suuuper-simple 4-step plan for cellulite

Published: Sun, 03/03/13

Hi ,

If you're anything like me, you have a love/hate relationship with your lower body. You love having strong legs and glutes that can lift heavy weights, sprint fast and make you feel strong (in fact, all my female clients say their legs are their stinger body part ... not surprising since they are the biggest muscles in the body).

But there's a little ugh that creeps in when, "Can't I find jeans that fit my muscular thighs but aren't baggy at the waist??" or when our legs rub together during cardio (hint: if you are not a runway model, chances are your legs rub together, it's the normal orientation of the inner thigh muscles, and it's just fine :)) or the fact that, sigh, we have cellulite.

Yes, dimpling.

The truth is that over 90% of women have some kind of cellulite on their lower half, and though it's normal and nothing to be ashamed of, there are tried and true lifestyle changes that can help reduce its appearance. And contrary to popular belief, cellulite isn't just a matter of body fat, which is why many thin women have it too.

I wanted to know what was up, so

I brought in the big guns--aka Dr. Jade from Metabolic Effect--to break down his 4 Step Formula for improving the appearance of cellulite. It's an abbreviated version taken directly from ME's new Burn Your Cellulite program. Ready? :)

FAT: You have to burn fat first (duh!). But because fat tends to be stubborn in the lower body preferentially on women, it is important to address key female hormonal patterns--it's really not about cutting cals to death. Without getting too much into the science (though that's here if you want the whole scoop), doing a fairly low carb diet, eating plenty of veggies and lean protein and exercising regularly is a great start.

FIBERS: This is called "collagen remodeling"--using tactics to help change the orientation of the collagen fibers (which are different than those of men, giving a more "dimply" appearance). Some of the best ways include regular deep tissue massage and foam rolling.

FLOW: Increased blood flow to an area means increased ability to move released fat to be burned. Increasing circulation also helps decrease fluid retention and is essential for the health and strength of the collagen fibers. Heating the area is does this--exercise, sauna, massage and hot baths, for example.

FIRM: Muscle underlies the collagen and fat layer, and when muscle mass is built and strengthened below, it pulls the connective tissues tighter. This is about increasing soft tissue integrity. I recommend 1-3 workouts each week that incorporate heavy lower body exercises like squats, lunges, step-ups, etc. Your #1 tool against cellulite is intense weight training :)

For more detailed science and how-tos from Metabolic Effect, take a look at their new Burn Your Cellulite Program--no gimmicks, just tried-and-true lifestyle tactics that make a big difference when practiced with consistency.

Drop me a line and let me know how you're doing! Love hearing from you, as always!

Ox,

Jill