referred to this as eons of evolution's way of the body's saying, "Hey, we notice you haven't had kids yet--just want to remind you--we got some apparatus here should you decide to do that....")

Another shift seems to happen sometime in the 30s. Actually, from what I hear, you can probably count on about one a decade....

Now on the other hand, if you were *gaining* lots of weight quickly and feeling very tired/having a hard time getting out of bed, but still working out and eating properly, that could be a thyroid problem and would be worth having checked...but that doesn't sound like what you're experiencing either.

Good chance you're body's just adjusting to a new workout regimine and/or other new circumstances. Given your weight-to-height ratio, you might expect to get a wee bit bigger all over over time, and it will actually probably look just fine and very proportional and beautiful, especially as you are working out and staying in good shape. Try to step back from the mirror a bit and take it all in...and as long as you're eating healthy, give your exercise plan some time to work. :-)

Originally Posted by 0Adara0

well, here are a few things i've learned.

for one, women are designed to build lower body strength not upper body. it can be done, but it'll take A LOT of work.

I'm not sure what you mean here. Women can make just as big a gains as men *relatively speaking* from both upper and lower body strength training. In other words, you take an untrained woman and put her on a strength training regime, she can increase her limit strength by at least as big of a percentage, possibly more, than the average untrained man that you put on a strength training regime. The average man will have more absolute strength than the average woman, but this has little to do with the individualized gains that each person can make from training.

also, different types of cardio do different things to your body. if you get your heart rate past a certain point, you will not be burning fat, but burning muscle and running mostly off of adrenaline. it's good to get your heart rate up for improving cardiovascualr health,but when it comes to fat burning you need to watch your bpm. i'm not sure what the exact munbers are but i think they can be "googled"

Its more complicated than that. Intense exercise that puts you into anaerobic metabolism has been poo-pooed for the average person for a long time, over low or moderate aerobic exercise.

However, there is a fair amount of evidence that training with intervals of intense anaerobic bursts (for example sprinting, or just going really fast on a bike or eliptical) elevates the body's natural levels of HGH (human growth hormone), which has many positive consequences including fat burning. HGH declines as we age, and is one of the major things responsible for middle aged spread, decreased energy, and other aging effects. Celebrities and rich people pay huge sums of money for HGH injections, which is expensive and has risky side effects. However, doing something that naturally increases HGH is free and safe.

A training method based on this research can be found in the book "Ready! Set! Go! Synergy Fitness for Time Crunched Adults" by Phil Campbell. Being a skeptic, I searched the primary scientific literature to make sure this was based on actual research, and it is. The main problem is that if you are out of shape, anaerobic exercise can lead to various injuries, so you have to train yourself carefully to prepare to do it. This reminds me that I need to get back to working towards that goal...

It sounds like when you were 100 pounds, you may have been too thin? A dear friend & dance partner of mine was 90 pounds as a ballerina...she just recently told me that. Her healthy weight is actually 135. At 90 pounds, she admitted, she was far too thin and unhealthy.