Ugh! They look terrible...

I've been adjusting my diet and lifestyle, more swimming and walking, since last August and have managed to lose two sizes - which means smaller boobs, smaller waistline, very much smaller hips, but that's where it stops... still have those "hamster pouches" at the top of my legs!

Is there anything I can do to get rid of these? They're really pissing me off!

My daughter who's a trainee physio says they're just the last thing to go with general weight loss but wondered if anyone know anything specific - exercises or whatever - to get rid of these?

Hi there:

you will have to lose a lot of weight to get rid of those - and you don't want to lose any more on your face - a friend of mine had liposuction for these - it is pricey - but it gets rid of it forever - if and when she gains weight she does not put on weight there - so it worked for her -

lara falcon

Congratulations on your weight loss!

Spot reducing is a myth, so you will either have to diet it off or have surgical intervention (as lara sates above). I'm training for a fitness show in the fall and believe me I'm struggling with my problem area right now! I'm esitmating to have to drop another 15-20# to see a difference in THAT area, even then it's a crap shoot.

I thought I heard them all. Just what are hamster pouches????

Ugly fat bits at the top of your legs. I can show you a photo if you like... that's just my nickname for them. But obviously some others recognised the description!!

I have reduced them before, because some of the trousers I used to wear, fit fine around the hips and waist but are too tight around the thighs - tho I can't remember what I did. I think it was just general weight loss. Surgery is way out of the question. Oh well I'll keep sticking to the adjusted eating lifestyle (do you see the word I'm avoiding here!) and walking and swimming, I could do with losing another 8 lbs or so to hit a good target weight.

My trainee physio daughter said walking and also cycling is a good idea. I've only recently re-started walking, because I had problem knees - though since losing the weight, they seem to be a lot better!

You mean that horrible flab just above your knee? Thank God for baggy pants....

Mine go away when I walk. I see that you're doing that already, so maybe a little faster or longer or farther? Don't you HATE when the part you hate the most (in my case, my belly) is always the LAST thing that goes when you lose weight?

Yep! Haven't been able to walk much, because of knees, but now that problem is improved, I'll be walking more.

Anyway for those still confused.... THIS horrible thing (arrowed in red) is what I call a "hamster pouch" !

Aw...saddle bags! Now I get it.


Now I have to find another name for the knee overhang...

LOL So what's the belly overhang thingy?? My daughter calls it BOB- belly over belt LOL

You look great. You're genetically prone to carry fat in this area. We won't go into my problem area Thanks Mom and Dad! You can reduce them with further fat loss, no doubt about it....but this area will remain slightly larger than the rest of the body. I agree with your daughter about cycling. I personally would stay away from heavy weights and focus on lighter poundage for higher reps (presuming you weight train). If you're into DVD exercising I highly recommed The Firm leg and butt series as well as Tai Bo. Killer stuff.

Hi CTigress:

I think "saddlebags" is another name for Hamster pounches LOL - I know you don't want surgery - but it is the only and best way to do it - that is if you are really really bothered by them - if not I would say don't do it because after 45 it is hard to get the skin to shrink back and you would be left with unsightly skin - You would look very svelte in clothes, but your DH would probably see the loose skin when you undressed - I know whereof I speak because when I was 35 I had my hamster pouches along with my butt and belly liposuctioned - and it was the best thing I ever did - Liiposuctionn is not a "quick way to lose weight" it is for people who diet and exercise and eat healthy but have these genetic fat pockets - I was never heavy - but like yourself I had these "fat pouches" which were very resistant to diet and exercise - I wanted to enjoy my life and not have to worry about how I look in my clothes - so I took the plunge - I know this board is very conservative about using elective surgery to make ourselves better - and I am not PS junkie - but I do think sometimes this is the only solution - BTW - it wasn't that expensive -

Lara Falcon

Hi, it wouldn't be that I didn't WANT surgery - it's just a financial impossibility right now. If I had money for surgery, I'd be using it for my varicose veins (and for that I definitely have to thank my mum & dad... they both had them, dad had 2 sets). I can't see any evidence of either my mum or dad having the "saddlebags" - my mum and all her 4 sisters are tall, skinny and long-legged, guess who didn't inherit THAT gene! So I guess I created that one all by myself - probably sedentary job doesn't help.

Thanks for kind words!

I wouldn't worry about the unslightly skin - my weight has yo yo'd so much in the last few years my stomach is like crinkly parchment. My DH rather likes it... it means I'm not fat.

As for the belly overhang thing... over here it's known as a "muffin top" - especially when seen with those jeans that only come halfway to the waist!

I've heard this called "Dunlop's Disease", as in "My belly done lopped over my belt". Forgive the grammar. I live in Texas.

i suppose a hamster wheel wouldn't do any good either
it's probably akin to the old jiggling/vibrating hip belt of the 50's/60's

arrghhh