I am your classic "pear shape". I have found that I seem to be losing more from the waist up, than from the waist down. I am doing recumbent bike or elliptical 30-60 minutes 4-6 days a week alternating with the Turbo Jam dvd's. My knees pretty much suck, they sometimes make noises that I have never heard (and I'm a nurse, lol). Squats and lunges both cause that grinding sound and mild pain. Does anyone know of any other exercises to target the glutes, hamstrings, quads, etc...????

i am a pear too. i hate it! size 18/20 top, 22-24ish bottoms, sometimes higher :phanvan

i do the elliptical as well, today i cranked it up to a 20 incline (highest it would go) and it kicked my butt... SO HARD!

my knees crunch as well, i hate it.. i just keep on whatever i can do to burn the fat. have you tried Aqua? the only bad thing with that is being in the Water exhausts me.

good luck!

Oh, its a shame your knees are bad becuase I cant recommend running highly enough, it has totally reshaped me and my legs and but are as hard as steel. It's really created lean muscle, not a bulky look for me.

My back squeaks when I walk up stairs or uphill. Its totally bizarre.

Perhaps you could jog on a slight incline on a treadmill, it took me a while before I was strong enough to withstand much road running without injury.

I'd be very interested in finding some ways to even out my pear shape too. Even when very slim I couldn't run. How do you build up to it Jacqui, or did you find it quite natural?

I'm just freaking determined when I set my mind to something. I used to run a bit as an older teenager/young adult and loved it, I like that kind of thing. Its solitary which I love (head space) and I love the endorphin rush. It makes me feel so good.

So a few months after banding I just went out and did it, I ran probably 3kms (maybe a bit less). Man did it hurt. I've always had fairly good aerobic capacity and I've always had a knack for long, slow endurance type exercise, but the strength in my legs to carry my weight was sadly lacking, I staggered the last kilometre!

I just kept at it. I wanted to do a fun run in the May (began running in March) and so had a 4km goal. We bought our treadmill and I just bloody did 4kms day in, day out. Once I passed that milestone, I really had caught the bug and it was a habit and I've been at it ever since.

I truly am not a natural runner, though. I'm not built for it, even at a healthy weight, not naturally skinny as runners tend to be, and I dont really have a graceful, natural style, I'm a plodder. And I have never had anything resembling speed at all, I cannot run fast if my life depended on it.

If I can do it, seriously, ANYONE can.

There was a recent show on 60 minutes about pear shaped and exercise. They state that if you do cardio you will just be smaller pear shape. The key is strength training. Well, thats what the study said anyhow. I'm doing my cardio 5 to 6 days a week and doing strenght training.

Here are is a wonderful link to some exercies. It gives different exercises for different areas - if you click on the exercise, it even shows a short video clip on how to perform the exercise. I use this website often and they have a great newsletter they mail you with success stories etc. I love it. I hope this helps (I'm pear shaped too, but become more and more less like a pear). I still have my big thighs and hips, but they are shrinking (I've lost 8" off my hips). Weight Training Exercise Guides - Muscle Mass Building Workouts!