Legs getting bigger not smaller!

d_northrop

Hi all, I work out about 5 to 6 times a week in a gym. I have lost 18 pounds since September and i am still in the same pant size! I do a lot of cardio and arm lifting. Started doing a little of running. Was never in any sports so dont know much about working out! I love working out but I feel my legs are bigger then they were 18 pounds ago!! I would love to lose inches and still gain that muscle!!! Thanks all any advice helps!!!

kaygirlhey

Unfortunately you can't "spot lose" from certain areas of the body. With fat, the first to go on is the last to come off usually. Have you actually measured your legs with measuring tape? They might actually be smaller and you might not realize it! You can tone your legs and once the fat comes off from calorie burn, they will be more shapely but if your legs have always been a problem area, the fat deposit there will probably be last to go

d_northrop

kaygirlhey wrote: »

Unfortunately you can't "spot lose" from certain areas of the body. With fat, the first to go on is the last to come off usually. Have you actually measured your legs with measuring tape? They might actually be smaller and you might not realize it! You can tone your legs and once the fat comes off from calorie burn, they will be more shapely but if your legs have always been a problem area, the fat deposit there will probably be last to go

Thanks I was in a six week online chellange and tomorrow I ll see the inches part of it! Yes legs have always been a problem area I will keep working harder and be patient.

sardelsa

For some women, the legs will be a place they retain fat and it can be the last place for it to come off. Are you doing any lifting for the lower body? You mentioned only upper body. If you don't work the lower, you run the risk of losing more muscle there and they won't be as defined or lean when you get to goal. Some women find they retain water when they lift so they think they are gaining a lot of muscle and get freaked out. But in reality this doesn't really happen. I go down many pant sizes when I lift in a deficit despite having a lot of muscle in my legs.

cwolfman13

You "feel" as though they are bigger? If that's the case, it's in your head...have you actually taken measurements? For many women, the lower body is primary fat stores...primary fat stores are a first on, last off proposition.

If you've lost 18 Lbs I can pretty much guarantee that your legs haven't actually gotten bigger.

jjpptt2

I agree with the others...

18lbs lost is far more significant than what you "feel" is happening. Don't get me wrong... I absolutely get the mental part of it. But focus on the numbers and trust the process. What you're doing is clearly working.

funjen1972

I had a similar issue. I swear my stomach got bigger as I lost weight. It didn't, but everything else got smaller so it *looked* bigger in comparison. Eventually everything evened out. Its just part of the process.

Be patient and use data based conclusions, such as measurements.

lorrpb

Do you "feel" your legs are bigger or have you actually measured them in the exact same spot? What was your starting measurement, and when, and what is it now? What location on the leg do you measure?

TavistockToad

lorrpb wrote: »

Do you "feel" your legs are bigger or have you actually measured them in the exact same spot? What was your starting measurement, and when, and what is it now? What location on the leg do you measure?

This

kami3006

Measure and take pictures. It really helps when our brain is trying to fake us out.

CarvedTones

The bulk of calf muscles are on the back of the leg closer to the knee than the ankle. When I lost a lot of weight, I thought I had gained a massive amount of muscle there because the proportions changed so much, but it turns out they are actually smaller; some pants that were too tight there now fit fine.

sophiaeleanora

I want to understand the concept of

kaygirlhey wrote: »

... With fat, the first to go on is the last to come off usually....

Does it mean that if I gain a few lbs of fat, let's say on my legs, and I then lose the same amount of lbs of fat. Is it then possible that I lose the fat from, let's say anywhere on my upper body, instead of the fat I recently gained on my legs?

That would mean that jojo-dieting, losing and gaining the same amount of weight over a long period of time, actually shapes my body into a, in this case, pear shape?

Just curious how it works, if someone wants to explain! Sorry if hijacking/off topic

jjpptt2

sophiaeleanora wrote: »

I want to understand the concept of

kaygirlhey wrote: »

... With fat, the first to go on is the last to come off usually....

Does it mean that if I gain a few lbs of fat, let's say on my legs, and I then lose the same amount of lbs of fat. Is it then possible that I lose the fat from, let's say anywhere on my upper body, instead of the fat I recently gained on my legs?

That would mean that jojo-dieting, losing and gaining the same amount of weight over a long period of time, actually shapes my body into a, in this case, pear shape?

Just curious how it works, if someone wants to explain! Sorry if hijacking/off topic

No, it does't really work that way. It's not linear... as in the the first 5lbs go to your problem area every time you gain, and the first 5 come off someone else every time you lose. It doesn't really compound like that (usually). Most people will keep similar proportions as they gain/lose fat unless they are at the extremes (for lack of a better word) of body composition. You can certainly change your shape with resistance training and intentional muscle development, though.

baconslave

kami3006 wrote: »

Measure and take pictures. It really helps when our brain is trying to fake us out.

This!!!

I'm coming up on my 3-year maintenance anniversary, and I still look at myself and feel like I'm fat. I need measurements, pics, and taking conscious note of how my clothes fit and that they aren't a big size to remind me that my mind is a trifflin' punk.

kimny72

sophiaeleanora wrote: »

I want to understand the concept of

kaygirlhey wrote: »

... With fat, the first to go on is the last to come off usually....

Does it mean that if I gain a few lbs of fat, let's say on my legs, and I then lose the same amount of lbs of fat. Is it then possible that I lose the fat from, let's say anywhere on my upper body, instead of the fat I recently gained on my legs?

That would mean that jojo-dieting, losing and gaining the same amount of weight over a long period of time, actually shapes my body into a, in this case, pear shape?

Just curious how it works, if someone wants to explain! Sorry if hijacking/off topic

There's not a science to it like that. It just means that everyone genetically has an area that their body seems to prefer storing fat. And it's usually that last place you are fluffy when the rest of you is skinny. For many it's the lower stomach, or the hips.

hesn92

I think it's all in your head. Women usually store most of the fat in their lower half so that's probably why you haven't dropped a pant size, but I doubt they've actually gotten bigger. Maybe they just look bigger in proportion to the rest of your body which has gotten smaller.