![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by shadows721 on May 25, 2004, at 1:29:07
I really wanted to tone up and slim down, so I started doing a walking tape and pilates. Well, I am bulking up. I have to admit that I never really exercised in my life, because I was always slim. I must have had little muscle tone, because now my clothes don't fit. I got bigger instead of trimmer. I tried on my shorts from last year and they don't fit, because my thighs and rear are larger. Hmmmm. This isn't what I expected at all. Am I doing the wrong exercises? I am not even lifting weights.
Posted by partlycloudy on May 25, 2004, at 8:12:08
In reply to Isn't exercise suppose to make you smaller?, posted by shadows721 on May 25, 2004, at 1:29:07
That happened when I tried jogging. My legs (which are relatively short) really bulked up. When I started doing yoga and belly dancing, I seemed to get slimmer and toned. I think it has a lot to do with our build in the first place.
Of course, now I am flabby.
Posted by octopusprime on May 25, 2004, at 11:29:34
In reply to Isn't exercise suppose to make you smaller?, posted by shadows721 on May 25, 2004, at 1:29:07
hi shadows:
some of us are predisposed to putting on muscle. i know when i exercise i look like a football player.
it's annoying when your pants don't fit. but how do you look? when you look in the mirror, do you feel trimmer?
i would have thought that pilates works like yoga works - general trimming, not bulking up. are you sure you are doing the exercises correctly? if you normally work with a tape, would you consider getting an instructor to help you correct your form? a lot of the time we fall back on the major muscle groups when it should be more underdeveloped muscles working.
if you want an aerobic workout moving more of the upper body (to compensate for lower body "growth"), maybe try swimming with a pull buoy. a pull buoy is a little foam thing you put between your ankles to hold them still, and you swim with the upper body.
if you think your butt is getting bigger from walking - the only thing i can think of is that you're walking up hills? try a more level course.
good luck!
Posted by Wildflower on May 25, 2004, at 13:25:27
In reply to Isn't exercise suppose to make you smaller?, posted by shadows721 on May 25, 2004, at 1:29:07
Walking and Pilates are excellent things to help with toning your body. You may not be bulking up but simply giving shape to your muscles. If you've always been slim, chances are your muscles especially in the rear and legs have been flat. Another variable may be your eating habits. Some people really have an increase in appetite when they start working out. You may want to chart your caloric intake.
Using small 3-5 lb. weights on your upper body will tone you without adding the bulk to your lower half. It all depends what areas you'd like to tone.
One more thing to add, women tend to store fat on their upper arms, abdomen, and butt/thighs. All of this could be a part of a genetic predisposition depending on your current age. We all gain weight as we age...
FYI - There's so much talk about credibility these days on PB that I thought I'd let you know that I teach strength training classes fitness classes at night. However, I'm better at giving health advice than following it...
Posted by Racer on May 25, 2004, at 18:38:24
In reply to Re: Isn't exercise suppose to make you smaller? » shadows721, posted by Wildflower on May 25, 2004, at 13:25:27
See, I'm this kinda dumpy, feminine-type chick -- big boobs, short waist, round hips, round belly, flat butt, etc. VERY round, curvy type build, right? So, I always figured that any sort of muscle building would be harder for me, since I was so feminine I must not have a lot of testosterone, which is involved in growing muscles.
WRONG!!!
Turns out, unless I'm careful with the weights, I'll bulk up more than I ever expect. (Although other factors interfere -- like the years of restricted eating making my body kinda famine-sensitive.) Anyway, I can't advise you, I can only tell you that exercise is good for you, it's about health and strength rather than appearance, good for you, and yes -- having to buy new clothes because of body changes is a real yuck. I just bought two pairs of cheap stretch jeans and two pairs of shorts for that reason, so I feel your pain. (No, not working, not stabilized enough to think about it, can't afford to do it, but I finally realized how much not having anything to wear outside the house was increasing my difficulty in leaving the house. Now I just have to think of someplace to go, and maybe I will.)
The other thing is that toned muscle takes up less space than adipose tissue. Even though you're bigger now, it doesn't mean that you're going to continue getting bigger -- this might be a redistribution that will slim away with more exercise.
Good luck.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Health | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.