One of the most feared words by any woman is cellulite. Cellulite is a particular type of fat that has found its way to millions of female buttocks and upper thighs. Unfortunately for those who have it, cellulite is one of the most unsightly forms of body fat. Its appearance can best be described as resembling cottage cheese.
But perhaps the worst thing about cellulite is that once it finds its way to your body, it is very difficult to get rid of. Even though it is essentially just body fat, it does not go away with normal fat loss methods. Instead, staring in the face of a solid diet and exercise routine, it stubbornly hangs on for dear life, refusing to give your butt and thighs the tight, smooth appearance you are working so hard to achieve.
Several different factors can cause the unsightly fat we know as cellulite. This type of fat is most commonly found among women which is why some experts believe that the hormone estrogen could play a part in it’s development. Other experts have suggested that toxins in the body can be a leading cause of cellulite and/or simply carrying too much fat in the butt or thigh regions or other affected areas.
In an attempt to get some clarity on the real cause of this problem, I recently interviewed a world renowned plastic surgeon about his take on the topic. His opinion does carry some weight (pardon the pun) since he has performed countless liposuction procedures on women who suffer from this very problem.
He strongly believes that the appearance of cellulite is caused by the flexibility of the connective tissue. So he basically believes that, if your connective tissue flexibility is compromised, your fat cells can bulge upwards to the surface of the skin, giving the area the classic cottage cheese look.
Since there is no consensus of opinion on this topic, it is clear that the true cause of cellulite is not fully understood by the scientific community. Perhaps one of the above theories is correct. Maybe its a combination of all of them. Personally, I am most comfortable attributing it to genetics.
Regardless of what the exact cause of cellulite formation may be, I have construced a fool-proof plan of attack against the much dreaded cosmetic nightmare! Here is my protocol in an easy to follow format:
1) Increase the elasticity of your connective tissue. To do this, be sure to consume foods which have high Vitamin C and bioflavonoid content. Most common foods in this category are citrus fruits such as oranges, green leafy veggies, cherries, strawberries, and blueberries.
2) Rid your body of excess toxins. The simplest way to achieve this is to increase your water intake; ideally consuming half of your bodyweight in ounces each day.
3) Eliminate unneccesary toxins. Although some toxins just cannot be avoided (such as pollution) others can easily be eliminated from your body–and life. Drinking, smoking, and taking unneccesary medications are avoidable toxins you should be aware of and cutting back or cutting out of your daily routine.
4) Keep an eye on estrogen levels. Make sure that your diet includes numerous cruciferous vegetables such as brussel sprouts (yes, the vegetable your mother always told you to eat), cabbage, and cauliflower. Not only will these particular vegetables help to detoxify your body but they also contain a substance known as I3C which has been shown to positively affect the metabolism of estrogen.
5) Lose excess body fat the right way. Although cellulite has some unique characteristics, it is still body fat. So if you were to lose body fat correctly, you would minimize or completely lose that cottage cheese appearance.
When assessing your diet make sure your insulin levels are in check. Sugar, red meat, and processed foods will create high insulin levels for your body which will prevent cellulite from being burned making it difficult to make fat loss progress; cutting back or (preferably) eliminating these procucts is key. Now that your diet has been assessed, let’s move onto exercise…
Its no secret that traditional exercise does nothing to reduce cellulite. In a desperate attempt to lose cellulite, most people perform daily aerobic workouts. Ive actually known aerobic instructors who teach 6-8 classes per day and still have that stubborn cellulite. This is obviously not the most effective approach.
Sprint-training is a high-intensity way to boost your metabolism. Your glutes and hamsrtings get a great, effective, workout while you’re burning serious calories.
If you combine both high-intensity workouts with reistence exercises you’ll stimulate lean muscle mass and are guaranteed to lose cellulite quickly. Some of my favorite resistance exercises are KB Swings, Band Good Mornings, and Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts which, when combined with your high-intensity workout will be a powerful remedy to combat cellulite.
Cellulite doesnt have to be a permanent part of who you are. Start this plan today and lose your cellulite forever!