If you’re in a hurry and only have time to read the first 3 lines of this article, I’ll summarize the answer in 1 sentence…
To keep cellulite at bay, watch your diet, eat healthy and exercise till you have a low body fat percentage. That is the best way to keep cellulite at bay. If you’re curious about how to do this, read on.
First thing, remember that it is just fat that we’re dealing with here. It is not accumulated toxins or the result of poor lymphatic drainage. It is not damaged fat. It is not poor circulation or weird metabolism. It is not a disease or condition.
Cellulite is Just Fat – Nothing More.
It only looks different from normal fat because of the way it is stored. There is a layer of fibrous tissue just beneath our skin. This tissue makes our skin adhere to the underlying muscles. For women, the tissue has vertical bands that are perpendicular to the skin. For men, these tissues are connected in a crisscrossed manner.
This is the reason why women are stricken with it and men typically are not. The vertical bands in the woman’s tissues create columns or pockets where fat can be stored. The body then proceeds to store fat in these spaces.
Fat Fills the Spaces Making Cellulite Visible
Once these spaces are filled out and the body keeps filling up the spaces, the fat has nowhere to go but upwards. The fat then pushes the skin upwards and this causes the cellulite to become visible.
Women also have thinner skin than men. So, the fat is more visible. The cellulite appears dimpled or clumpy because of the bands of tissue between the fats. So, while it appears different from normal fat, it is the same and just like normal fat, the same rules apply to keeping it at bay.
Body Fat Determines the Visibility of Cellulite
You will need to get your body fat percentage measured. This is the first key step. You may get a doctor or a fitness professional at your local gym to do it for you because body fat percentage can’t be measured on a body weight scale.
Weighing scales are not a good indicator of body composition. Even women who seem slim may have a high body fat percentage. This is why even slim women sometimes show signs of cellulite on their body.
Now that you have your body fat percentage measured, you will need to bring it down to 12 to 18 percent. It may be difficult and take time but it’s well worth the effort. The most important factor is your diet. You must watch what you eat very closely just as you would on any fat loss diet.
Avoid foods with a high GI. These are the foods that you know are fattening. Cakes, chocolates, ice cream, pizza, etc…
Don’t deprive yourself entirely but try to save these foods for just 1 day in a week opposed to every day of the week. Keep your diet healthy and wholesome and once you have your diet under control that’s 70 percent of the battle already won.
Next, you will need to embark on an exercise program that involves a good mix of cardio and resistance training. The cardio will burn off the excess fat and the resistance training should be geared towards your lower body.
Squats, lunges, deadlifts, etc. are great exercises for women and men both. Your lean and toned lower body will reduce any visible signs of cellulite.
This is how you keep cellulite at bay. It may not be as popular as creams, massages or other methods but this is the only method that is truly effective, budget friendly and has long lasting effects.
On a closing note, be sure to subscribe to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter at the top of MyFitnessNut.com to get some awesome exercise workout routines and dieting advice that can help you make that cellulite disappear from your body once and for all.
