Flabby Legs

[Yubagirl]

Does anyone know when the muscle replaces the cellulite saggy stuff.on my legs...I ride every other day for at least an hour..any insight to this ..Im 45 yrs old..help! I aint quittin riding however its discouraging!:mad: Im' riding rollers too!!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Hi Yuba,

Muscle will not "replace" either cellulite or flab. When you exercise more, you build more muscle. When you exercise enough to burn more calories than you ingest, then you also lose fat. Flab and cellulite is fat. Keep in mind that we need some body fat to be healthy.

So, if you exercise more and eat more calories than you are burning, then you could gain more muscle AND more fat on your legs.
If you don't exercise but eat less, you'd lose some fat off your legs but not gain muscle there. You'd wind up with skinny legs. Muscles on our legs (or anywhere else) make them look shapely in a nice way. :)

Cellulite is hard to get rid of completely, especially in us older women (i'm almost 54). Our skin texture is just never going to look like a 20 year old's skin again. But if you eat a bit healthier and exercise more, then the end result will slowly be that you add shapely muscles and lose some excess bulges of fat and cellulite. The layer of fat under the skin will become less.
Remember that muscle is heavier than fat. Many of us start exercising and get frustrated that we are not 'losing weight'...when in fact we are losing fat but also gaining muscle. Our overall body shape is changing in a good way. We look way better but might actually still weigh the same!

[shootingstar]

Keep at it, yuba..just fall in love with cycling.

You could also do some other secondary exercise, sport...hiking, stretching exercises (yoga, pilates),...to help legs.

One day after having alot of heart-pumping fun for a few months...you may see the diff.

Cycling does not demand that you wear a bikini panty..so no need to keep on worrying about cellulite.

[redrhodie]

Yubagirl, you're not alone! From what I've learned, and I'm kind of an expert :rolleyes: the appearance of cellulite is actually due to the connective tissue over the fat, not the fat itself. I'm pretty well toned, and still the cellulite is there. There isn't a proven method of removing it, not even cycling.

Lucky for me, it's on my thighs, which is definitely preferable to my face! At least it's easy to hide. The rest of me looks pretty good in a bikini, so I wear one with a skirt bottom. I wear longer length cycling shorts. I know I've done all I can to try and lose it, but all that's done is made me fit instead!

Accentuate the positive! That's the best advice I can give.

[OakLeaf]

There are people who claim that making the connective tissue healthier (i.e. myofascial release/foam roller work) will reduce cellulite. I don't know if this is documented or not, but healthy fascia is a good goal in itself, and is definitely a separate pursuit from cardio and strength work.

[Yubagirl]

Thanks all that replied..You know most of it I already knew as in dieting to lose the fat, its frustrating because I have muscle under there and at certain positions my legs are fine. Its when I stand that stuff just kinda falls down to the inside of my knees!.Not alot but enough for me to pull my shorts down to cover!! I do not have big legs either and Im not overweight.

If someone out there knows of a cellulite product that works please give me the product info!

Thanks again for all the input..:) I love this forum!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Thanks all that replied..You know most of it I already knew as in dieting to lose the fat, its frustrating because I have muscle under there and at certain positions my legs are fine. Its when I stand that stuff just kinda falls down to the inside of my knees!.Not alot but enough for me to pull my shorts down to cover!! I do not have big legs either and Im not overweight.

If someone out there knows of a cellulite product that works please give me the product info!

Thanks again for all the input..:) I love this forum!

Another little thought...I think the longer you cycle the better you will feel on the inside and the less you will care about what strangers think about your leg flab. You say you are not 'overweight' so what's to worry about? I think that we tend to think that people are looking at us with a critical eye when in fact they probably aren't even thinking about us at all- they are far more likely busy worrying about their own stuff. ;) I wear things now that I wouldn't have dreamed of wearing 2 years ago. I know I look just dandy, but I worried about how I looked back then, even though I looked pretty much the same. :cool: I think my perception of myself as being just fine the way I am is the difference.

[PscyclePath]

What the ladies said up above...

If you burn more calories (basic metabolism, plus work/exercise) than you eat, you will lose weight. And sadly, there's no way to take it off in just one place... the legs, gut, or the butt; when the fat starts coming off it's a little bit from every where. With time in the saddle, your leg muscles should start toning up enough that nobody will really care about the cellulite anyway.

[redrhodie]

There are people who claim that making the connective tissue healthier (i.e. myofascial release/foam roller work) will reduce cellulite. I don't know if this is documented or not, but healthy fascia is a good goal in itself, and is definitely a separate pursuit from cardio and strength work.

Well, I'm certainly willing to give this a try. If nothing else, it will work out some kinks.

Anyone experience good results with a foam roller?

[Grog]

I am afraid that there are no cellulite products that work... except in advertising.

As the others have said, exercise will help with toning, so will perhaps loosing a pound of fat or two, but please do not focus on that. Think about the fitness you're accomplishing first... You'll be happier, and happy people look better. :)

[Yen]

Don't quit just because you're not seeing the results you want. There's a LOT more to gain by continuing to ride your bike, and exercise in general, then just smoothing out the bumps. :)

Four years ago I was about 35 lbs. overweight, sluggish, tired, weak, and my legs were like two pillars of jello.:o I began walking and eating healthier, then we bought a treadmill, and last spring we bought bikes. This past year, we rode a few times during the week, and longer on the weekends. In the past 4 years I s-l-o-w-l-y lost 50 lbs. (about 1 to 1-1/2 lbs./month average), I feel TERRIFIC, and my legs are taking shape! They are like new legs! There is still cellulite especially in the back of my thighs, but I feel so good, my endurance/energy/strength are as good if not better than 20+ years ago, and I'm having so much fun on the bike that I don't want to quit. The cellulite will never go away -- I'm fair-skinned which makes it show more -- but it's not nearly as important as your overall fitness which includes strength and endurance. There are many women who are "thin" but not fit and strong; it's much more important to be fit even if there are some bumps.:)

BTW, I'm almost 52 years old.

Hang in there -- don't quit! Focus on making exercise part of your lifestyle, not using exercise just to lose weight. If you do it right, you'll gradually lose the fat and build muscle and look (and feel) better overall.

[Tuckervill]

This is wonderful advice, Yen!

I'm on that slow boat to 50 lbs, too. Down 30. just hearing the message to keep on going is very helpful. Thanks!

Karen

[Yen]

This is wonderful advice, Yen!

I'm on that slow boat to 50 lbs, too. Down 30. just hearing the message to keep on going is very helpful. Thanks!

Karen

Karen, congratulations on your weight loss. If you can do 30, then you can do 20 more, and slow is the way to go! Slow is easy and real life..... fast is self-deprivation and increases the chances it will come back on. I plan to continue always eating like this. I must have done it right because I have not felt tired or fatigued and I haven't been sick in over a year and I've been around a lot of sick people the past few months. Easy does it! :)

[Andrea]

Don't get discouraged! Keep riding consistently and, if it's possible, add in some strength training. If you're not sure how, a good place to start is the weight machines at your local health club. Almost all clubs will give you a free orientation where they'll show you how to use all of them and give you some basic recommendations. If you go through the whole circuit a couple of times a week and continue to challenge yourself by adding some weight as you get stronger, you'll see changes in the firmness of the muscles underneath the saggy parts you hate!

[KSH]

Well, everyone else had a lot of really great input and advice. :)

I would also add, that it might help you some... to ride more.

From what you are saying... you ride about 4 hours a week... or 16 hours a month. That's a great start, but you won't see your body change drastically with so little time on the bike.

It took me riding 400+ miles a month... or... around 26-30 hours a month on the bike to see improvement.

Still so, even with running up to 80 miles a month, with the riding... I still have cellulite on my legs. On the back and front. It looks better toned and tanned, but it's not gone. Such is life. It's there. If they don't like it, they don't have to look.

Of course, I have gotten compliments on how muscular my legs are these days!

Like I said though, you gotta ride longer than 1-hour sessions to start seeing some improvement. Good luck!

[Kano]

Thanks all that replied..You know most of it I already knew as in dieting to lose the fat, its frustrating because I have muscle under there and at certain positions my legs are fine. Its when I stand that stuff just kinda falls down to the inside of my knees!.Not alot but enough for me to pull my shorts down to cover!! I do not have big legs either and Im not overweight.

I'm still a bit overweight, but your description made me smile! It's that stuff that kinda falls down on the inside -- heck, lately I've been thinking that my inner thighs resemble the backs of my arms! It's all coming along, though, and eventually....

It takes some time -- it's disheartening to read 400 miles a month or more to see improvement, but you may find that it's entirely different for you. I saw a lot of change last summer, and didn't do near that much. Haven't biked since Thanksgiving, but changes are still happening with the skiing this winter -- I'm getting eager to get out on the road again!

Karen in Boise

[Idealmuse]

Hey it could be worse. I've lost almost 90lbs and not only do I still have that but I also have the excess skin just hanging about. Attractive huh?

You might not be over weight but you could still have a higher body fat ratio... might want to get that checked out. If you change that ratio, It still won't go away, but definately will look better if you have more lean mass versus body fat.

[Tuckervill]

Well, maybe you'll understand a little tiny concern I have about losing weight. I've always had at least B-C cup breasts, and now that they're not perky anymore...are they going to be little marbles in a sock hanging off my chest when I'm down to 150???

They're already slipping out under the band of my sports bras if I'm not too careful! It's very annoying.

I decided I'll reevaluate the bra situation when I get down to 170, which is 5 lbs away, as of this morning. :)

Karen

[Kano]

I do understand your concern, Karen, but I don't think you're going to have marbles in socks at 150!

It MAY be time to buy a new sports bra though, if they're escaping! That sometimes sneaks up on us -- we just shorten straps and that sort of thing, and then suddenly realize that there's not enough boobie in the old boulder holder anymore! Besides, elastic wears out after a while....

[Kano]

I do understand your concern, Karen, but I don't think you're going to have marbles in socks at 150!

It MAY be time to buy a new sports bra though, if they're escaping! That sometimes sneaks up on us -- we just shorten straps and that sort of thing, and then suddenly realize that there's not enough boobie in the old boulder holder anymore! Besides, elastic wears out after a while....

(I was stuffing 'em into a DD, now they're C. I'm not sure they're going to go much smaller, but then, I thought that DD still fit for a long time too!)

Karen in Boise

[tulip]

We can always revisit the cosmetic surgery thread...:o

I'm in desperate need of new "boulder holders" (love that term!) Anyone ever do one of those professional bra fittings? I was thinking that it's about time, since the last time I was 13 and my mother took me to a very nice store downtown and a very nice blue-haired lady measured me all around...but that was a VERY long time ago and the terrain has changed considerably since.

[Tuckervill]

Right now they're more like tennis balls in socks! lol. Maybe they'll be golf balls at 150!

It's not my favorite part of aging.

Karen

[Yubagirl]

Well Im thrilled with the replies, as one post leads to another interesting topic and then response! The replies; informative and amusing! Oh and dont worry, Ive been addicted to road biking for going on 3 years now, Ive been more consistent with this hobby then anything Ive ever taken up. I think its the solitude of it that keeps me riding, I prefer to ride alone its meditative and I forget how hard the hills are. The thing about vs a treadmill is you cant stop or youll never get home! The incentive is undeniable and rewarding:rolleyes:!

[KnottedYet]

We can always revisit the cosmetic surgery thread...:o

I'm in desperate need of new "boulder holders" (love that term!) Anyone ever do one of those professional bra fittings? I was thinking that it's about time, since the last time I was 13 and my mother took me to a very nice store downtown and a very nice blue-haired lady measured me all around...but that was a VERY long time ago and the terrain has changed considerably since.

I had one done after I lost 50 lbs. All I had left was one sports bra that "sort of" fit. I didn't realize how it DIDN'T fit until I was wearing a bra that did!

The ol' boulders are quite deflated and saggy. A golf ball in a sock definitely describes the situation. But modern technology allows you to scoop 'em up and pour them into a foundation garment that can make a world of difference. (I have a deeper appreciation for the architectural miracles wrought by underwires now that I have 2 underwired bras that fit me right.)

[Kano]

I had one done after I lost 50 lbs. All I had left was one sports bra that "sort of" fit. I didn't realize how it DIDN'T fit until I was wearing a bra that did!

Okay, so you were referring to the bra-fitting part of that post, but my initial reaction was Why the HECK didn't you have BOTH of them done after losing the weight? It took a moment of wondering why on earth you'd leave one hanging if you had one lifted....

Karen in Boise

[Yen]

Okay, so you were referring to the bra-fitting part of that post, but my initial reaction was Why the HECK didn't you have BOTH of them done after losing the weight? It took a moment of wondering why on earth you'd leave one hanging if you had one lifted....

Karen in Boise

Me too, LOL!

I sometimes wish mine would turn to golf ball size. Still wearing a DD even after losing 50 pounds and returning to my ideal weight, though I am happy that I also went from 38 to 34. Actually, the DD cup is slightly loose so a D would probably fit too. A C would be more proportionate to the rest of my frame but that might be pushing it unless I lose another 10 pounds. High on my wish list is the ability to fit into a bra that has only 2 hooks. :rolleyes:

[Yen]

Oh, about the legs. They other day I came up with a brilliant idea to make the most of every red light I have to stop at on my way to work: Squeeze my gluts as tight as I can and hold for 6-10 seconds, then repeat until the light turns green. Do this all the way to work (26 miles). I could feel them yesterday even while going up stairs! If only I thought of this 30 years ago, LOL!

[Di bear]

Cellulite is normal. Some of us have more than others. There are frighteningly skinny people with cellulite. My advice? Screw it. Forget the cellulite. Ride your bike. <--best advice ever!

I've noticed that I'm a lot sexier on days that I ride than on days I don't. The fact is, you can ride a bike, and even if you only ride 10 or 15 miles, that's a lot further than most people could even imagine. Two miles is a LOT for many. It's crazy. So, be proud of your legs.

People are much more interested in what you can do with your legs than the cellulite under the skin. I'm willing to bet that you're the only one obsessed with the cellulite on your legs. If anyone else is, then they obviously don't have enough in life to worry about.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Cellulite is normal. Some of us have more than others. There are frighteningly skinny people with cellulite. My advice? Screw it. Forget the cellulite. Ride your bike. <--best advice ever!

I've noticed that I'm a lot sexier on days that I ride than on days I don't. The fact is, you can ride a bike, and even if you only ride 10 or 15 miles, that's a lot further than most people could even imagine. Two miles is a LOT for many. It's crazy. So, be proud of your legs.

People are much more interested in what you can do with your legs than the cellulite under the skin. I'm willing to bet that you're the only one obsessed with the cellulite on your legs. If anyone else is, then they obviously don't have enough in life to worry about.


Amen sister. Right on.

[redrhodie]

I'm glad we're back to the legs, because I wanted to mention that my legs turn weird colors when I ride, and get blotchy spots even from standing still for too long. I have no idea what this is, but do you think it's normal?

Could the cellulite and/or discoloration be a symptom of something else?

I should add, I've been using the foam roller for the last couple of weeks, and I'm seeing positive results. The first night I rolled my legs were kind of blue. This hasn't happened again, and also they're looking smoother.

[kjay]

I had no idea a foam roller would help smooth out cellulite. I bought it to work out the pain in my muscles, but now I am doubly motivated! Thanks!

[redrhodie]

I had no idea a foam roller would help smooth out cellulite. I bought it to work out the pain in my muscles, but now I am doubly motivated! Thanks!

Well, it's too soon to say for sure, but I really do think I see a difference. It could be wishful thinking though, or the placebo effect, which I've had before with some lotions. At least the roller is cheap and easy to do. The true test will be trying on a swimsuit in a department store. Those florescent lit mirrors magnify bumps better than the Hubble Space Telesope!

Let me know if you see any improvement. Maybe together we can figure this out.

[Yen]

Well, it's too soon to say for sure, but I really do think I see a difference. It could be wishful thinking though, or the placebo effect, which I've had before with some lotions. At least the roller is cheap and easy to do. The true test will be trying on a swimsuit in a department store. Those florescent lit mirrors magnify bumps better than the Hubble Space Telesope!

Let me know if you see any improvement. Maybe together we can figure this out.

How do you use the roller? Are you talking about the long foam roller that you lie on, then roll to relax back muscles?

[kjay]

Here's a really good write-up on the use of a foam roller. I hope it helps.

http://www.performbetter.com/catalog/assets/Exercisesheets/PDF/FoamRoller.pdf

[redrhodie]

Thanks for the link. Yes, that's the roller I'm using, almost every day. There are some youtube videos that also show how to.

It hurt a lot at first, not so much now. One of the links I found said when you find a "hot spot", hold the spot until the pain lessons about 75%, then roll some more, so that's what I've been doing.

[katluvr]

What a great discussion. I, too, have that "elephant knee/inner thigh" look when I stand. I have great quads but this awful stuff over them. I don't dare look at the backside! I have, too, been biking and have fluatuations with lots of miles and then some less. I also run. All to make my legs look better. They are mildly better, but I am short and do have "big legs" (my calfs are HUGE!). But I do think "age" has something to do w/ the elasticity of my skin but ultimately it is my body fat. And to help with that I need to really change my riding from endurance riding to really training!!!! But I do admit it is one of the most frustrating things. I can "hide" my belly fat, but I live in Florida and would give anything to have nice legs! So I echo your feelings! Foam roller, huh??? I have one of those....I'll give it a try!
Thanks!:)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The true test will be trying on a swimsuit in a department store. Those florescent lit mirrors magnify bumps better than the Hubble Space Telesope!

You'd have to kill me first.

[redrhodie]

You'd have to kill me first.

I made the mall mistake last year. Horrible experience. A better choice is to order a bunch online, set up some candlelight (thigh level is good) in front of a mirror which is tilted mirror away from you, thus elongating the image a la cinemescope, and have a bottle of wine for the purpose of either convincing yourself it's not that bad, or sorrow drowning :).