Exercise making my body look worse

lilmill
lilmill Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been exercising for two months now (cardio 4 times a week and a little strength training) and I feel like my body looks ten times worse than when I started. My diet has been pretty good, I mostly stay within my calories and eat healthy. I'm 5'7" and I still weight about the same (140) but I have some muscle now so I guess a bit of fat is gone? The thing is my fat is really giggly and squishy now. (Gross right?) Before I was just a little chubby now I'm chubby and mushy. I like how exercise makes me feel but I hate how it's making me look. I'm about to just quit everything because I'm working so hard and it's making everything worse. Can anyone relate? Does anyone know what's happening?

Replies

  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    your converting your whole body. Ever see a bathroom remodel?
    Just keep with it, I'm sure you will get 100 similar stories and such. But stick with it.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Be patient. Give your body time to catch up - it is a slow process. I think every single one of us can tell you we went through a "are you kidding me? GROSS" phase.
  • Becca_007
    Becca_007 Posts: 596 Member
    loose skin is what's happening... part of the pkg. when losing weight.. it happens. Stopping your workouts sure won't help it, but adding in plenty of strength training won't hurt!
  • n0isehazard
    n0isehazard Posts: 14 Member
    I think I can relate, because it happened to me. I lost weight very quickly in my teens, and I didn't know about strength training to tone my body. If I had to take a good guess, I'd have to say that it seems like you're losing fat quicker than you're toning your body. Don't be discouraged! Transforming your body the way you want it to be is a process and doesn't happen in a few weeks, or sometimes even a few months.

    I'm proud of you for working out, because you're taking the steps towards a healthier lifestyle! It's that lifestyle change and making a habit of exercising that's going to get you the body you want. Stick it through and keep doing strength training and ab workouts to firm up the "mushy" parts.

    And to reiterate, I know what you mean. My arms and tummy were very flabby for years until very recently that I decided enough was enough, so now I'm strength training. It's really helping. Be patient & don't throw in the towel yet. I believe in you!
  • maryd523
    maryd523 Posts: 661 Member
    It's not the exercise. Exercise cannot make you look worse...it's building up your muscles and strengthening you.

    I would guess you have lost some fat, so the skin (which is still the same size) is not filled firmly with fat. Therefore, you have this jigglying, squishy thing going on. Exercise will help with that, as you lose more fat and build more muscle.

    You would probably look a lot worse without the exercise.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    I just pretend I can see the 6-pack hiding under 20 pounds of excess skin :)

    Sounds like your body is just moving around and getting used to the new routine... don't quit now!
  • portexploit
    portexploit Posts: 378 Member
    Yeah that's what happens to fat, just keep on going. This last month I lost 3lbs, that's nothing but I lost 2inches from my stomach and 1 inch from my belt line. Don't concern yourself too much with weight. Men start to get a saggy chin when they start to lose weight. When i training for my personal training certification, i was losing weight and i noticed it in my chin. I talked to a friend of mine who was already a personal trainer he told me that's normal. So don't worry about it, just keep on doing what you're doing. Sounds like you're doing good.
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    keep at it
  • papastu
    papastu Posts: 737 Member
    talk to a trainer and get some exercises that will tone up the areas that need it most

    DO NOT QUIT !!!!!


    Stu
  • sarahsmom1
    sarahsmom1 Posts: 1,501 Member
    loose skin is what's happening... part of the pkg. when losing weight.. it happens. Stopping your workouts sure won't help it, but adding in plenty of strength training won't hurt!
    she says she still weighs the same
  • WorkIt_Eloise
    WorkIt_Eloise Posts: 12 Member
    I have a super loose belly.
    But we cannot give up.
    Just add in some strength training and keep with what you are already doing.
    Slowly you will start to see your areas tone up.
    Do not worry.
    Just stick to it!!
  • BekJ
    BekJ Posts: 53 Member
    I agree with the posts here...
    After losing 40kgs (88lbs) I definitely was looking very jiggly... You need to build up some muscle tone through strength training... It's the muscle that will hold the skin in and help to ease the jiggling... And you also have to give your body/skin time to shrink back... And it will eventually, maybe not perfectly, but it will.
    I also found a good moisteriser works, also Bio Oil (do you get that in th eUS?) and get some quality vitamin C capsules (they help with skin elasticity...
    Best of luck!!!
  • bhagavatilad1
    bhagavatilad1 Posts: 277
    Your're so young so your metabolism is high I'm sure you're going to look awesome again now its time for you to TONE your body no more cardio focus on stretching palates, repetition on weights will have an amazing effect. you'll see.
  • kandrews24
    kandrews24 Posts: 610 Member
    Don't quit now. You will regret that. I don't know exactly what is happening (biologically), but I assume your body is shifting and changes are in progress and you have more muscle (doesn't take up much space) and less fat (takes up a lot of space) and you are on the brink of positive change. Try to eat as healthy as you can. Drink your water. Use moisturizers. Stretch. Get plenty of sleep. Do all you can do to assist your body with maximizing positive changes! Soon I want to be reading about your success story!
  • MadDogTannen22
    MadDogTannen22 Posts: 88 Member
    I agree with everyone, your skin is trying to catch up with your body. A big tip, be sure to moisturize if you want to avoid stretch marks, you can get them when you get big too fast, OR small too fast. Your body will catch up though, no worries.
  • MadDogTannen22
    MadDogTannen22 Posts: 88 Member
    I agree with everyone, your skin is trying to catch up with your body. A big tip, be sure to moisturize if you want to avoid stretch marks, you can get them when you get big too fast, OR small too fast. Your body will catch up though, no worries.
  • gloria581
    gloria581 Posts: 50 Member
    Three months ago I was down 33 lbs and I was very happy that I had lost so much weight but I hated looking at myself without clothes becuase I could see all my saggy, mushy skin. Now after doing more strength training and being down 56 lbs, I don't hate looking at myself anymore. I can see that my saggy skin is slowly shrinking. Keep at it.
  • lilmill
    lilmill Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks a lot everyone, I'm definitely going to keep at it and see what happens. I'll add some more strength training and hopefully get toned, which would help. Thanks again, I'm feeling a bit better about this whole thing :)
  • rwiney
    rwiney Posts: 2 Member
    Im experiencing the exact problem. Eating has been very clean. Actually I’ve been in fat loss in etp program so I know good part is not the problem. I feel better but omg I look hideous in a swim suit!
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    lilmill wrote: »
    So I've been exercising for two months now (cardio 4 times a week and a little strength training) and I feel like my body looks ten times worse than when I started. My diet has been pretty good, I mostly stay within my calories and eat healthy. I'm 5'7" and I still weight about the same (140) but I have some muscle now so I guess a bit of fat is gone? The thing is my fat is really giggly and squishy now. (Gross right?) Before I was just a little chubby now I'm chubby and mushy. I like how exercise makes me feel but I hate how it's making me look. I'm about to just quit everything because I'm working so hard and it's making everything worse. Can anyone relate? Does anyone know what's happening?

    It's not the exercise that's making your fat squishy. That's actually a sign of progress. Read this - I think you'll be a bit reassured. https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat
  • rwiney
    rwiney Posts: 2 Member
    I’m going to keep at it and focus on the positives-energy, skin clearer, better sleep. Thanks

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