Are you one of those women (and some men too) who are keen to hide an area of dimpled, spongy, cottage cheesy flesh somewhere on your body? If you said yes, then you are pretty normal as about 90 percent of all women have some amount of unwanted cellulite somewhere on their body – usually the thighs or buttocks. And you can safely bet that most of them want to know the secret of how to get rid of cellulite.
I hear what you are thinking “what causes this lumpy cellulite?” It is only when we know how we got it do we understand how to get rid of cellulite. Basically, we all experience undesirable and negative changes in our body composition (muscle tissue/fat ratio) as we get older, most notably less muscle tissue and more fat. In fact, the average woman who does not keep her muscles strong and toned with the right exercise program loses around five pounds of muscle and adds about 15 pounds of fat every decade of adult life.
At first, the muscle tissue loss goes unnoticed because of the additional body fat along with the increased body weight. Also, until significant muscle tissue is lost the body fat stores are fairly evenly layered between the underlying muscle and the overlying skin. As time goes on more of the muscle tissue that gives us a solid, firm and toned body is reduced and replaced by increasing amounts of body fat. Because fat is exceptionally soft tissue it does not keep our skin taught and firm like muscle does.
The solution to how to get rid of cellulite
The key to how to get rid of cellulite is in the condition of your muscle tissue as when there is too little toned muscle to cushion the skin it tends to take on the lumpy look of the irregular fat deposits beneath it. The combined result of too little muscle tissue and too much fat is largely responsible for cellulite which becomes more noticeable with age, because the skin gets thinner over time.
There is no quick fix, no magic potion or procedure and there is no cream that can be applied to the skin that can penetrate and rearrange the fat cells beneath the surface. Some people try liposuction, which can remove fat but won’t do anything for skin texture. Long lasting, permanent ways to eliminate cellulite are not for sale.
So, just how to get rid of cellulite and what do I need to do to restore my firm skin? As excess body fat is an important component of cellulite the first step is to reduce the underlying fat stores. But decreasing the fat deposits by restrictive dieting alone without the correct exercise does not necessarily improve the skins appearance. It may still stay soft, saggy and lumpy, and look even more dimpled because without the fat there is even less substance underneath it to give it shape. Think of it like a cushion that has had some of its stuffing removed.
A proper strength training exercise program is a crucial element in reducing the unsightly appearance of cellulite to replace lost muscle tissue and decrease total body fat. Only when firm and fit muscle is rebuilt will the skin become taught, tight and toned. Without question, toning the muscle is equally as important as losing body fat in the quest of how to get rid of cellulite, rectifying the rippled look and reshaping the body. A cardio (walking, jogging or cycling) only program is not enough to achieve this.
By burning more calories during the workout, burning more calories after the workout, and burning more calories all day long to meet the higher energy demands of well-conditioned and toned muscles you will see results and that is how to get rid of cellulite. Stick to a strength training program and the more toned the legs and buttocks become the better they will look. And as a bonus the exercise will make you feel better, too.
Eating better is part of how to get rid of cellulite
The idea is not to eat less but to eat better. This means ditching as much processed and refined foods as possible and replacing them with high quality protein (grass fed beef, organic free range poultry and eggs or fish from the ocean). Choose a portion of this protein at each of 4-6 small meals each day and make up the rest of the meal with vegetables (both cooked and raw) of all kinds. Combine your strength training exercise program with higher quality eating. If there is a secret to how to get rid of cellulite – that is it.
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