Weight Loss Tips

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. The flood of emails about it over the last few weeks is ample evidence of this. This article, then, is about last week’s number one question - how can cellulite be banished?

The many misconceptions and misunderstandings about cellulite surprised me. For example, I was asked about the efficacy of different creams and lotions. Shockingly, many even asked it they should stop eating cottage cheese! And a depressing number asked if their only option was surgery.

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 bodies organize our excess fat cells into small compartments by means of special connective tissue. Men’s bodies produce this connective tissue in a criss-cross pattern; women’s bodies make compartments shaped like honeycombs. The dimpled appearance of some women’s skin - “cottage cheesey” - is due to this honeycomb pattern.

The solution to cellulite is simple, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to accomplish. There’s only one way to reduce cellulite, and that’s to reduce the overall level of body fat. 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. You can deal with cellulite effectively by following these five simple steps:

1) Reduce the size of your meals but make them more frequent. You should eat 5-6 of these small meals throughout the day. There should be about 2-3 hours between meals. Make your meals with one carb and one protein each. Your first meal of the day should be taken no more than an hour after waking.

2) Proper hydration is crucial to your well-being. With every meal, drink a cup of water.

3) Your body needs its rest - it’s your job to see that it gets it. This means more than simply getting seven to eight hours of sleep every night, although that’s certainly important. Muscle groups need at least 48 hours between strength training sessions, Your body also needs to rest up from the workouts - make sure you take a 1-2 day rest break from your workout routine every week.

4) Make the intensity levels and durations of your cardio sessions variable. 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. Don’t ignore weightlifting, a critical component of strength training. Make certain you perform the correct number of sets and reps at each workout.

These five tried-and-true steps will, when taken together, result in the reduction of your cellulite. Miracle creams don’t exist. Secret potions and pills don’t exist. If you want to get rid of cellulite, you’re going to have to work out, period. As is often the case, it’s not the quantity of your workouts that counts, but the quality. Your workout program needs to be specially tailored to the goals that only you can set for yourself, with your unique understanding of your body and capabilities. These five tips will help anyone to eliminate cellulite, no matter how different our individual situations may appear to be.

Tags: Weight Loss