Get Cellulite-free In 5 Easy Steps
What happened – did summer arrive earlier this year? Bathing suit weather is fast approaching, and we’re thinking (again) about baring out bodies. Springtime is the time of year, more than any other, when women check out their bodies closely. My evidence is the number of emails in my inbox. Last week’s number one email topic was this: How can I get rid of cellulite? This article is my response.
After so many years of education efforts about fitness and appearance, I was pretty surprised to find that people are as confused and ill-informed about cellulite as they’ve ever been. For instance, many wanted to know which lotion or cream was best for topical treatment of cellulite, and others wanted to know if they should give up cottage cheese. Depressingly, some even asked if surgery was their only option.
Cellulite: What is it, and how can I get rid of it?
The body produces and stores fat cells in the body. We generally refer to this as “cellulite.” Our excess fat calls are stored in small compartments, formed by special connective tissue our bodies produce. The connective tissue in men forms a crisscross pattern, while in women the pattern is more like honeycombs. The dimpled appearance of some women’s skin is the result of excess fat being stored in these honeycomb-shaped compartments.
Although the solution to cellulite is simple and straightforward, it’s not necessarily that easy to accomplish. Reduction of overall body fat is the only way to reduce cellulite. Cellulite will not respond to having topical creams or lotions rubbed on it, and there’s no way to target any particular part of the body for fat reduction. Likewise, starving yourself won’t work. There’s one way to banish cellulite from your body, and that’s to follow these five simple and effective guidelines:
1) Cut down on the size of your meals and increase the number of times you eat daily. 5-6 small meals daily is about right. Try to separate your meals by about 2-3 hours. At each meal, make sure you have one protein and one carb. You should eat your first meal soon after waking – an hour is the outside limit.
2) Proper hydration is crucial to your well-being. With every meal, drink a cup of water.
3) Make certain you get your proper rest. Of course, proper rest means making sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep each and every night, but it means much more. You must give your muscle groups at least 48 hours of rest between weight training sessions. Proper rest also means taking a 1-2 day break from your workouts every week.
4) Change the duration and intensity of your cardio sessions regularly. For instance, every week, have one high intensity/short duration session, one low intensity/long duration, and the rest moderate intensity/medium duration.
5) Each muscle should be strength-trained one to three times weekly. Weightlifting, a crucial element of most strength training programs, should also be performed. Make certain to perform the proper number of sets and reps as called for by your own strength training program.
Combining these five steps will result in cellulite reduction. Miracle creams don’t exist. Secret potions and pills don’t exist. The good things in life aren’t delivered, they’re earned the old fashioned way – we work hard for them. As is often the case, it’s not the quantity of your workouts that counts, but the quality. Look at your body honestly and develop a set of realistic, reasonable goals, and then craft a workout program tailored to the body and engineered to help you achieve those goals. Here’s a paradox – we’re all unique, yet following this set of five guidelines will practically guarantee you’ll make your cellulite disappear.
If you’re ready to get the body you’ve always wanted and say goodbye to cellulite, check out these articles: lose thigh cellulite and get rid of cellulite.