What do you do for "saddlebags" or the fat on the sides of your legs just under your butt?

Okay, so you're storing fat on your hips. Many people do. Blame your mom; blame your dad, too, half your genes come from him.

I'll probably go to my grave saying this, but spot reduction is nothing more than a myth. It simply doesn't work.You need to trim your overall body fat to store less fat on your hips.

Cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise needs to be an important component of your strategy, because you can burn a lot of calories while exercising. Running is a great way to burn calories, but it is hard on the body and you may not be fit enough yet to run for 45 minutes. That's the amount of time you need to do that type of exercise in order to get lasting results, and you need to do it four or five days per week. Walking is a good alternative to running, because there is less impact, and it is easier to spend more time doing it.

Also consider activities like cycling, in-line skating and hiking. You can burn a lot of calories biking and skating, or by spending a couple of hours tramping through the woods. These are low-impact activities that firm your legs and hips. Did you ever see the legs of a cyclist or the butt of a skater? You may never have slim hips, but why not make what you have as firm as possible? In the gym, the stepping machine is a good aerobic apparatus that helps you tone your legs as well.

Now, this may sound strange, since we're talking about your legs, but try weight training for your upper body. Getting stronger above the waist will increase your overall muscularity. That is to say, you'll increase the amount of lean tissue on your frame. It doesn't mean you'll look like a bodybuilder. More lean muscle mass translates into a higher resting metabolism. That means you'll burn more calories throughout the day, even if you're sitting in a chair at work

A basic upper body circuit would include bench presses (for your chest), one-arm dumbbell rows (for your back) and seated overhead presses (for your shoulders). Do some biceps curls and triceps extensions for your arms.

If you're not familiar with weight training, seek professional instruction at a gym for at least one or two sessions. A trainer should be able to teach you the exercises so that you can do them by yourself in the gym or at home. You can also watch or tape the fitness programs on ESPN to learn the exercises. Bodyshaping, Gotta Sweat and Kiana's Flex Appeal all give good, basic weight training information. Pay no attention to the hosts of the programs, they get paid to work out six hours a day. We must do what we can.

Finally, since it all comes down to fat reduction, reduce the amount of fat and overall calories in your diet. Calculate your current caloric needs by multiplying your body weight by eleven. Shave a couple of hundred calories off of that figure, and restrict your intake of fats to no more than 20 percent of your daily calorie requirement.

Think of those "saddlebags" as reserves. If you put out more energy than you take in, you'll use up your reserves.

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