Hello, im new, have thigh questions

[freelivez2]

I must be gaining muscle, I am a newbie rider. Well not really but to the intensity that I am riding now is new for me and my pants are getting tighter!!! ahhhh, at 213 (maybe less) that's not what I want. I am paying close attention to what I put in my body and being a vegetarian protein is always a concern for me. so needless to say honey, I would definitely take your thighs and u can have mine. j/k

But today I had a good ride. 6.4 miles and a .9 mile walk; due to a flat
Dinner consisted of a herb salad, spaghetti w/ cottage cheese and a slice or wheat sourdough. YUM!!! I feel that I had a good protein day. Not worried too much especially after my evening workout.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, I feel I should say this: if you don't want any muscles, then don't exercise!
Ask yourself- what is your goal?
Is your goal to be thin everywhere have no muscle and fit into really skinny tight jeans?...Then restrict your calories and fat severely and don't exercise.
Is your goal to be healthy and have less flab and fat but more curves because of having some actual muscles on your calves, arms, thighs, butt, etc? Then eat healthily and exercise often.

Exercise will burn fat and build muscle. We're not talking Arnold Schwarzenegger here.....just having some visible muscles in places where you may have had none before. For example: before I started biking, I was 25 lbs heavier with no real muscle. My thighs were fatty and jiggly and of uniform thickness all over. Now my thighs lost a lot of fat padding- they have CURVES where they go in or out. The fronts of my thighs stick out MORE because I have nice muscles there, but my thighs are slimmer than before in areas where there aren't muscle. You can see way more air space between my thighs when I'm standing with my feet together. Yet my calves are bigger and curvier...muscle. I love the beautiful curves on my legs now- they look so much better than the muscle-less legs of before. That might mean that tight jeans won't fit as much as before. I look leaner overall, yet I have more muscles that stick out. There is definition where before there was just muscle-less smooth lines.
Take your choice when you are deciding what your goals are...but congratulations for starting to exercise!!

[Kitsune06]

Luna- You seem to be experiencing the same phenomena I end up going through every spring...

I didn't ride much thru the winter- I rode, but not that much... put a little weight on, but not much... I'm 5'5 and 120# give or take a couple, so 'not much'. just enough to fill out my curves a little. I start cycling and b/c I ride a mtb, fewer revolutions to more power (read: mashing) my muscles get big-huge fast. It *seems* like they do that faster than I end up burning the fat around/over them, so for awhile, the curve-hugging pants I wear for work get a little huggier than I'm comfortable with. Just mind your diet- the muscle built will eventually start noticeably raising your metabolism and you'll lose some of the insulation. That and +1 to what Cyclchyk and Wahine said.

I need to get back in the saddle more... It's not the 120- I'm happy at 120-130. It's the "squish" factor... and I'm feelin' a lot more squish than I'm happy with...

[indysteel]

Sounds to me like you're just adding some of muscle. Now, I could be just rationalizing my "fat" days, but I sometimes feel like my muscles, especially my leg muscles, literally swell after a hard/new workout. For instance, when I started doing some weight training this fall, I could swear that my thigh muscles were swollen after the first couple of workouts, almost like they were retaining water. I imagine there's a scientific explanation for it, e.g., increased bloodflow, but I don't know that for sure. In any event, they always return to normal after a few days.

I, personally, lost some inches in my upper thighs, hips and butt when I started riding. I also lost about 6 pounds, which I managed to keep off. My mid- to lower thighs, however, have gotten bigger, especially from spinning over the winter.

I agree with Lisa, though. The goal (hopefully) in exercising is to get more fit/stronger. If that means bigger thighs and/or booty, I'd encourage you to embrace that. That said, remember to watch your calories intake, too. You need to fuel your increased activity, but don't overfuel it.

[Luna]

thanks so much for your adivce and experience. When I horse back rode for years, I had fit thin thighs. The biking I guess is swelling them some and yes I DO WANT a heathier lifesyle and if it means tighter jeans so be it.. I feel stronger and fitter and firmer. This is only after say 3 months. SO that is how new I am.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

thanks so much for your adivce and experience. When I horse back rode for years, I had fit thin thighs. The biking I guess is swelling them some and yes I DO WANT a heathier lifesyle and if it means tighter jeans so be it.. I feel stronger and fitter and firmer. This is only after say 3 months. SO that is how new I am.

That sounds great Luna.
Hey when I was young I had a horse for a several years and rode every day, but I never got big leg muscles. Think about where your "horsepower" is coming from next time you're riding your bike uphill.

[freelivez2]

okay I hope you don't get offended by this but thanks for being my bicycling ma. you put a lot in perspective for me. Thanks....
I do understand this but with the history and family influence it is hard for me to always have a clear head and think the way I should POSITIVELY!!!! Thanks you

[Luna]

That sounds great Luna.
Hey when I was young I had a horse for a several years and rode every day, but I never got big leg muscles. Think about where your "horsepower" is coming from next time you're riding your bike uphill.

Yeah, thats great, I will think of my legs as horses legs. To a horse person horse legs are the best!

[LaFemmeFlora]

sometimes feel like my muscles, especially my leg muscles, literally swell after a hard/new workout. For instance, when I started doing some weight training this fall, I could swear that my thigh muscles were swollen after the first couple of workouts, almost like they were retaining water. I imagine there's a scientific explanation for it, e.g., increased bloodflow, but I don't know that for sure. In any event, they always return to normal after a few days.

This is my guess as well. In the healing process there is some swelling of the muscle that occurs a couple of days after strenuous muscle work. It generally last about 2-4 days. Drink plenty of water and take a multi-vitamin...and this will speed the healing process.

And no matter what keep up the good work.

[Luna]

So waht is the reason for the tight, tight feeling in the thighs when i get off the bike, sometimes my legs will shake too.
Im really enjoying this forum

[Kimmyt]

That tight feeling is good! It's one of my fav parts of cycling (and working out in general). Nothing beats the feeling of muscles after a long hard day of work. The tightness is just your muscles tell you they worked. It's what I call 'good pain'.

Very different from the bad pain that signifies injury, to me.

And on the topic of muscles... a girl can't have too many! (Well, okay, some of those extreme heavyweight bodybuilders do get a bit scary...) but I looove my muscles, even though they don't make me the slimmest girl out there. I like the fact that when I lift at the gym I can see the grunty-men peer at me in the mirror and check out my guns. I also like the fact that I don't have to ask the people at the grocery store to carry my heavy bags, and the fact that I and my 5'5" boyfriend can lift and carry a 52" tv up 2 floors without dying, and that I can shovel a whole big driveway in about 25 minutes without feeling like I've done any physical activity.

Muscles are the poop.