Why do my thighs look like cottage cheese?

[ashleyann]

I thought I'd expand on the cottage cheese topic ,
I do leg workouts out the wazoo and still, just above my knees, looks chunky, as in cottage cheese. I've read every post I can on lower body and I've seen where many people lean towards low weight, high reps for legs. They say that their legs bulk easy. My legs look bulky but when I was doing just low weight I think my legs looked worse. I want them to look toned and tight, not all flabby. I get so frustrated with my legs! I'm thinking of doing 3 just leg workouts a week and see what kind of results I get. Right now, you can see there's muscle, but there is also a nice layer of chunk right over that muscle. It ruins everything. I use to work out at a gym (it's been awhile since I did) and I did heavy weights. I did squats, lunges, leg presses and leg extensions and i had the same problem then. My legs looked the best probably when i got down to 108. I'm 5'3" and currently I'm between 115 -118. My upperbody is no problem at all. It's my legs ;( ! Has anyone out there had this problem and managed to lose that chunk layer?

Ashley

 

[upperwests]

This is my exact same problem. Everything looks pretty good except the area right above my knee. It has caused me so much distress that I always dread summer. I know that might seem crazy, but I refuse to wear shorts, except if they're the really long kind. Thank God Bermudas came back in style. And, I'm always making sure I wear a cover up at the pool or beach. And, mind you, I'm not overweight either. I just posted a new thread about noticing a difference in my cellulite recently since I've greatly reduced my alcohol intake. I too have tried using light weights and that hasn't helped either. Then I look at Cathe and see how heavy she lifts and she has NO cellulite and No bulkiness. I don't even care at this point if my legs look somewhat "big" (like Beyonce big), I just want to be firm!!!!!!I'm doing 3 leg workouts a week too! Hopefully, our knees will improve!

 

[Shelbygirl]

I've got the same problem, but no solution for you. I always assumed it was because I'm pear shaped and I'm not the best when it comes to clean eating. I try to avoid all heavy weight leg work, as my legs tend to bulk up. (I don't use more than around 35 pounds for squats, and use even less for lunges). Also, I find doing more biking for cardio (and less step or hi/low) helps a bit. Good luck with losing that chunck layer. I hope some other people respond with better answers than mine!

Take Care,
Shelbygirl

 

[LauraMax]

My cousin is like that--she's REALLY petite--people think I'm short, this poor little thing is 5' & weighs about 105, at the age of 48! She looks great--IMO she has a better body than her 19 YO daughter. And she doesn't really exercise or diet.

That said, she hates her thighs & they're def. the worst part of her body. She calls them elephant legs--for some reason all the skin on her thighs has sagged to the tops of her knees. I guess it's a genetic thing altho I haven't seen it any other family member.

In any case, she's looked into surgery to have the extra skin removed. Much less expensive than the laser treatments. I don't know if it's the same problem you have, but maybe a consult w/your local cosmetic surgeon could give you some ideas.

 

[tneah]

Yep, I heard somewhere that Demi Moore had her knees "done". As we age that skin has to go somewhere as gravity takes hold
I always use a skin firming lotion, twice a day everywhere!!
My current favorite is by Philosophy called "Amazing Grace Firming Emulsion." It smells heavenly, plus I like to read the positive stuff they write on thier bottles. Plus it seems to work really well.

Personally, I think knees are probably everyone's worst feature, they just look really weird to me}(

 

[tneah]

Oh, sorry! Another thought, if you have access to a leg extension machine, perform 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps, using as much weight as you can--I use about 50 pounds. It targets that special place right above your knee very well.

 

[delfin]

I think the whole cottage cheese thing has a HUGE genetic component. One of my friends is super thin... I'm totally envious of her tiny waist (compared to my beefy one). Yet my legs have virtually no cellulite... and she's always complaining about cottage cheese thighs. Everybody's got something!