The Truth about Anti Cellulite Diet Programs
An anti cellulite diet program is no different from any other kind of diet. When it comes down to it, almost all diets have the same basic idea behind them: eat right and exercise. There is no magic bullet when it comes to getting rid of fat or cellulite.
What is cellulite?
Technically speaking, cellulite is a skin condition that occurs in girls as they reach sexual maturity. However, the notion of cellulite has largely come to be synonymous with “fat”. This is an overextension of the term. More specifically, cellulite is that kind of flabby uneven skin that most typically occurs on the thighs, although you can also see it sometime on the arms, etc.
Can you get rid of cellulite?
Once you have it, cellulite can be particularly difficult to lose. Studies have shown that most anti cellulite diet programs have only limited success in getting rid of cellulite. This is because there are several causes of cellulite that are more specific to the individual’s bodily make up.
The Causes of Cellulite
There are several causes of cellulite. Diet is only a contributing factor in most of these causes. Hormones are perhaps the leading cause. It is no coincidence that girls develop cellulite just as they reach sexual maturity. The hormones that drive these changes also create the conditions for cellulite to develop.
Researchers have also found other connections as well. Some people, for example, have difficulty metabolizing certain kinds of food, which increases their predispositions to cellulite. Studies have also shown a connection between stress and increased cellulite. The probable connection being that when someone becomes stressed certain metabolic processes turn off to give full attention to the heightened tensions. (The body perceives stress as part of the fight-or-flight response. This survival mechanism makes it possible for us to garner our bodily resources in order to react to a threatening situation. If, however, we always feel we are in a threatening situation, this can make our bodies react unhealthily to our surrounding conditions, and over time can have several negative effects that go far beyond our appearance.)
Some studies have even shown that wearing tight clothing can restrict the proper circulation to the cellulite deposits and thus increase the growth of cellulite.
Possible Solutions?
If you are lucky, you have the kind of cellulite that reacts to dietary changes. The key to your anti cellulite diet is the key to every good diet: eat a low fat balanced diet. Given our hectic lives, this can be quite difficult. Here are some basic tips: Avoid fast food. Avoid salt and sugar. Eat vegetables and salads. Of course, none of these things is easy to do, but if you have the kind of body that reacts well to dietary changes, this is what will have the best chance of reducing your cellulite.
Exercise
Of course, just dieting is often not enough. You usually have to combine dieting with exercise. Therefore, get a gym membership and start working out.
Cellulite tends to form right around the thighs, so you will want to do exercises that target these areas. The two best gym exercises that will do this are the stair climber and thigh curls. The stair climber exercise is great because it really makes your legs work. That burn that you feel is the fat coming right off, so don’t shy away from it.
Leg curls also work really well because they target a different set of muscles. However, when you do these two exercises in combination, you are likely to have the greatest effect on your shape.
Regardless of whether proper diet and exercise actually get rid of your cellulite, these lifestyle changes are worth doing for their own sake because they will make you stronger and healthier.