From the bellybutton down

I am one of those 'lucky' (not!) women who gain first from the bellybutton down - hips, ass, thighs, and 'ponch'.

I've gained about 7 or 8 lbs in the past few months and realize that I have to start (a) eating better and (b) exercising more to get rid of it.

Coupled with a 1500 - 1700/cal a day meal plan, what would be recomended for exercise? I really do not care about being uber skinny - I just want to find a place where I am toned, fit, and healthy - my natural weight, so to speak. I think it's around 114-115 (5 lbs from here) but want to see how it goes with exercise.

Suggestions? I am a member of a great gym with classes, tons of cardio and circuit equipment, etc.

cardio, cardio, cardio. That will help the whole body.

try squats, leg press, extensions and leg curls, to shape the legs up

I'm a bottom-gainer, too, so I feel for you.  Abs are really hard to tone, and cardio and muscle-building have a tendency to counteract one another if you're really serious about either.  There are tons of core and ab exercises out there, so I won't reiterate them here, but I'd suggest cardio for 60 minutes 3-4 times a week and strength training for 30-45 minutes on the other days.  When you weight train, try to consume 20g of protein within half an hour after you work out.  The easiest way to do this is with a protein shake/smoothie.  I'm a big fan of Bolthouse Farms mocha cappucino protein thingy, which has 10g/serving.  Just remember to leave room for it in your calorie count for the day.

I've been doing this for 4 months now and I'm just starting to see definition, so don't lose heart if you don't see results right away.

Good luck!

One more thing to add--I'm a runner, and I have seen *major* improvements in my legs.  My upper thighs still aren't quite where I want them, but they're getting pretty darned close.

Mix it up, cardio and HIIT, strength training 3 days a week. (Not consecutive days) Eat clean and balanced.

I too have the heavy lower half!  This year for the first time ever though I am really seeing a change in my hips and thighs from a combination of running and power yoga.  It's both firming the fat and strengthening and streching out the muscle.  Really amazing stuff.  Good Luck!!

Wow this sounds incredibly familiar! I too have been battling this body type for quite some time. If you find the magic cure for the booty, thunder thighs, and pouch...LET ME KNOW! Greatly appreciated. Nice to meet you by the way, I'm new to this site. 

I am a runner and I had the most amazing results when I traded some of my runs in for spin classes. 40 minutes of spin, 4 times a week was a God send. My body was sooo much leaner all over, especially my lower half. When I did run, I was able to keep pace for longer runs and my endurance was boosted. I can't praise it enough. I have since moved and we have no gym. I miss it greatly. I bought an outdoor bike, but it's not the same.