Cellulite or loose skin??? Will exercise be enough..

[Annie2830]

Hi. First time posting and very new to the fitness world. I have yo-yo'd in weight multiple times since my teens (now 28) and this has definitely had a negative impact on my overall skin-elasticity. However, things didn't get really bad until I had liposuction for fat-transfer just over 4 years ago (idiotic decision, I know). Post-healing, the skin on my legs was dimpled and lined similar to really bad cellulite. Before the procedure I did have some cellulite but it was only visible when I actively squeezed my leg. For the past 4 years I've been stuck in a sort of limbo; hiding my legs constantly and feeling a good deal of embarrassment and shame about their appearance. I'm so tired of feeling like this and putting my life on hold. I put off committing to a full-on exercise regime because part of me is scared the problem is a result of loose skin and losing weight will just make things worse.
I've always struggled to put on muscle and was too afraid to really try incase it failed to make enough of a difference and all the effort and commitment was for nothing.. I've been seeing a trainer for weights twice a week as well as swimming twice a week. I've definitely lost a couple inches around my stomach but my legs look as awful to me as ever.
So, the question is, can anyone take a look at my photos (apologies in advance) and advise me on whether losing more fat and trying to build muscle is really likely to make a significant improvement in my case?? Obviously the thought of a more invasive route is upsetting but if that's my only realistic option for getting the aesthetic outcome I want, I'd rather know now...?
Thank you!

[Iceman1800]

I've moved your thread to the female section. Lots more traffic here and you'll get nothing but positive support.

[Cass40]

Full-on exercise routine (as you call it) will definitely improve the appearance of your legs and your overall body.

Trust me, I know from experience. My legs are somewhat similar to yours, and let me tell you...when you change your body by lifting weights, the results are going to make you so happy that you won't be concentrating on those dimples on your legs anymore.

It's the overall improvement of your body that will make you happy and increases your confidence. You might never have thin model cellulite free legs (I won't either) but what happened to me was that I don't even want that anymore because of the improvements I've made. So, your legs will be still your legs but they will just look better version of your old legs, if that makes sense.

So the answers is YES! You should start lifting heavy weights!

[Photoglady]

This is cellulite and we all have it.

the appearance can be improved by adding muscle and diminishing fat. I don't think you'll end up having loose skin at all. Really the only way to find out is to put in the work it takes to lose fat and gain muscle.

The only thing is this process takes time. Could be be more than a year could be more than 2 years. but I'll tell you this If you stay the course you will see results

there is no quick fix.

[Annie2830]

Thank you!

I've moved your thread to the female section. Lots more traffic here and you'll get nothing but positive support.

[Annie2830]

Thanks for your reply, do you happen to have any progress photos I could peek at for inspiration? My fear is that the improvement I can realistically make through lifting weights (as well as a bit of cardio to bring my body fat% down) still won't be enough for me to feel comfortable in my own skin. I asked a Dr (GP) friend of mine and she thinks that the lipo left uneven fat distribution under my skin which won't go away just through exercise.. I wish I could see into the future and know whether exercise would be enough because I would be SO motivated then. Either way, I'll keep working because it will feel good to see improvements in other areas of my body as well but I'm seriously considering having a consultation with a PS too :/

[Annie2830]

I hope so! I'd be devastated if I committed years and still felt my legs/skin still looked as bad as they do now.

[TinySquats]

As long as you commit, you’ll see some type of results. And if they aren’t the results you want, you at least did something amazing for your health and yourself. But you’ll see some type of results I reassure you

[angelinabee90]

I'm glad I found this post so my response can be my first ever post here.

We're about the same age, and a year ago my legs looked a lot like yours. That's where I carry most of my fat, and I had a HUGE amount of cellulite. Now that I've been training 4-5 days a week and eating well 95% of the time (sometimes I need cake, dammit) the change is huge. I still have cellulite (we all do), but I'd say that 75% of the dimpling I did have is gone.

I definitely think that if you keep with a good program and eat a solid diet you'll see improvement.

[Kristinely]

You should definitely try weight training. It takes time and patience but it will give you a better shape for sure. It is a process. Personal trainer can give some very good advice depending on your goal. Which is very important. Some people tend to eat less than needed and only do cardio training. Which may not be the right way to get in shape. Yes you can get leaner but the good shape without cellulite may not be there. You need muscles to define your body.
Try to eat heathy food. You can't gain muscle without at least a moderate surplus in calories (from healthy and nutritious food). And muscle tissue burns more calories than body fat. So at first try to gain some muscle mass. After gaining you can change your diet etc.
I have also more fat in my lower body. And still some cellulite. It depends on your genes also but you can definitely improve your shape with weight training and light cardio

[katya422]

- it really isn't that bad
- very doubtful you will have significant loose skin
- other than diet and exercise you can try dry brushing...not a miracle, just supposed to help with circulation/connective tissue to improve appearance
- see how far you can go with diet and exercise first, then you can consult a PS if you want
- even surgery can't guarantee a complete fix for cellulite (at least AFAIK) just may improve it, though a lousy surgeon can make it worse

[Annie2830]

Well I'm very glad you decided to make this your first post because it's very encouraging! I really, REALLY don't want to have to go down the surgical route so, if I can make significant improvements with muscle-building/fat-loss alone, I would be so reassured and motivated!
Can I just ask, how low did you have to go in terms of body fat to see results? I'm very pear-shaped so I obviously carry excess fat in my lower body. The problem is, when I really start to slim down, I can begin to look almost skeletal in my upper body, with a really bony sternum etc. Despite looking borderline emaciated up top, I can still have extra fat lower down. I swear, I'm like two different bodies spliced together!
I'm trying to combat this issue by building/maintaining as much muscle in my upper body as possible but, at some point I won't be comfortable losing any more fat and will have to rely on building muscle alone.
Sorry, very long-winded. Just wanted to know a little more about your story and whether you had to considerably lower your body fat to see results re: cellulite??

Thank you! x

I'm glad I found this post so my response can be my first ever post here.

We're about the same age, and a year ago my legs looked a lot like yours. That's where I carry most of my fat, and I had a HUGE amount of cellulite. Now that I've been training 4-5 days a week and eating well 95% of the time (sometimes I need cake, dammit) the change is huge. I still have cellulite (we all do), but I'd say that 75% of the dimpling I did have is gone.

I definitely think that if you keep with a good program and eat a solid diet you'll see improvement.

[Annie2830]

Thank you, I weight train twice a week but maybe I should increase this. I am eating at a calorie deficit at the moment though because I definitely have some extra flub to lose. I figured I could lose some fat first while weight-training to, at the very least, maintain my current muscle mass. And then, when I've leaned out a bit, start to eat more and increase weight-training etc.. Do you think that's a reasonable plan?

You should definitely try weight training. It takes time and patience but it will give you a better shape for sure. It is a process. Personal trainer can give some very good advice depending on your goal. Which is very important. Some people tend to eat less than needed and only do cardio training. Which may not be the right way to get in shape. Yes you can get leaner but the good shape without cellulite may not be there. You need muscles to define your body.
Try to eat heathy food. You can't gain muscle without at least a moderate surplus in calories (from healthy and nutritious food). And muscle tissue burns more calories than body fat. So at first try to gain some muscle mass. After gaining you can change your diet etc.
I have also more fat in my lower body. And still some cellulite. It depends on your genes also but you can definitely improve your shape with weight training and light cardio