Thighs getting...bigger with increased workouts

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minus15go
minus15go Posts: 27
in Fitness and Exercise
I workout at least 50min 5 days per week. I either run outside or I do circuit training workout video's such as Jillian Michaels "No More Trouble Zones" or "Banish Fat Boost Metabolism".

My normal/goal weight is 125. I started a profile on MFP because my weight had crept up to 130 and I wanted to stop gaining weight before it got out of hand. But now that I am working out consistently I have gained 5 more pounds and am now at 135...and it seems to all be in my thighs. Some of my favorite jeans practically cut off the circulation in my thighs if I try and squeeze into them.

I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. Are there certain workouts that are better for specific body types?

I see so many people on here losing weight and I just can't seem to find the right formula for myself. I know I don't have a lot of weigh to lose, but if I keep gaining like this I will!

Any advice?
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Replies

  • cobygrey
    cobygrey Posts: 270 Member
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    I just viewed your diary. I think you are gain weight because you aren't eating enough. It looks like you are leaving 600-1000 exercise calories a day. You should really eat a little more. Maybe eat back at least 200-300 more of your exercise calories and see what happens.

    /Does Anyone else feel the same?:wink:
  • Chelsinicole63
    Chelsinicole63 Posts: 62 Member
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    I felt the same way when I started...
    For me, my thighs got quite a bit larger when I started working out, but then they started to shrink
    I also have the no trouble zones workout, and I only do it twice a week max, and the rest of my workouts are running.
    power walking is also great because it tones the muscles really well without enlarging them too much

    I also agree with the post above me, if you only have a little to lose, it is very important that you eat exercise calories or your body will start gaining weight.
  • fitandhealthy
    fitandhealthy Posts: 82 Member
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    I'm sure there is a more "technical" term for this that the experts can offer you, but in layman's terms, it sounds like your body was already going into that direction of gaining, and you will need to give it more time to reverse into the other direction of losing weight. Really, you need to give it more time, keep excersizing, watching what you eat, and you will see results.
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
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    I agree with coby! you shouldn't have more than 475 extra exercise calories a day bc there is already a 500 calorie deficit.

    Also, the muscle is making your thighs bigger bc the weight isn't coming off. Eat more to feul those muscles and they will help you loose more weight.

    Also, I noticed that when I limited my intense work outs to 35-38 minutes a day (instead of 45-55, during my 2 week plateau) and ate more, the weight started coming off quickly.
  • MariaATX
    MariaATX Posts: 14
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    Did you just recently increase your workout intensity? If so, your muscles and body are in an adjustment period.
    You will see results soon....no worries, give it another week or so.
  • ladysw357
    ladysw357 Posts: 43
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    You may be building muscle mass. Increased muscle mass will add weight until the fat comes off. Also, one thing you can do is have your body fat measured. A higher weight can be fine as long as it is muscle instead of fat.
  • mcondi
    mcondi Posts: 1
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    I have been doing T25 for about 3 weeks now, it's a 10 week program. My thighs have also gotten bigger! Not toned, still gross (haha). Also, I have not lost 1 pound. The workouts are 25 mins a day 6 days a week and very intense. I am doing cardio and lunges, squats, everything under the sun and sweating like crazy with every workout! My diet for the most part is clean, a few cheat days here n there, I just don't understand why this is not working!! Getting very discouraged. I'm 5'4" 128 lbs, I know I don't have that much to lose but it's like nothing is happening at all!! Someone help!!
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
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    I have been doing T25 for about 3 weeks now, it's a 10 week program. My thighs have also gotten bigger! Not toned, still gross (haha). Also, I have not lost 1 pound. The workouts are 25 mins a day 6 days a week and very intense. I am doing cardio and lunges, squats, everything under the sun and sweating like crazy with every workout! My diet for the most part is clean, a few cheat days here n there, I just don't understand why this is not working!! Getting very discouraged. I'm 5'4" 128 lbs, I know I don't have that much to lose but it's like nothing is happening at all!! Someone help!!

    In my experience, when you are at a healthy weight and either maintaining or trying to lose just a few more, it is very very difficult! For me it has been months and months of experimenting with numbers, and I'm still not seeing consistent results! I am going to try and paste a helpful link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm

    It contains a link to a very good calculator to help estimate calories burned each day.

    Good luck.
  • paj315
    paj315 Posts: 335 Member
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    are you sure it's fat and not muscle gain in your thighs? I have had a simlair problem. I have two pairs of jeans that I can't wear because my quads and glutes have muscled up from heavy squats! I'm ok with it though because my goals are strength related and not scale related, yours are obviously different.

    I agree with the several above that it's probably calorie related :)
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    You may be building muscle mass. Increased muscle mass will add weight until the fat comes off. Also, one thing you can do is have your body fat measured. A higher weight can be fine as long as it is muscle instead of fat.

    No, the OP isn't gaining muscle mass. As stated before, the OP can be in a deficit of up to 1000 calories.

    Besides being in a deficit.....Gaining muscle is EXTREMELY hard......for males. It takes hours of progressive overload training, and an on point diet that includes a surplus of calories. It's exponentially harder for females. It could take a professional bodybuilding female 6-12 months to put on 5lbs of muscle mass.

    OP, if you just started exercising your body is most likely retaining water. Your body will do that for muscle repair when you up the intensity of a current regimen, or add a complete new one. After a few weeks, your body adjusts and the water flushes.

    Also, as others have said....eat back at least SOME of those exercise calories and fuel your body.
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
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    It always feels like I can't lose when I am doing any significant amount of strength training. Even when i am eating at a deficit. I think it must be the water retention. It is very frustrating and confusing.

    From January first through the 4th week of march, I upped my focus on strength, dropped pure cardio to two days a week ( my strength training did include some cardio circuits--like maybe 10 minutes total of a 40 minute workout). I gained 4 lbs the first month, then lost a couple and finally gained one back. Then at the end of march out of frustration, and also because I was travelling, I changed my eating goal to maintenance, and cut way back on strength (mostly because when travelling, and with other scheduling concerns, it was easier to just include cardio). I almost immediately dropped over a pound. And I was eating significantly more than for the three months before! Yesterday I lifted again. And of course my weight is right back up over a pound again.

    Now I try not to freak out over fluctuations, but over the past year I have seen my weight go consistently up while doing more weight/strength training. Maybe it is because of decreased cardio/calorie burn. Maybe it is water. Everyone tells me it is not muscle b/c "you're a woman and can't build muscle easily, plus you are not eating surplus. . . ".

    So what is it? Very frustrating is what it is!! I am with you there OP. Luckily, (or perhaps not) my legs don't bulk up easily. Unluckily, my body stores fat on my abs, while my butt shrinks. Wish there was an easy answer here! I will be reading others' answers. . .
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    You are retaining water.
  • kirstinethornburg
    kirstinethornburg Posts: 300 Member
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    it might be that you are gaing some muscle as welland that muscle weight could be higher
  • gerla_k
    gerla_k Posts: 495 Member
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    I have been doing T25 for about 3 weeks now, it's a 10 week program. My thighs have also gotten bigger! Not toned, still gross (haha). Also, I have not lost 1 pound. The workouts are 25 mins a day 6 days a week and very intense. I am doing cardio and lunges, squats, everything under the sun and sweating like crazy with every workout! My diet for the most part is clean, a few cheat days here n there, I just don't understand why this is not working!! Getting very discouraged. I'm 5'4" 128 lbs, I know I don't have that much to lose but it's like nothing is happening at all!! Someone help!!
    Oh finally, I'm not alone !!! :) I'm on week 4 of T25- didn't lose a pound!!! :angry: Been doing everything right, sweating like crazy- and was getting discouraged seeing how other's dropping pounds like crazy :) lol
    A actually gained 3-4 lbs BUT i can sqeeze into one size smaller pants. so hang in there . I know exactly how you feel. :wink:
    ETA: i don't have much to lose either - I'm already in my healthy range, so i'm thinking that's the reason why the scale isn't moving ?
  • gerla_k
    gerla_k Posts: 495 Member
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    it might be that you are gaing some muscle as welland that muscle weight could be higher

    you can't gain muscle while on calorie deficit. sorry.
  • dylan1965
    dylan1965 Posts: 10
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    your thighs getting bigger just means the muscles are growing

    if you would like your thighs to be smaller, you need to eat at a deficit

    this will help cut the fat our of your legs, and now that you have 'bulked' your legs and gained muscles, they will look THAT much more toned.

    sidebar: ladies with big strong thighs is sexy.
  • gerla_k
    gerla_k Posts: 495 Member
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    your thighs getting bigger just means the muscles are growing

    if you would like your thighs to be smaller, you need to eat at a deficit

    this will help cut the fat our of your legs, and now that you have 'bulked' your legs and gained muscles, they will look THAT much more toned.

    sidebar: ladies with big strong thighs is sexy.
    :noway:
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    You may be building muscle mass. Increased muscle mass will add weight until the fat comes off. Also, one thing you can do is have your body fat measured. A higher weight can be fine as long as it is muscle instead of fat.

    No, the OP isn't gaining muscle mass. As stated before, the OP can be in a deficit of up to 1000 calories.

    Besides being in a deficit.....Gaining muscle is EXTREMELY hard......for males. It takes hours of progressive overload training, and an on point diet that includes a surplus of calories. It's exponentially harder for females. It could take a professional bodybuilding female 6-12 months to put on 5lbs of muscle mass.

    OP, if you just started exercising your body is most likely retaining water. Your body will do that for muscle repair when you up the intensity of a current regimen, or add a complete new one. After a few weeks, your body adjusts and the water flushes.

    Also, as others have said....eat back at least SOME of those exercise calories and fuel your body.

    this.

    with a heavy deficit and that much work- you are bound to have something give up. I started cutting last week and my body threw a bi*th fit yesterday at the gym- super clumsy- pulled/tight thigh/quad- wacked my head on a barbell (again with the clumsy) and low lifts.

    I've done a poor job eating back calories and running on a net of 1200 or less. bad news bears.

    something WILL give if you continue to run on an extreme deficit. You MUST fuel your body.
  • Ilikelamps
    Ilikelamps Posts: 482 Member
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    I just viewed your diary. I think you are gain weight because you aren't eating enough. It looks like you are leaving 600-1000 exercise calories a day. You should really eat a little more. Maybe eat back at least 200-300 more of your exercise calories and see what happens.

    /Does Anyone else feel the same?:wink:

    why are you winking at me
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    it might be that you are gaing some muscle as welland that muscle weight could be higher

    animal.gif

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