My thighs look like bags of potatoes

Enna10

I'm just over 20lbs into a (hopefully) 100lbs weight loss. I'm happy with my progress and feeling much better about myself. Until I looked down today while dressing and was horrified by the state of my thighs.
I'm pear shaped and carry a lot of weight there, before they were chunky but smooth. Now they are just as chunky but rippled and dimpled all over. They look dreadful, I know it will pass eventually but I go on holiday in three weeks and they look worse than when I started. You can cover over a flabby tummy with a swimsuit but thighs are on display

jorichards2

Just focus on the end result. Make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids and try to reduce caffeine. You could try daily moisturising your legs and mix it with a little fake tan or by a moisturiser with fake tan in it. It will help to make the skin look smoother! If you’re really worried buy yourself a nice sarong to cover up whilst your walking around.

At the end of the day no one else will notice and if you look at everyone else they will all have little imperfections. Just be pleased with your slimmer body.

zyxst

My thighs are lumpy and wrinkly with the general melted candle look. I don't have advice on how to make thighs look better when you want to show them off. I don't care as I usually dress for comfort rather than style. I do have a 2 piece bathing suit with a skirt bottom that hides a bit of my thighs. If anyone did comment on how horrible my thighs look, I tell them I've lost a lot of weight and that's what happens.

Have a wonderful vacation!

livingleanlivingclean

I find my fat changes and goes through a terrible stage like you've noticed.... It does get better though!

Do you spend your holiday looking at what other people look like? I don't! I understand you might not feel comfortable with yourself, but most other people won't spare your legs a thought - go out and have fun! Sarongs are always handy for coverups.

Lounmoun

I think other people do not notice these things as much as we do. As I lost weight one of my breasts became noticeably smaller than the other so I look lopsided. It is very noticeable to me but dh didn't really notice.

Maybe you could get a sarong wrap cover up if you feel self concious out of the water.

ninerbuff

People don't bother even looking. Like you they are more concerned about their own appearance because they BELIEVE everyone is looking at them and judging.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Enna10

Thank you for your replies. I know people don't look, it's just a little disappointing after all this hard work to be going away feeling slightly worse about myself. I should instead focus on the lovely new clothes I've bought to show off my emerging waist, the energy I have now for long beach walks and generally a feeling of wellness.... potato thighs, please hurry up and go!

pinuplove

Enna10 wrote: »

Thank you for your replies. I know people don't look, it's just a little disappointing after all this hard work to be going away feeling slightly worse about myself. I should instead focus on the lovely new clothes I've bought to show off my emerging waist, the energy I have now for long beach walks and generally a feeling of wellness.... potato thighs, please hurry up and go!

Unfortunately, the middle part of weight loss seems to be the worst, appearance-wise. At least in my case. The remaining fat has an annoying tendency to sag and pull things down with it It gets better the closer you get to goal!

whitpauly

I'm pretty much at goal but my thighs are awful too i just ended up buying a bathing suit that has shorts and a floaty top,its ok tho cuz even if my body were perfect I don't think I'd be comfortable in a bikini anyhoo

try2again

Between loose skin and varicose & spider veins, my legs are a mess. I love bike-short or board-short style swim bottoms.

snemberton

Are you just cutting calories, or are you exercising too? I've found I am more tolerant of my "thunder thighs" as they shrink, because I can feel the muscles underneath them getting more dense and strong.

Diatonic12

It took me well over 2 years to 'release' 100 lbs. I say releasing instead of losing because I have no intention of finding them again.

During the process everything is going to shift in your body. The belly becomes a factory for the weight releasing. It's going to take on all kinds of shapes, mostly soft, rolling hills after hills. I can remember the number of rolls that were there and how far my fingers and hands could sink into those deep rolls. It was scary at times. I wondered what in the world was going on.

Legs took on the same soft texture but I just kept tooling along. I started swimming right out the chute and kept moving every day I could, doing something that I actually enjoyed. Some people wait until all of the weight releasing is done before they exercise. You don't want to do that. Building up the muscle mass under the skin is a very slooooow process. There is no way you can drop it like it's hot and build up muscle mass at the same time. That is imaginary thinking.

Don't worry about the legs. That's just part of the process. The inches have to catch up with the pounds. It's the body's natural preservation of your total landscape. Your skin, bones, joints, internal organs, brain...everything. Gooooo slooooow and do not worry about your legs.
Much love.

dhiammarath

Last weekend, I was literally like "ugh omg my thighs wtf body" and this weekend I noticed that they'd improved. I loooove swimming and walking and all that, so I get a good amount of exercise. But as others have suggested, there are annoying transitional phases when things looks weird. When you poke your belly and wonder what the heck is going on.

But then it changes. Over time, everything changes. But still, I'd rather cellulite in my thighs than being almost 80lbs heavier! I don't think you can *do* anything except power through it and keep on going!

Good luck on your weight loss!!

Enna10

Unfortunately I'm not able to exercise at the moment. In the beginning I was going to the gym, a mixture of cardio and weights, followed by a half hour swim 3x a week. I then injured my knee during a walk through the woods and six weeks later I still can't walk or climb stairs properly. I tried just swimming but it's painful and causes my knee to be worse over the next few days. I've seen my doctor this last week who has referred me for an mri scan to see what's going on. Hopefully it will soon heal and I can start going again, but atm it's painful just walking.

AnnPT77

Enna10 wrote: »

Unfortunately I'm not able to exercise at the moment. In the beginning I was going to the gym, a mixture of cardio and weights, followed by a half hour swim 3x a week. I then injured my knee during a walk through the woods and six weeks later I still can't walk or climb stairs properly. I tried just swimming but it's painful and causes my knee to be worse over the next few days. I've seen my doctor this last week who has referred me for an mri scan to see what's going on. Hopefully it will soon heal and I can start going again, but atm it's painful just walking.

Just a suggestion: Almost no matter what the underlying problem is, consider asking your doctor for a physical therapy referral, too. I got one when I had knee pain from a torn meniscus. My orthopedist was hesitant about giving it to me, saying there was no way PT could treat/cure the condition. But when I told him I wanted PT to help me learn ways to walk and climb stairs that would reduce strain on the joint, he got on board. And it turned out that the PT folks were very helpful in that regard. (Icing after any workout also helps me, but that may be more condition-specific.)

Enna10

Thanks Ann I'll suggest that to my gp, he thinks it's probably bursitis but he is not sure.

GoodLardy

@Enna10 I found myself thinking of you today, remembering I had seen this post a few days ago. I have been consistently exercising for about two months now, ( I know that’s not a long time) rowing, walking, hiking. I’ve been feeling great , even with subluxation of the knee, so I thought surely my butt looks fantastic. Well, I took a look, and no, it looks much worse, like the sack of potatoes you mention! It made me think of the time in high school where a guy from a neighboring town said he would never date anyone from our town because the girls all had potato butts. Anyhow , just saying hang in there and I feel your pain

nettiklive

I just read you can't exercise, which is too bad because that was going to be my advice. Not just exercise but strength training! It's been a god send for my lumpy, flabby, pear-shaped thighs and butt! I've been 110 lbs at 5'4 and my legs were STILL flabby because I had NO muscle tone. I hated cardio but still did hours of it and nothing. I discovered lifting and, even though I'm still very much a noob and am not really following a structured program, my legs are finally looking firmer and shapelier with some definition, even though I put on a few lbs of fat as well. And my cankles are looking better too

categ78

Spray tan and a sarong/& maxi skirt or two are my holiday essentials

Arizona_C

try2again wrote: »

Between loose skin and varicose & spider veins, my legs are a mess. I love bike-short or board-short style swim bottoms.

These ones you can get treated for cosmetic reasons. In France, its dermatologists who treat it locally with injections. The selected vein is being closed by the injection, the blood will use another vein to circulate.

It painful but takes 5 minutes. Completely worth it

nowine4me

livingleanlivingclean wrote: »

I find my fat changes and goes through a terrible stage like you've noticed.... It does get better though!
.

This is SOOOO True. Get a dark spray tan and have fun!!

100_PROOF_

I agree about the tan. It really helps hide imperfections. You don't have to go full on trump style spray tan but a nice glow might really help!

GrumpyHeadmistress

Enna10 wrote: »

Thank you for your replies. I know people don't look, it's just a little disappointing after all this hard work to be going away feeling slightly worse about myself. I should instead focus on the lovely new clothes I've bought to show off my emerging waist, the energy I have now for long beach walks and generally a feeling of wellness.... potato thighs, please hurry up and go!

I want to give you a huge hug! 🤗

You’re absolutely right - focus on the massive thing you’ve achieved for yourself by losing all that weight. Try not to focus on the little niggles about a bump or lump here and there.

Society gives us completely unrealistic images of perfect bodies that most of us, even if we lost huge amounts of weight and had surgery, will never achieve.

Try to love your amazing body for everything it does for you. You are a star - shine.

SummerSkier

they will get better eventually. Be patient. I wore running capri tights for a long time and that might work short term for a vacation too? I do have some loose old lady skin on them when I stand a certain way but I never ever thought I would wear shorts again - lumpy cellulite and fat thighs.