Embarrassing body question...

(21 replies)

by amannie

4 months ago

Viewed 9250 times

I have what my mom always called "saddle bags" and I am wondering if there is a way to get rid of these. I'm definitenly an apple shaped body and my thights are always a problem area. I've recently started getting these, and they're so embarrassing, especaially when I wear a swimsuit. Let me know if there is any exercise that I can do to help! Anything work for anyone?

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notme replied 4 months ago:

Weight lifting can work wonders for your thighs and butt. Do some squats and lunges, maybe 3 sets of 6-12 reps 2 or 3 times a week, with a weight that's challenging. On the other days you could try walking or sprinting uphill. Most treadmills have an incline function if you don't have any good hills locally. If you don't already belong to a gym you might want to look into it. Around here, it's not nearly as expensive as it used to be. A lot of gyms only cost $10 a month, and some include free classes!

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Glambert1 replied 4 months ago:

Weightliting and cardio is good for total body conditioning- you can't really target weightloss and toning to one body part. I would recommend donkey kicks that involve lifting your leg horizontally from the floor and kicking out- but again, we can "spot" lose in specific "bad" areas. Sad facts are, if you find you cannot loose the saddlebags via diet and exercise, liposuction is the only targeted solution.

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Glambert1 replied 4 months ago:

Weightliting and cardio is good for total body conditioning- you can't really target weightloss and toning to one body part. I would recommend donkey kicks that involve lifting your leg horizontally from the floor and kicking out- but again, we can "spot" lose in specific "bad" areas. Sad facts are, if you find you cannot loose the saddlebags via diet and exercise, liposuction is the only targeted solution.

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Festina replied 4 months ago:

I understand your plight. I have the same one. Although I am a pear shaped girl. I am a gym memb and always looking to shave the fat off my thighs. I have found that over all body conditioning is a great help. I have a day of Cardio and a day of what I call hard body were I do a ton of leg and butt work. I know the gym is hard to get to so if that is hard for you walking at a good pace along with leg lunges, squats, wall sits will benefit. My fav is ballet beautifull has some butt workouts that work great. The blast series is quick and short. I am weak in my thighs so I take it slow and pause the vid often. I also totally changed my diet. No junk food and very little processed food. I push dark greens big time. It is hard but feeling better, being healthy are worth it. It's good for our kids to see us healthy and happy to.

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deebart replied 4 months ago:

I also have saddlebags and I lost over 140 pounds, i still am really big and saggy below the waist which is the hardest areas to lose weight and firm skin. i have already done some reconstruction surgery to remove unwanted skin on my stomach and breast but the lower half is horrible now. the doctor has told me exercise and what you can achieve you will have to liposuction off. of course that is expensive. my other surgeries were covered by insurance. cause of my medical issues being obese. Good luck and love the body you have! Be healthy and happy!

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Curiosity8593 replied 4 months ago:

Get on the eliptical at the Gym or where ever. Walk some steps, put a work out ball between your knees and thighs and squeeze it. The trainers at the YMCA that I go to, has always told me to do as many as i can untill I can not do any more. I rest for about 10 secs then I start again until my muscles hurt. The more you work your muscles the less sore they will be.

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eekmod replied 4 months ago:

You can't get rid of saddlebags unless you have lipo. I'm 5'9" and when I weighed 120 pounds and had a 23 inch waist, I still had them.

What I find works best is doing a lot of upper body weights. Making your shoulders, back and arms more defined will balance you out, and you will no longer notice the saddlebags as much. Try a program that works you up to 100 pushups a day (just google 100 pushups, they're free).

Lunges and squats will help, too-- they will make your butt firmer. And overall conditioning, as people have mentioned, which will make you shed weight overall. I personally don't do much leg work because my thighs get enough of a muscle workout from the cardio I do.

Anyway, if it makes you feel any better, gorgeous supermodel Paulina Porizkova publicly has said she has saddlebags. Everybody's unique and has a thing they focus on as "bad," but that's what makes you yourself, not a robot.

http://www.modelinia.com/blog/paying-to-go-from-the-a-list-to-the-c-list/20678

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hatestoshop replied 4 months ago:

Saddle bags are the hardest area to improve, at least in my experience. Even weights didn't do justice in getting rid of them. The most improvement I've ever seen in eliminating, or at least getting rid of most of them, is yoga. Yes, yoga. Call and find out which type of class a nearby studio recommends for you, and then do a class for approx. $15. You will feel it all over, especially a Yin or Vinyasa class. Good luck!! Namaste.

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brigidmahern replied 4 months ago:

Sad facts are, if you find you cannot loose the saddlebags via diet and exercise, liposuction is the only targeted solution.”
by: Glambert1

No. dont do liposuction. It will just get worse again. Diet and exercise. EXERCISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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bamagirl71 replied 4 months ago:

Try Jillian Michaels killer buns and thighs; about 10 bucks at Walmart. I am 41 and let my body go over the past 5 years or so. I tried the gym and though it helped I needed strategic training and could not afford a trainer. I've been doing the 30 to 45 minute workouts for a month and friends are literally stopping to ask what I'm doing. I'm 5' with a pear shape and saddlebags for days. Honestly they are almost gone. I do work hard, these short workouts bring the intensity needed to change your body. You cannot beat the price for the results you get. By summer I'll have the best body since my twenties.

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sosms replied 4 months ago:

This exercised worked for me but you probably don't want an audiance. It is called the fire hydrant and mimics a dog. Get on all fours and lift each leg in a set of 8 lifts for as many sets as you can. Think I started with 3 sets per leg and built up from there. Got this exercise many years ago but never see it in any books/magazines anymore.

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Ray Banz replied 4 months ago:

Exercise more and eat less. Any kind of exercise you enjoy doing and can stick with is the best, and that combined with a well balanced, low fat, healthy diet (cutting out unhealthy snacks and empty calories) will definately get you back into the shape you want.

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deebart replied 4 months ago:

Sad facts are, if you find you cannot loose the saddlebags via diet and exercise, liposuction is the only targeted solution.”
by: Glambert1

No. dont do liposuction. It will just get worse again. Diet and exercise. EXERCISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by:brigidmahern

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deebart replied 4 months ago:

Lipo is great for certain areas that you cannot get with exercise, there are areas no matter how much exercise you do will not accomplish getting that off. i know i have had it done.

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Arania replied 4 months ago:

I have always thought that my thighs were a bit too large for the rest of me, but the best they ever looked was when I was doing deep squats, lunges, side kicks, going for long brisk walks and swimming laps a few days a week. There is no such thing as an impossible area to trim down: My mother was morbidly obese and managed to tone down her entire body to a nice size, 14 or 12 (not exactly sure), by working her whole body and eating a 1,800-2,000 calorie diet that consisted mostly of fruits and vegetables, cut out refined sugars and simple carbs and the extra weight melted right off. She has regained the weight since because she completely gave up after learning that the rest of her fitness team had been cheating on the plan the whole time. But, that was why she had been the only one on track to reach her goals; everyone else had been half-hearted while she had been following the plan to the letter!

Just don't get too thoroughly into low fat everything, you could starve your body of fat soluble vitamins. They do get stored in fat deposits and used as you burn fat, but you can't count on that being enough every day. Fruits, greens, vegetables, nuts, legumes, water, some dairy and plenty of leg exercises. 2% milk isn't as scary as some health nuts make it out to be, just don't drink more than 16oz a day and you won't have to worry about it being excessive. The worst fat to consume is transfat: It is harder to remove from your system than saturated fats. Monounsaturated fats actually help sweep fat deposits away and help keep your skin moisturized.

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felicia ok replied 4 months ago:

hi i used to have the same thighs but now they have reduced and its due to the kind of exercise i do..i walk alot as if i can walk to a place i dont have to take a ride or a car to the place,i therefore save money and builup my health..the thighs might not reduce to completion because some of it might just be muscles and if it is muscles then there is nothing you can do but you have to try first before concluding if they are fats or muscles...it takes time thus you need commitment and patience.

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zoe101 replied 4 months ago:

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zoe101 replied 4 months ago:

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lenasprague replied 4 months ago:

Slim and smooth your outer thighs with the 45-Degree Circle from Star Quality: The Red Carpet Workout for the Celebrity Body of Your Dreams by Rob Parr. Lie on your left side, prop yourself up on your left elbow, and move your legs forward about 1 1/2 feet, bending the bottom leg slightly and keeping the top leg straight. Rest your right hand on your hip. Lift your right leg 5 inches and slowly, with control, make a clockwise circle with that leg, keeping your hips still. (Be sure that your circle is at least 12 inches wide.) Start with 3 sets of 10–15 circles per leg and work up to 20–25. You should see results in 4 weeks.

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flydive replied 4 months ago:

Great question and some terrific answers and suggestions. Can I get some suggestions for the inner-thighs? Or maybe squats & lunges are the good for that side too. Already work out 3X weekly, eat pretty healthy in my book. However the inner thigh is a difficult area to trim down, has been for me.

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twvb replied 3 months ago:

I am also a mild pear shape and while I wasn't obese, I was embarrassed by my appearance and unhappy that I had to buy larger sized skirts and pants and then have the tailor take in the waistline all the time. So I started watching what I eat (cut out white bread and switched to wheat, cut out fatty foods, cut my portion sizes, made sure I always eat breakfast, switched from coke to diet coke, etc.). Then I made sure to get at least 3-5 days of cardio (elliptical machine) every week, ab exercises. I shaped up quickly (about 7-10 lbs lost.). Then I had lipo on my thighs and that made a major difference!! With surgery, you still have to wear the compression shorts, watch what you eat and exercise. I went from a size 6 down to a 4. Hope this insight and my experience helps you...

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