Cellulite Reduction That Works

Cellulite is not a medical condition or an aesthetic mutiny perpetrated by your thighs. It's just excess fat that we've relegated as unsightly. Not all women have cellulite. All women of course have fat, but cellulite is simply excess fat bursting through the connective tissues holding the fat layer in place.

Mitchel Goldman, MD, an associate clinical professor at the University of California at San Diego regularly informs the dermatological community about cellulite treatments. On one such occasion in 2002, at American Academy of Dermatology's summer scientific meeting in New York, Dr. Goldman offered bleak hope for women with fat dimples while asserting that there is no "cure" for cellulite.

Perhaps Dr. Goldman has never visited a women's figure competition, Gold's Gym or any placed packed with women who know how to take care of their bodies. If he did frequent such places, Dr. Goldman would find that there is indeed a three-step remedy for cellulite which follows:

1. Eat a macronutrient rich diet that maintains your ideal body weight;

2. Exercise at least 60 minutes daily to promote circulation and increase the skin's elasticity and tone; and

3. Do resistance training to increase muscle size, boost fat metabolism, and increase structural support for the skin's fat layer.

I assure you that women who pose as models for cellulite creams and services already do these things.

Notwithstanding, Dr. Goldman rests convinced that "Foods really do not have an impact on whether a woman has cellulite or not." He further doubts dietary interventions by stating, "Even a woman who radically changes her diet from high fat foods to low fat foods would still have cellulite. Consumers should be wary of any diet plan that claims to reduce the appearance of cellulite -- it is simply not credible."

So how do women in the advertisements for cellulite creams get rid of their cellulite? Not by using a cream, of course. One may answer that Adobe Photoshop editing cleverly erases the smiling fat dimples. That's not always the case. Women can and do shrink their cellulite bubbles using a sensible diet and exercise program.

1. Eating to eliminate cellulite

Enjoy five to six meals/snacks a day. Frequent eating keeps the blood sugar level balanced so that your body does not resort to fat storage. This predictable food intake also keeps the metabolism burning calories at a consistent rate.

2. Strategic exercising for cellulite elimination

A study issued by the National Academies' Institute of Medicine in 2002 recommends an hour of cumulative exercise each day to maintain a healthy weight. Cellulite is an aesthetic issue and not a grave health threat. So while climbing the stairs here, and washing the car there, may help your heart, it does nothing for cellulite.

If you want to get rid of cellulite, you need to exercise for at least 45 to 60 minutes consistently to reap the fat burning benefits. Yet, you need not exhaust yourself.

Make your body tingle with energy Just try walking briskly at a rate fast enough to make your thighs and rear-end tingle. That way, you know you are stimulating the fat while simultaneously massaging the skin. Moreover, you are raising your external body temperature. You can spend $100s of dollars at a spa trying to get the same effect in some body wrap or massage machine. Spare yourself the hassle and get real results from the gym or on the trail.

3. Make the most of weight training

The most ridiculous fear that arises from women when I suggest weight training is the unfounded cry, "But I don't want to get bulky and muscular!" Please. Too many women in the gym today are hardly in any danger of developing muscle simply because they are not properly training or eating to gain muscle.

The only way to get "bulky" with muscle is to consistently train for years lifting heavy weights and eating a generally bland diet that's rich in protein. With that, it's critical to make the most of your muscle training minutes in the gym. Granted the variety of weight lifting techniques remains endless, here's some basic steps for increasing your muscle mass:

Eat before lifting

Eat at least 45 minutes before lifting weights. While, your stomach should not fill bloated with food, having some nutrients in your stomach will ensure that you have enough energy to actually lift the weight and perform enough repetitions to promote muscle growth.

Lift enough weight to feel your muscle burn after 8-10 repetitions.

The whole point of lifting weights is to tear down the muscle you have so that it will repair itself and grow back stronger and more plentiful. If you are not burning, it's likely that you are not breaking down muscle.

Refuel your muscles with protein and carbohydrates immediately after lifting weights

Professional bodybuilders strategically plan their day to ensure that they get their protein within at most 45 minutes after having lifted weights. This is because the muscle needs fuel to repair itself. If you skip feeding a repairing muscle, it will not grow, or at best you'll reap minimal results.

Moreover, a resent study published in the June 2004 edition of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism confirmed that after resistance training, a meal containing protein and carbohydrates produced more muscle growth than a meal consisting purely of carbohydrates.

Consistent dieting habits, exercising and resistance training effectively eliminate cellulite. This three-tiered strategy reduces excess fat and tones the skin- collectively revealing a smooth, bump-free backside. Though you may hate the method, it produces visible results four to six weeks with regular usage.