No Exercise=Down a Pant Size

raytae89

I stopped exercising about a month or so ago and i dropped a pant size. I wasn't even being conscious of what I was eating, but I'm fairly certain my intake went down some because of the lack of exercise. but a WHOLE pant size? Granted I don't look as fit, but I'm not sure how to find a balance between getting smaller, and bulking up. I have a muscular tendency, so when I exercise I just bulk up (even cardio,) so I'm not sure what to do. Help!

Disciplined74

Thank you for posting this because I felt the same way. I only recently started exercising but I feel bulky and not tight (like I did when I was just watching my calories). Everyone told me that I was just feeling that way becuase I was using muscles I hadn't used before, but I really think that some women just have a tendency to bulk up. And I think I'm one of those.

So I'll be watching your post to see what others say. Because I don't want bulk, I want tone.

Thanks,

Eva

hooah_mj

have you tried to focus primarily on burning fat and increasing muscle mass?

I find that when I get my heart rate in the 80% (percentile) I drop pounds, but don't necessarily add lots of muscle....

Uptopargolf

Thank you for posting this because I felt the same way. I only recently started exercising but I feel bulky and not tight (like I did when I was just watching my calories). Everyone told me that I was just feeling that way becuase I was using muscles I hadn't used before, but I really think that some women just have a tendency to bulk up. And I think I'm one of those.

So I'll be watching your post to see what others say. Because I don't want bulk, I want tone.

Thanks,

Eva

I highly doubt you were bulking up. It is extremely difficult / near impossible for women to get big. It is important to do cardio AND lift weights with a good diet, you will burn fat, and stay fit.

There is no such thing as 'tone'. You either add muscle, or lose fat, or lose muscle. (the worst). What you want to do is lose fat while maintaining muscle. So like above, do cardio and lift, with a good diet!



As for the post about not exercising and dropping a pant size..

The same applies to you, it is better to be in the bigger pant size with less fat and more muscle, rather than just be.. 'skinny fat' !

P.S. Most people underestimate how hard it actually is to put on muscle. It is hard for a guy, it is EXTREMELY hard for a women. You need to lift heavy weights, and eat tons of food.

veniceit

low impact workouts, like walk away the pounds or something?

yoga or pilates?

Ven

Christie_78

Hello

I am coming from a starting weight of 357 and I'm down to 275 currently. I started in March of 2010, and around the 2 month mark I started doing heavier exercising (not just walking). From my experience, I can tell you I was worried about getting bulky. I currently do not have that issue, if anything adding strength training to my cardio has made me feel firmer and tighter (especially in the jiggly areas, like arms and thighs). Given the amount of weight I know I have to lose, my pant size has gone down dramatically. To give you an idea, I started out at a 26 plus jean, I carry a lot of weight in my midsection. 80lbs down, and I'm in a size 18. Now, in the past when I have weighed 275 I was NOT in a size 18, but more like a 22. I know exercise has made the difference. Let me know if you want to know what I started with and the direction I'm going currently.....I still have 90 pounds to lose to hit my goal!! I'm not a professional, but I know what is working for me and I know I couldn't see these results without having exercise in my routine.

chrisdavey

Thank you for posting this because I felt the same way. I only recently started exercising but I feel bulky and not tight (like I did when I was just watching my calories). Everyone told me that I was just feeling that way becuase I was using muscles I hadn't used before, but I really think that some women just have a tendency to bulk up. And I think I'm one of those.

So I'll be watching your post to see what others say. Because I don't want bulk, I want tone.

Thanks,

Eva

I highly doubt you were bulking up. It is extremely difficult / near impossible for women to get big. It is important to do cardio AND lift weights with a good diet, you will burn fat, and stay fit.

There is no such thing as 'tone'. You either add muscle, or lose fat, or lose muscle. (the worst). What you want to do is lose fat while maintaining muscle. So like above, do cardio and lift, with a good diet!



As for the post about not exercising and dropping a pant size..

The same applies to you, it is better to be in the bigger pant size with less fat and more muscle, rather than just be.. 'skinny fat' !

P.S. Most people underestimate how hard it actually is to put on muscle. It is hard for a guy, it is EXTREMELY hard for a women. You need to lift heavy weights, and eat tons of food.

Agree with all of this

BoresEasily

I agree with everything uptopar said except he is forgetting that there are exceptions to the rule some people do find it very easy to bulk up, men and women. They aren't the majority by any means but they are out there. Body type plays a big role in it I think though.

izobel

I have to side with Uptopar too. I've weight trained, not with terribly much effort I must admit, but at least twice a week for the past twenty years and there has definitely been no bulking up. I wouldn't mind killer biceps! The only time you can see my muscles is when there is no fat covering them. Good strong muscles help protect the joints, make lugging anything sooo much easier, burn more calories and take up much less space than lighter fat. BoresEasily I'm sure is correct that some people are "different" but I'd guess they'd be pushing a load of heavy weights very often and chugging back protein powders and drinks. I've never seen a bulky woman at my gym.
Good luck with the weight loss and please don't give up on the exercise!!