saddlebags and sleeping

Mistraal1981 · February 2015

I am your typical pear shaped girl. I have always been hippy (no, not the tie-dye kind of hippy). Over the last 3 years I have lost 5 stone through diet alone. After being a mfp I have since learned that for the body I want, I need to lift heavy in order to get. So I have been doing stronglifts 5x5 3 nights a week since October and I have also been watching my calorie intake.

So far, so good. My saddlebag fat has finally started to get all soft and pliable and candlewax drippy looking when I side plank. (You know you are loving the imagery!) I am incredibly hopeful that this means its about to go away. (Don't want to say it too loud in case I jinx it!).

Now, to the crux of the matter!! I am wondering if any of you other hippy chicks who have lost their saddlebags have gone through a phase where it hurts your hips when you lay on your side in bed? In my head its because my built in padding is going away, which makes me happy. There is also a more depressingly practical thought that its because I'm doing heavier squats now and its just my hip muscles moaning at me.

arditarose · February 2015

Mistraal1981 wrote: »

I am your typical pear shaped girl. I have always been hippy (no, not the tie-dye kind of hippy). Over the last 3 years I have lost 5 stone through diet alone. After being a mfp I have since learned that for the body I want, I need to lift heavy in order to get. So I have been doing stronglifts 5x5 3 nights a week since October and I have also been watching my calorie intake.

So far, so good. My saddlebag fat has finally started to get all soft and pliable and candlewax drippy looking when I side plank. (You know you are loving the imagery!) I am incredibly hopeful that this means its about to go away. (Don't want to say it too loud in case I jinx it!).

Now, to the crux of the matter!! I am wondering if any of you other hippy chicks who have lost their saddlebags have gone through a phase where it hurts your hips when you lay on your side in bed? In my head its because my built in padding is going away, which makes me happy. There is also a more depressingly practical thought that its because I'm doing heavier squats now and its just my hip muscles moaning at me.

I brought my hips down from 44 inches to 39 inches and I lift heavy as well. I have a soft mattress so don't really notice it, though I am uncomfortable laying on my side on a hard mattress. I think it's a combination of both not having the same amount of padding, and maybe some DOMS?

cheshirecatastrophe · February 2015

In my experience, muscle soreness from working out hard and the discomfort of, I guess, bone digging into skin? in bed feel quite different.

If it's a problem you can't fix by shifting around or changing the angle you sleep at a little, you could check into a memory foam mattress topper.

(To be clear, I am the opposite of pear; I lose saddlebags first. I have to get pretty darn skinny overall for hip discomfort in bed, though. But maybe I have a different starting point of reference here in Blockland.)

Dancetherapist · February 2015

Your form might not be right and it might be your IT band hurting, not a muscle. The IT band runs from the outer pelvis over the side of the hip and down to the knee. You want to make sure your visualizing what muscle you're using when doing an exercise like side plank. What type of pain is it? Does it feel like muscle soreness or something else?

Mistraal1981 · February 2015

cmuzzi617 wrote: »

Your form might not be right and it might be your IT band hurting, not a muscle. The IT band runs from the outer pelvis over the side of the hip and down to the knee. You want to make sure your visualizing what muscle you're using when doing an exercise like side plank. What type of pain is it? Does it feel like muscle soreness or something else?

Hi, the pain definitely isn't a doms type of pain. Its more...uncomfortable. Like my hip bone is bruising my saddle fat from the inside when I lay on my side in bed. (I'm really not explaining this well am I?)

To be clear, the pain isn't when I exercise, the side plank example was more to give you an image of what I was doing when I noticed the drippy candle wax look of my saddlebags hanging off me. Delightful, I know.

I will read up more on the IT band. I haven't heard of it before and you may be right about my squat form affecting it. Thank you.

Mistraal1981 · February 2015

cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »

In my experience, muscle soreness from working out hard and the discomfort of, I guess, bone digging into skin? in bed feel quite different.

If it's a problem you can't fix by shifting around or changing the angle you sleep at a little, you could check into a memory foam mattress topper.

(To be clear, I am the opposite of pear; I lose saddlebags first. I have to get pretty darn skinny overall for hip discomfort in bed, though. But maybe I have a different starting point of reference here in Blockland.)

Love your avatar name...genius. The memory foam topper sounds like a plan actually.

azulvioleta6 · February 2015

I never had saddle bags, but I went from apple to hourglass. For various medical reasons, I am only allowed to sleep on my side. It hurt and was uncomfortable for several years.

I got used to it at some point, but I still need to prop myself up with king-sized pillows to make it work if I am sleeping alone. You might try sleeping on top of an extra comforter or adding a feather bed.

RodaRose · February 2015

Am off the wall suggestion worth trying two nights in a row to see if it improves things: sleep with a pillow between your knees.

middlehaitch · February 2015

Along with rodarose's suggestion. Check the height of your head pillow. It may be too high now you are slimmer, you may be angling down from your head and putting pressure on your hips.
Cheers, h.

slaite1 · February 2015

Sounds like you have tight hip flexors. I chronically have this problem. The IT band is another culprit. When you're doing lots of squats, lunges and/or running-ESPECIALLY if you sit a lot during the day, you are just asking for tight hips. Another culprit could be weak glutes- when you do these exercises you're not getting full range of motion.

If you google you'll get some nice stretches. It is something you definitely want to take care of. I have an amazing trainer I go see (he knows how to "work" the right area as well as yell at me to do the stretches he gives me) Tight hips will lead to tight knees and ankles, which will lead to pain and/or an injury.

Mistraal1981 · February 2015

Thanks so much everyone. I will be checking out mattress toppers and stretches. I thought it was due to weight loss making me less cushioned. I didnt really think it was a muscle issue.

maxit · February 2015

I have had that experience, Mistraal - I think the posters who suggest its a soft tissue issue are correct. The feeling you describe as Like my hip bone is bruising my saddle fat from the inside when I lay on my side in bed is a perfect description of my experience. It eased up considerably when I added additional stretches and foam rolling of glute, ham, quad, sides at the end of my workout.

saddlebags and sleeping

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