Pear Shaped with Saddlebags

valiant_1
valiant_1 Posts: 18
in Motivation and Support
Hey ladies,

I'm having a little case of the blah-blahs today. And despite all the great success stories on here, I am beginning to think that it will be impossible to change my shape and drop a serious 25lbs. The only time I ever did manage to drop a bunch of weight was when I did a cleanse. (7 years ago) And over the course of the last 7 years, I've slowly but surely gained it all back. I am now at my heaviest weight - - the same weight I was before I did the Master Cleanse that first time so many years ago. This morning, I just did a weigh in, and am still at the same weight as I was when I started using MFP. I could live with the size and weight of my upper body, it's my hips and butt that cause me so much trouble. A true pear shape with cellulite and saddlebags, is there any hope for me? I'm going to France tomorrow where I will be for a few weeks and where the ladies are all fit and trim without even trying. Anyone have any advice for where my mindset is today? Success stories, feedback, or input from like-bodied people, please!

Weight : 144 lbs.

Bust 33.5 on 06/01/12
Waist 26.0 on 06/01/12
Hips 41.75 on 06/01/12

Replies

  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
    I am the same weight as you with the same issues, big hips and saddlebags :(.. I know when I lost almost 60lbs back in 2005 it was from slow long distance running. I know it can be done. I just have to start again. I don't have any great advice but would LOVE to be your friend in this :):drinker:
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I know everyone hates Dr Oz but I saw this guy on it and it made sense. Check it out if you want. Good luck.

    http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/body-type-diet-solutions-big-belly-or-big-butt
  • LiddyBit
    LiddyBit Posts: 447 Member
    I have the exact same problem. The only time I ever changed the shape of my lower body was with juice cleansing constantly. I'm not sure it can be done sustainably and it is so demotivating :(

    Our measurements are similar, I'm about 132 pounds and my hip measurement is 38 in, same upper body.
  • LiddyBit
    LiddyBit Posts: 447 Member
    I know everyone hates Dr Oz but I saw this guy on it and it made sense. Check it out if you want. Good luck.

    http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/body-type-diet-solutions-big-belly-or-big-butt

    I'm not sure I trust advice to eat a carb-heavy diet and drink soy milk.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,571 Member
    Are you talking to me? Sorry, I thought with the title of your thread you were trying to get my attention because that is me! First of all, have an incredible time in France. I'm experiencing extreme envy right about now!

    The only suggestions I can give you will take time to implement so no overnight success before you leave. First of all, when you are on this wonderful trip, don't fret about how you look. Wear clothes that flatter the body you have NOW. You have a tiny waist so wear a-line skirts that will emphasize your tiny waist and flare out away from your hips/butt. Stay far, far away from skinny jeans and leggings. They do not flatter anybody except 16 year old teenage girls! (maybe if you wear a long tunic, maybe!) One of the best exercises for the nether regions is walking and I am willing to bet you will be doing a lot of walking on your trip. Wear scarves, shirts that show off your collar bones and shoulders. Dark colors on the bottom and pants with a boot cut so it balances out the hippy-ness.

    If you want to lose weight, it's all about the diet. Exercise does wonders for your body and your health but it's the diet that will determine how much fat you have and the number on the scale. My eating approach is everything in moderation so I'm not the one to ask about cleanses and low carb. When you do start exercising, stay away from things that will increase the size of your bahooney. For me, I have to really, really watch how many squats I do. I tend to build a big booty and so I do not squat heavy. I spin alot and tend to spin at a higher pace and lower resistance. Lunges are great for your legs. Running is great if your knees can handle it. Dancing/zumba is great. Lifting weights makes your overall body look awesome and if you build up your shoulders it will balance your butt.

    You have a beautiful face so stop obsessing about what genetics has given you! I am 5'9, weigh 138ish right now and my measurements are very close to yours. I will NEVER have 36-24-36 measurements but I have learned (mostly-I still see all my flaws) the body I have. And can I tell you, ruching in a cocktail dress is a great look for those of us with ASSets!

    Chin up! You're going to FRANCE!!!!
  • honeybfly002
    honeybfly002 Posts: 35
    Hello beautiful pears, I too am a pear and I would stress over the fact that I never had thin thighs. You have to get your DIET in check. Also lifting weights is the ONLY way to change the shape of your body...lifting weights and toning up will help you take up less space in that chair. Yes our hips tend to spread when we sit with our kind of shape. Running does wonders. You have to eat clean and move around CONSISTENTLY. No magic tricks unfortunately...I believe if there was a magic pill Oprah would have found it by now. Good luck to you and enjoy your trip!

    By the way I would not trade my pear shape for anything in the world! Cellulite and all! When a pear shape is IN SHAPE we have the most desirable shape known to man.
  • Michelleypoo82
    Michelleypoo82 Posts: 156
    Hello beautiful pears, I too am a pear and I would stress over the fact that I never had thin thighs. You have to get your DIET in check. Also lifting weights is the ONLY way to change the shape of your body...lifting weights and toning up will help you take up less space in that chair. Yes our hips tend to spread when we sit with our kind of shape. Running does wonders. You have to eat clean and move around CONSISTENTLY. No magic tricks unfortunately...I believe if there was a magic pill Oprah would have found it by now. Good luck to you and enjoy your trip!

    By the way I would not trade my pear shape for anything in the world! Cellulite and all! When a pear shape is IN SHAPE we have the most desirable shape known to man.

    <3 This!
  • kadams0026
    kadams0026 Posts: 5
    Hello all,

    I am also a pear shape and I do not think I am in as good as shape as many of you. I have struggled with my weight all my life and gone up and down. Over the past couple of years I gained even more weight and I was the heaviest I have ever been at 272. I accepted a job in China this past August and I have now been here almost 4 months. I have lost 33 pounds since I arrived. It is a great feeling and it is very motivating. Of course my diet changed when I came here as the food was not what I was used to but what really changed was my exercise. I now exercise every day. I will also say I do not do it voluntarily. You might be asking how that happens. Well here it is. I live on the 5th floor of my apartment building and there is no elevator. I teach on the 3rd and 4th floor in my teaching building and there is no elevator. My office is on the 4th floor in the Administration building and there is no elevator. I live in China and I have no car so I walk everywhere. It took moving to China for me to realize just how little exercise I did in my life in America. Even when I went to the gym everyday and ate properly I did not lose 30 lbs. Now I realize what was wrong. My body was asleep. The limited amount of exercise I was doing at the gym did nothing for my slow metabolism. I have learned many things about my body since I have been here and I plan to start going to the gym again very soon to start using weights again. I am hoping to establish some very good habits before I go back to the states so that I can maintain my weight loss and exercise. The best advice I can give to any pear shape is to always take the stairs. I realize in America it is not as easy to walk everywhere because everything is so spread out, but when faced with the choice of stairs or elevators always take the stairs. It does great things for the butt and thighs while helping boost your metabolism. It also gives your lungs some exercise. I am hoping to eventually achieve my goal weight of 180. I know that I should really be about 150 but I think that goal is a bit unreasonable for me right now. Eventually I might make that a new goal, but right now I am simply working on making positive changes in my life and establishing sustainable lifestyle changes. Good luck with your goals.
  • Hellinis66
    Hellinis66 Posts: 2
    The BITTER truth about pear shaped women and saddlebags is almost always avoided by fitness gurus and commercial doctors like Dr. Oz.......
    Saddlebags are a very stubborn area to reduce fat. They will be the LAST place to lose inches and meanwhile, while women beat themselves up in hope of getting rid of this cursed spot fat, they also lose from their faces and breasts. Many women in the fitness and bodybuilding field who had saddlebags resolved to LIPO first and then continued on with their fitness careers. The personal trainers you encounter will either deceive you with empty promises either to take your money or because they have done Lipo themselves and are too embarassed to talk about it!...it's not convenient for them....

    LIPO is a great solution though ONLY for Spot Fat and for overall obesity. It reduces fat cells in the areas which carry extra fat. It is recommended only for those who know how to maintain a healthy weight but carry some extra fat in undesirable areas which can ruin their body proportions. Sure, with the right diet and exercise women can reduce inches in the saddlebags but they will also lose a great amount of precious breast fat and some even looking sick in the face. To balance these areas only Lipo can come to the rescue UNLESS one is willing to lose breast fat and wear a cup size A..I have had a client who wore a cup C and carried a lot of fat on her hips. She managed to lose a lot from her saddlebags (not completly though) but ended up going to wearing a size A and sometimes not even that would fill in...She was so discouraged that she had breast implants done to compensate for the loss and even out her body proportions. She also had to keep a strict watch on her diet in order not to regain the weight on her saddlebags. It is a lifelong battle.
    And as women age, especially after the age of 45, saddlebags get worst with hormonal imbalances, thyroid problems and emotional stress in need of extra attention on the bodyweight fluctuations.

    A good advice to give would be to check out your legs in the mirror and see how developed your hamstrings are.....Underdeveloped hamstrings (the back thigh) contribute to fat on the outer thighs. The more muscle your hamstrings have the less fat on the outer thighs. Muscle on the hams will 'vacum out' the fat from the outer thighs BUT it needs constistent sweaty hard workouts to gain some muscle on the hams. It takes time but it will happen. Never forget though that it is a lifelong maintaince and not a one time thing. If you leave your body it will leave you too..Do lunges, stair stepping and walking as much as you can. Do not stop because you will easily gain weight again and then some..30 minutes a day or at least for 5 days will do some wonders on your figure. 30 minutes pass so fast just by browsing the net or watching TV or talking on the phone..so use them to your advantage!

    It all depends ON WHAT you can LIVE WITH. WHAT makes you satisfied and how far are you willing to go and sacrifice in order to feel happy and good about yourself. No one should judge you or tell you what you should or should not do about your body if you are not happy naked. It is strictly your sole decision. After all, it is your body and your temple...
  • VBnotbitter
    VBnotbitter Posts: 820 Member
    The BITTER truth about pear shaped women and saddlebags is almost always avoided by fitness gurus and commercial doctors like Dr. Oz.......
    Saddlebags are a very stubborn area to reduce fat. They will be the LAST place to lose inches and meanwhile, while women beat themselves up in hope of getting rid of this cursed spot fat, they also lose from their faces and breasts. Many women in the fitness and bodybuilding field who had saddlebags resolved to LIPO first and then continued on with their fitness careers. The personal trainers you encounter will either deceive you with empty promises either to take your money or because they have done Lipo themselves and are too embarassed to talk about it!...it's not convenient for them....

    LIPO is a great solution though ONLY for Spot Fat and for overall obesity. It reduces fat cells in the areas which carry extra fat. It is recommended only for those who know how to maintain a healthy weight but carry some extra fat in undesirable areas which can ruin their body proportions. Sure, with the right diet and exercise women can reduce inches in the saddlebags but they will also lose a great amount of precious breast fat and some even looking sick in the face. To balance these areas only Lipo can come to the rescue UNLESS one is willing to lose breast fat and wear a cup size A..I have had a client who wore a cup C and carried a lot of fat on her hips. She managed to lose a lot from her saddlebags (not completly though) but ended up going to wearing a size A and sometimes not even that would fill in...She was so discouraged that she had breast implants done to compensate for the loss and even out her body proportions. She also had to keep a strict watch on her diet in order not to regain the weight on her saddlebags. It is a lifelong battle.
    And as women age, especially after the age of 45, saddlebags get worst with hormonal imbalances, thyroid problems and emotional stress in need of extra attention on the bodyweight fluctuations.

    A good advice to give would be to check out your legs in the mirror and see how developed your hamstrings are.....Underdeveloped hamstrings (the back thigh) contribute to fat on the outer thighs. The more muscle your hamstrings have the less fat on the outer thighs. Muscle on the hams will 'vacum out' the fat from the outer thighs BUT it needs constistent sweaty hard workouts to gain some muscle on the hams. It takes time but it will happen. Never forget though that it is a lifelong maintaince and not a one time thing. If you leave your body it will leave you too..Do lunges, stair stepping and walking as much as you can. Do not stop because you will easily gain weight again and then some..30 minutes a day or at least for 5 days will do some wonders on your figure. 30 minutes pass so fast just by browsing the net or watching TV or talking on the phone..so use them to your advantage!

    It all depends ON WHAT you can LIVE WITH. WHAT makes you satisfied and how far are you willing to go and sacrifice in order to feel happy and good about yourself. No one should judge you or tell you what you should or should not do about your body if you are not happy naked. It is strictly your sole decision. After all, it is your body and your temple...

    :indifferent: :huh:

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