Okay, I haven't been exercising and eating the way I should to lose weight, but I've been making sure to maintain my weight so that I don't gain. I haven't gained AT ALL. But somehow, I'm getting new stretchmarks all over the place. I've got tiny ones(for the first time ever) on my thighs, i have them going up my hips and my sides up towards my underarms, and they're appearing on the back part on my hips. HOW is this possible?? I have gained ZERO weight. My clothes all fit the same and everything. Where are these stretchmarks coming from??? They make me feel so gross. I never use the term FAT, I always say squishy. Fat seems negative to me so I never use that word, but these stretchmarks actually make me feel FAT. It's so discouraging! I've made sure not to gain any weight. I've been gearing up to start exercising again, but while I've been doing that I've absolutely made sure not to gain weight. So how am I getting stretch marks? I'm so upset about it.

I don't know the science behind it, but my personal trainer told me that stretch marks don't appear until you start to LOSE the weight (maybe somebody else can explain "why"). I asked her the same question because I definitely have more stretch marks now than I did before I lost the weight. She said that it's a good thing (in a way) because it shows that your body is reshaping itself and letting go of the fat.

Yes same with me. I have more marks then when I began at 313 pounds.
I will take the marks over the weight any day. Good Luck and hopefully you can get thru this. There are very very very few downsides to the weight loss and that might be the one. Bigger picture very more healthy you and thats worth all the marks in the world.

Wow, that's interesting. I'd never heard that. I might have to do some research on that one to find out exactly why it happens. I hope that's what it is!!
Thanks for letting me know that!
By the way, congratulations on all of your weight loss! You're almost at your goal

Ahh, well I'm glad I'm not alone! Seeing the stretchmarks just makes me incredibly paranoid. I start freaking out and thinking that I'm gaining weight. It's not the end of the world though. Less squish is definitly worth more marks.
Congrats to you as well on all of your weight loss!!
Seeing that people have lost so much weight really inspires me. I hope I'll soon be able to really jump on the weight loss bandwagon and start losing a bunch myself.

The stratch marks ARE there when you are heavy. They just become more noticeable once you lose weight, or once you have the baby. (If you get pregnancy stretch marks. They don't just show up after the fact.

The reason they become more noticeable is because when you are at your heaviest, or when you are pregnant, the skin is stretched taut-and when you have the baby or lose some weight or inches-the skin loosens up and isn't stretched as tight-so the ridges are more apparent. Think of it like this-write something on a deflated baloon with an ink pen. Blow it up. When it is blown up, the ink is stretched out/spread out and will probably appear lighter...and when you let the air back out of the balloon, the ink is darker and more defined again.

Don't be so hard on yourself honey!! We ALL have stretch marks. I've had them for ages now...on my stomach, hips, arms, and boobs. And yes, they've become much more noticeable after losing the weight. In fact, I find new ones every week!! It's the game of "Find the New Stretch Marks"!!! LOL