We all have our problem spots that we would love to alter, from love handles at the waist to the dreaded saddlebags at the upper thigh. I sometimes refer to them as my "lower love handles" because I really don't like the word saddlebag. Gravity has a way of shaping our bodies as we age, but there are a few ways to battle those dreaded saddlebags. Check out these ideas.
- I'm sorry to say, but there isn't one secret magic saddlebag erasing exercise out there. Along the same lines, doing exercises that only focus on your bun and thigh area won't work either. Instead, focus on losing weight overall. Doing cardio like running, biking, and using machines will help you burn calories so your entire body can become more lean.
- Eat a healthy diet and watch your calories. Check out Fit's Calculator to see how many calories you should be consuming a day. Remember though, that your daily intake should never go below 1200 for women and 1800 for men.
- Do strength training exercises to tone all your muscles. Definitely work on moves that target your hips and butt like lunges and squats, or check out this 4-Minute Booty Workout. Also, don't forget to tone your abs and upper body too. Toning all your body parts will make you stronger and leaner overall.
- Don't waste your money on cellulite creams. I'm sorry to say, but they won't do much for your saddlebags.

Urban Decay
Great tips! (as usual)
1....Is that picture supposed to be of a problem area? I think her ass looks great, how damn skinny do you prefer people to be? Jeez!
2foxie, I totally agree. She looks great - what a lame photo to go along with this post.
3I like her too! Haha looks like me!
4I do squats and ride a bike so I don't really suffer too much from saddlebags...
I think every woman does though to some extent because of the physiology of who we are!
A pain but oh well. Who is going to get hung up on this anyway?
5I think that is a nice looking toosh.
6Oh come on now, I don't think Fit was referring to the girl's very nice butt. She was talking about the outer thigh... which is in fact displaying the problem! And displays the fact that many people have that problem spot without being overweight.
7Green- I think most of us really don't see a problem anywhere in this picture, save the tramp stamp, IMO.
8I agree, the girl in the picture looks great! Cellulite can be a problem is there's a lot, sometimes it can even hurt, but most women have a little and that's just fine, I think it looks good.
9Thanks, as always, for the tips, Fit!
10I was wondering just where saddlebags were... an was glad for the photo and the arrows, Fit
Next question for me - what's a "Tramp Stamp."
11it's a tattoo in that location...
12yeah but I'm 111lbs and I still have it...if lose any more weight my family it's gonna lock me up in a eating disorder clinic.... they already have trouble with my healthy lifestyle \o/
13my eternal curse
14she looks good - although the crack wasn't really needed
15oh my goodness who volunteered for that picture? I think they look fine but damn...way to be brave!
16Ug, the dreded saddlbags! That is my problem area. I am 5'4" and about 135 lbs. I am mostly skinny except for my big hips & boobs and saddlebags. That is the only area I want to work on, and of course it has to be one of the hardest to get rid of!
I agree that the picture doesn't look bad, but I see what the arrows are pointing at. I know that there are a lot of people that love my body the way it is, but that area drives me crazy and I want to lose it.
Thanks Fit!
17Now I know what they are called! I have them - pretty badly. I am 5'5" and 138lbs. They just appeared overnight (or so it seems!) few years ago and would NOT LEAVE no matter WHAT I do. Cellulite creams don't get rid of them, but they DO reduce the appearance of them - which is really what they are advertised for.
I have started to include more cardio exercises into my workout routine, hopefully that will help. I just hate feeling exhausted at the end of the day though - I already weight train 3 days a week and do 2 Bodycombat classes on top of that. I am thinking of cutting down the weight training time so I can add 25-30 mins of stairmaster at the end.
18I don't have much of a problem in this area...yet. I hope my legs hold up as I age and I don't develop saggy skin there.
19You know what, I think that sort of shape looks gorgeous and feminine. I love my "saddlebags", or as I like to think of them, "girly hips"!
20I think that I'm fortunate, my boyfriend actually likes the "saddlebags" and doesn't mind cellulite. In fact he thinks it looks hot (as long as it's not too much).
21I think we dont pay enough attention to the backs of our legs and thats why the skin gets so dimpled and ripply. Even the skinny girls get this...so its not just because you're carrying weight there. I swear that massaging the area with moisturizer frequently and doing lunges have significantly improved the texture of my skin. Just giving that area a bit more TLC does wonders!!
22nice butt, but not thighs
23Novraen may be right--I remember a mag article comparing some drugstore "anti-cellulite" lotions, and the conclusion was that the improvement users saw was likely from the massaging, rather than any special ingredients in the lotion. The clumping of fat cells is what gives that lumpy cellulite appearance, since circulation isn't as great in adipose (fatty) tissue; massage encourages better circulation. (For this reason, massage in general has long been praised for making skin healthier.)
24Why do women want to loose weight there? Hips, thighs, butt and boobs is what makes a woman's body beautiful. Without curves the body looks too masculine.
25i am 38 5'5" 145lbs and i diligently work out everyday squats lunges leg lift walking with ankle weights and hand weights excersize bike and my diet is very good high in protien yogurt cottage cheese fruits low carb i dont eat bread potatos or pasta no foods with preservatives i eat lots of green vegtables and im right under 1100 calories a day never cheat on my diet and am faithful to my excersize routine am on my feet all day at work and yet i still am not seeing any change in my problem area "my saddle bags and butt" what do i do???
26What is your body shape? If you are a pear then it's unlikely you'd get rid of them...!
27Also, you don't eat enough so your body is probably hanging on to it's fat reserves.
well my butt looks just like that and I hate it. I'm pretty toned everywhere else but there and my love handles and i dont want to loose more weight but its the only way to rid the fat, i dont want any cellulite!
28Tif 3, sorry to say, but, you still have to lose more weight. 5'5 145 is kind of heavy. I'm 5'6' 115 and still have this problem.
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