Spin and bulky muscles

In December I decided to get serious about exercising and I started doing spin classes 3x a week because you can burn a lot of calories in 1 hour.  I am still doing them; however, my legs have gotten huge--a lot of muscle, but that wasn't the look I was going for PLUS I have gained about 6 lbs. since then.  I am 5'2, so I'm think that is why my legs got so bulky right away.  My pants are all TIGHT on my legs!  Suggestions for exercises that burn a lot of calories and that will help me SLIM down without getting bulky?

You didn't gain 6 lbs. because you are Spinning you gained 6 lbs. because you are eating to much for your level of activity.  Your legs got bigger because evidently that is where your body is genetically predisposed to deposit fat.  Get your diet in line.  Spinning is a great way to improve fitness and slim down but 3 times a week my not be enough for you.

I'm working on the diet.  Eating less than I used to (between 1500 and 1700 calories).  In addition to spin, I also take step/interval classes, do the elliptical and do the treadmill during the week.  How many calories should I be consuming?

1500 seems about right for you to lose weight but I made a number of assumptions that may or may not be correct to arrive at that number.  The tools on this site are very helpful for figuring that out.

Thanks!  I'll try to keep it at about 1500 and keep pushing through.

spin (or any long cardio session) actually tends to lean out the muscles....unless you are all hills spinning/biking/running....but even then the muscles tend to deplete when you go for a long time (over half hour).....so I would work on the eating. I worked out for about 3 years before I finally got my eating together and lost all the weight right away. I hate to say it, but it's true; diet is just as important (if not more) than exercise.

Thanks, vicki8seekers.  I guess I just need more patience and I have to take my diet a day at a time.  It's a daily struggle. How much did you lose?

I've yo-yo'd since the end of high school at my highest (220...I lost, then had a kid, then lost, then went back up)...but most recently it was down from about 195 to my current low is 145...so 50lbs total since March of 08. BUT, I spent 6 of those months going from 195 to 176, and then lost the rest like that *snapping my fingers haha* once I changed my diet!

Granted, I LVOE LOVE LOEV working out....not a big spin fan (however my sis teaches spin so I sit in sometimes), but I absolutely love lifting weights. I haven't had any trouble keeping the weight off....except when my eating starts slipping to bad habits...but I get back on track and I lose it again!

Congratulations on your weight loss!  Thanks for the motivation to keep on exercising and counting calories.