Saddlebags!!

westbeard1
westbeard1 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi I’m 33 a size 8/10 and weigh 8 and a half stone. I’ve had an issue with saddlebags since I was about 15 years old I’ve always had a petit figure but cannot wear fitted dresses swimming costumes and lots of types of trousers as they just stick out the sides and look really odd with my body. I don’t want to lose any more weight as I know this doesn’t work as I’ve dropped down to below 8 stone before and they are still there. I am active all day long at work and have 3 children so am constantly running around at home. Admittedly I do enjoy a can of coke every day and have one sugar in my coffee in the morning. Has anyone got any advice on what I can do to get rid of the saddlebags?? Fitness , diet I am open to any advice. I really don’t want to go down the surgery route of liposuction. Many thanks please no nasty comments as these ugly fat pouches make me feel very self conscious 😩

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Are you sure they are as significant as you think they are? I know many of us have body parts that sometimes look really prominent to us, but other people don't really notice them. At a size 8/10, I think it would be unusual for you to have saddlebags that are so prominent that you have to guide all your clothing selections around them.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    It's very common to get down to a healthy weight and be unhappy with how we look. Where we hold fat has a lot to do with genetics, and sometimes there's little we can do to alter our shape. However...

    You would most likely see a difference in your shape if you were to start a recomposition program. That's weight training, lifting progressively heavier weights. What happens is as your lean body mass increases (you build more muscle), and your weight stays the same, your body uses your fat reserves to fuel the effort. You won't change your inherent body shape, but you could appear more balanced when you look in the mirror - more body mass in other places (especially upper body) might help you appear more proportional in your eyes.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

    (The basics are in the first couple of pages)

    Also - as long as you're staying within your maintenance calories the coke and sugar are fine :)

    Best of luck!


  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    Haha, everyone posted at once! OP, you can trust the advice!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Yep recomp!

    I also second that i bet they're not as bad as you think.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
    edited February 2019
    Oh honey, I'm right there with you! This is the worst area of my body and I've had them since I was about 15, too.
    How I wish I could wear a pencil skirt!

    And mine are definitely as bad as I think. I feel your pain and I'm monitoring this thread.

    I dealing with mine by strength training and specifically focusing on the butt area. I've read that if you tone that area it will help with the excess fat that settles in the saddlebag area.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,069 Member
    I've got those annoying fat rolls up there too. Makes it impossible to wear anything form fitting without looking like a moose in it LOL! I also have a very short torso in comparison to the rest of my body, so anything with a high enough waist to go over my rolls makes me look like Steve Urkel (not even joking, it's horrible!)

    uop3mko7ezjn.jpg

    They are also almost the last thing to go on my body. I won't see those improve much until I'm in the sub 140 range, when they will finally start to disappear (to give reference, I'm 5'7" and currently weigh ~149). Even then, a little bit will hang on until the very end!

    You can't spot reduce. If you don't change your diet or lifestyle, your body will probably just replace the fat pads with new ones, even if you go the surgery route. The only way to get rid of those final reserves is to drop your BF%.

    Building muscle can certainly help provide some balance, and can maybe help shift your overall shape a bit, but may not have a dramatic effect on the appearance of that particular area.

    Perhaps you just need to lose some final pounds, just take your time doing it. Nothing wrong with losing 1 pound a month if that makes it easier for you and is more manageable than trying to lose faster.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Have them, have had them since puberty, and know that recomp and patience is the only chance of getting rid or at least minimizing them.
  • rosiorama
    rosiorama Posts: 300 Member

    I am going to repeat what a lot of people have already said: start lifting weights (not the little ones- the kind that you can only lift 8-12 times before muscle failure) and eat at maintenance. It’s amazing how much your body can change when it gets a little muscle but stays the same weight. I carry most of my extra weight in my hips and bum - and while lifting weights and recomp doesn’t spot reduce, it certainly helps the shape of my body overall. My thighs are the last to change when I’ve worked to lose weight, so I can identify with the saddlebag comment.

  • must_deflate
    must_deflate Posts: 183 Member
    How tall are you? If you are a short person it might take losing a little more fat to do it. It might be informative to get your body fat % measured (at a fitness center or buy some calipers (cheap)). If you're over 20% body fat you could still lose a little more without being excessively thin. But sometimes our bodies just like hanging onto fat in certain places cause it's the way we're designed. Building muscle can tighten things up. But people are right when they say it might just look bad to *you*.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
    edited February 2019
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    midlomel1971 wrote: »
    Oh honey, I'm right there with you! This is the worst area of my body and I've had them since I was about 15, too.
    How I wish I could wear a pencil skirt!

    And mine are definitely as bad as I think. I feel your pain and I'm monitoring this thread.

    I dealing with mine by strength training and specifically focusing on the butt area. I've read that if you tone that area it will help with the excess fat that settles in the saddlebag area.

    I have them... I wear pencil skirts... :drinker:

    Mine are really bad. Imagine a python eating a huge mouse and the mouse being stuck the middle of the snake. That's kind of what my body look like in a pencil skirt. A-Line all the way.
  • rosiorama
    rosiorama Posts: 300 Member
    midlomel1971 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    midlomel1971 wrote: »
    Oh honey, I'm right there with you! This is the worst area of my body and I've had them since I was about 15, too.
    How I wish I could wear a pencil skirt!

    And mine are definitely as bad as I think. I feel your pain and I'm monitoring this thread.

    I dealing with mine by strength training and specifically focusing on the butt area. I've read that if you tone that area it will help with the excess fat that settles in the saddlebag area.

    I have them... I wear pencil skirts... :drinker:

    Mine are really bad. Imagine a python eating a huge mouse and the mouse being stuck the middle of the snake. That's kind of what my body look like in a pencil skirt. A-Line all the way.


    Lol! I used to not wear dresses - in the days before spandex. I would need to find a dress that fit my bum and hips - which would make most dresses ride up - kind of a balloon effect at the waist. And then the bust wouldn’t fit either. Even a-lines ride up higher than where I’d like them to sit. So annoying!
  • must_deflate
    must_deflate Posts: 183 Member
    midlomel1971 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    midlomel1971 wrote: »
    Oh honey, I'm right there with you! This is the worst area of my body and I've had them since I was about 15, too.
    How I wish I could wear a pencil skirt!

    And mine are definitely as bad as I think. I feel your pain and I'm monitoring this thread.

    I dealing with mine by strength training and specifically focusing on the butt area. I've read that if you tone that area it will help with the excess fat that settles in the saddlebag area.

    I have them... I wear pencil skirts... :drinker:

    Mine are really bad. Imagine a python eating a huge mouse and the mouse being stuck the middle of the snake. That's kind of what my body look like in a pencil skirt. A-Line all the way.

    No loss: pencil skirts are too hard to walk in.

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    midlomel1971 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    midlomel1971 wrote: »
    Oh honey, I'm right there with you! This is the worst area of my body and I've had them since I was about 15, too.
    How I wish I could wear a pencil skirt!

    And mine are definitely as bad as I think. I feel your pain and I'm monitoring this thread.

    I dealing with mine by strength training and specifically focusing on the butt area. I've read that if you tone that area it will help with the excess fat that settles in the saddlebag area.

    I have them... I wear pencil skirts... :drinker:

    Mine are really bad. Imagine a python eating a huge mouse and the mouse being stuck the middle of the snake. That's kind of what my body look like in a pencil skirt. A-Line all the way.

    A line just makes my *kitten* look MASSIVE... not flattering at all!
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    I'm sorry. I'm pear shaped and have always dealt with this. Surgery may not help - I've heard that the fat can redeposit itself.
  • StargazerB
    StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
    Another vote for recomp! Mine went down a lot, they are still there as that is where (and my lower belly) my body likes to hold on to fat. But neither area looks bad now.
  • 150poundsofme
    150poundsofme Posts: 523 Member
    Oh, so that's what it's called. I got em too but too worried now about my "bat wings". I can only think Spanx might help for the skirts.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    My advice is to pay special attention and notice how many fat ladies with weird bodies are out there wearing pencil skirts, bathing suits, and every other type of clothes and just not giving a flip because really, looking less than perfect is not the end of the world. And then notice something else: before you started paying special attention, these people were all around you and you never noticed them! No one is getting arrested for wearing a swimming costume with saddlebags.

    Personally I will always have a stomach pouch on my lower belly - I was down to 112 lbs once (which is a 17 BMI for me) and still had a fat pouch there. I used to never wear leggings without a loose shirt over them. Then last year I suddenly realized I don't care. I have a belly, get over it. I have better things to think about than whether my lower stomach is visible.

    Not saying this is an easy point to get to, but unless you are wanting to go for surgery, or work on getting down to a very low bodyfat (which might not have all the results you want - for example my boobs go before my stomach) it may be easier to adjust your way of thinking than your body. Definitely recomp, but also be kind to yourself. Pretend you are looking at a friend's body and think how you would react. Then be your own friend!
  • westbeard1
    westbeard1 Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you everyone for your replies I really appreciate it! Sorry for the late reply I’ve had trouble logging in 😩 your advice is amazing definitely going to look at changing my diet a bit more and start the exercises you are all recommending. Thank you all x

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