Sunday, June 22, 2008

How To Lose Cellulite

By John Alvino

“Cellulite” is one of the most feared words for any woman to hear. Cellulite is a specific type of fat that has found its home on the buttocks and upper thighs of millions of females. Unfortunately for the women who have it, cellulite is considered to be the most unsightly forms of body fat. Its appearance can best be described as resembling lumpy, cottage cheese.

But the worst thing about cellulite is that once it finds its way to your body, it is extremely difficult to get rid of. Even though it is essentially just body fat, it does not get burned with normal fat burning methods. Instead, staring in the face of a sound diet and exercise routine, it defiantly hangs on for dear life, refusing to give your butt and thighs the tight, smooth appearance you are working so hard to achieve.

There are many different theories about what causes cellulite. Some experts believe that estrogen may play a role in its formation. This would explain why women get cellulite much more commonly than men do. Others believe that toxins in the body affect the fat cells and cause cellulite to develop. Still others just attribute it to the simple fact that you are carrying too much body fat in the affected area.

In an attempt to get a definitive answer on the “real” cause of this problem, I recently interviewed a prominent plastic surgeon about his take on the topic. I respect his opinion since he has performed hundreds of liposuction procedures on women who suffer from this very problem.

He strongly believes that the appearance of cellulite is caused by a problem with the flexibility of the connective tissue. In other words, he 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 unattractive cottage cheese look.

Since there is such a wide variety of opinion on this topic, it is clear that the true cause of cellulite is not fully understood by the scientific community. Maybe one of the above theories is accurate. Perhaps it’s a combination of all of them.

The good news is that whatever the precise cause may be, I have developed a multi-faceted approach that will literally blowtorch the cellulite right off your butt and thighs! My system addresses all of the potential causes of this cosmetic hardship. Here it is in a simple, step-by-step format.

  1. Improve the integrity of your connective tissue. This is best accomplished by eating foods that are rich in bioflavonoids and vitamin C. Some foods that are particularly loaded with these nutrients are: citrus fruits, cherries, peppers, all types of berries, oranges, grapefruits and green leafy vegetables.

  2. Flush toxins out of your body. The easiest way to begin this process is to drink plenty of pure water. Be sure to drink at least half of your bodyweight in ounces everyday.

  3. Minimize your bodies exposure to toxins. Being exposed to some level of environmental toxins are unavoidable. But there are many toxins that can be avoided without any trouble. This would include cigarette smoke (first or second hand), excessive alcohol consumption, unnecessary medications, etc.

  4. Keep estrogen levels in check. This can be accomplished by eating plenty of cruciferous vegetables daily. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage contain a substance named indole-3-carbinol (I3C). This substance has been shown to have a positive effect on estrogen metabolism. In addition, these vegetables also assist in detoxifying the body.

  5. Lose excess body fat. Although cellulite has some unique characteristics, it is still body fat. So if you were to lose body fat correctly, you would minimize or totally lose that cottage cheese appearance.

Let’s start by addressing your diet. You should use a diet that doesn't allow your insulin levels to get chronically high. Chronically high insulin levels prevent cellulite from being burned, thus making your fat loss efforts futile. To keep insulin levels in the optimal range, you should eliminate sugar, red meat and processed foods from your diet. Now let’s address the exercise protocol.

To any woman who has tried, it’s no secret that traditional exercise does nothing to reduce cellulite. In a desperate attempt to lose cellulite, most people perform daily aerobic workouts. I’ve actually known aerobic instructors who teach 6-8 hours of aerobic classes each day and still have stubborn cellulite. This is obviously not an effective approach.

Instead, you should perform high-intensity sprint training. Sprinting works the hamstrings (back of the legs) and glutes effectively while elevating your metabolism significantly.

Combine this with resistance exercises that target the affected area while simultaneously stimulating lean muscle, and you have a potent exercise program that will enable you to lose cellulite quickly. Some of my favorite resistance exercises for losing cellulite are: Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts, KB Swings, and Band Good Mornings.

Cellulite doesn’t have to be a permanent part of your body. Start this plan today and lose your cellulite for life!


About the Author

John Alvino is a world renowned fitness expert who is known for his ability to help people lose body fat as fast as humanly possible. He has trained thousands of clients during his 16 years as a Strength & Conditioning Specialist, including professional athletes, fitness models and regular men and women.

He is an advisor and regular contributor to Men's Fitness magazine. His trademarked Complete Fat Loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and has helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, and get lean in record time. For more information on the Complete Fat Loss workouts, please visit www.CompleteFatLoss.com

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