Question about thighs 😁

This probably has been asked before, but has anyone had the issue of their thigh muscles growing and making your pants tighter in that area? I put on actual pants today (I WFH and barely leave the house so my usually attire are workout clothes). The thighs of my pants were tighter than normal. This is basically the opposite of what I wanted...

I've done the bored easily program which I thought had a good mix of cardio and strength... Do I need more cardio? To note: I have arthritis in my knees and have to modify HIIT but still get sweaty and push myself while modifying.

Should I be lifting lighter weights with more reps rather than heavier and less reps?!?

I have a recumbent bike, should I add that onto my workouts? I know Kelli isn't a huge supporter of mindless cardio and I totally agree, but I also wanted tones thighs, not even bigger ones! Is this just part of the process? I've been consistently working out and eating better since 12/28. So it's only been a month. I do notice muscle gain in this area for sure which is great.

Helpppppp

Edited