Diet and lifestyle changes that help reduce cellulite

Cellulite doesn’t afflict only overweight or obese people; this condition is so common that 9 out of 10 women have it, and men may develop it as well. It usually becomes more visible starting the age of 25, due to changes in hormone levels, and gets worse as menopause approaches and estrogen production starts decreasing.

Women with poor circulation are more likely to get cellulite at early ages, the figure-destroying fat deposits forming mostly around the knees, on the buttock and hips and around the saddlebags, where the body naturally stores more fat cells. A sedentary lifestyle that causes the body to burn a reduced amount of calories favors the formation of cellulite, and so does the decrease in collagen production, which comes with age.

The good news is that there are dozens of products and procedures that promise to destroy the lumpy fat on the tummy, bottom, thighs and arms. The bad news is there’s no better treatment for cellulite than dieting and exercising, with exercise being the best cellulite killer out there.

If you already tried so-called miracle cellulite products and didn’t see any difference in your skin’s appearance, it may be time to take a look at your eating habits and to increase the time spent exercising, or the intensity of your workouts.

To fight cellulite efficiently, identify its root cause

To get rid of cellulite you have to know what causes it. So try to identify the cause of those lumpy fat deposits that prevent your from wearing certain types of clothing or feeling completely happy in your skin: is it poor diet? Is it dieting? A slow metabolic rate? The lack of physical activity? Hormone changes? Or perhaps you don’t drink enough water during the day, or your total body fat percentage is high?

Let’s take these one by one and see what you can do to fight cellulite. First, analyze your diet: are you eating mostly processed food? If yes, it’s extremely likely for cellulite to be caused by your unhealthy diet, so try to adjust your eating habits by eliminating the processed foods and switching to a regimen that’s rich in fruits, veggies, lean meat and whole grains.

Some women manage to keep cellulite under control by completely removing dairy products from their menu, and others find it effective to avoid bread and other grains, so you may have to test for 3-4 weeks and see what works and what doesn’t work for you. If you eliminate dairy and see improvements in your appearance, body weight and energy levels after a couple of days, stick with your new regimen but make sure to get all the nutrients you need from other foods.

If you eat rather healthy but still have cellulite, it may be because of your exercise habits. Are you an active person? Do you practice mixed workouts that include both cardio and strength training? If you only do cardio exercises and have cellulite, you may need to include weight lifting or body weight exercises in your routine as well, and if you usually lift weights but do no cardio, you may need to start running or do add other forms of cardio workouts in your weekly schedule.

The more varied your workouts are, the better, as the body doesn’t have the time to get used to them thus it burns energy more efficiently and this helps in reducing the overall body fat percentage. As a result, your skin’s aspect improves as well.

If you lack inspiration you can take a look at our Exercise and fitness section for workout ideas. Whole body vibration can also help in reducing the appearance of cellulite, because of its combined effects: it enhances circulation, improves the lymphatic drainage and favors the removal of excess water from the body, and boosts the metabolic rate, making you burn more calories and thus get rid of the extra fat easier.

Here you can find a couple of Hypervibe whole body vibration exercises for toning and strengthening your body and reducing the amount of fat underneath your skin.

If you’re already doing vibration exercises but don’t see any noticeable change in your skin’s aspect, you may need to increase the intensity, or check your diet, as it’s really difficult to out-exercise a bad diet.

You can also try to add more variety to your workouts, and to practice more compound exercises instead of isolation movements. The former are more efficient in burning calories as they require multiple muscle groups to work at once, so your body has to put in more effort.

A slow metabolic rate may also favor cellulite so you may need to adjust your workouts and diet by including exercises that are more intense, faster and more varied, and foods that help in creating a calorie deficit. Protein-rich foods for example are a good choice, because the body burns more calories for breaking them down.

An improper sleep schedule may decrease the metabolic rate, increase cortisol production and favor cellulite. So if you usually skip sleep hours, you can expect to see cellulite on your thighs, buttocks, abs and around your waist. To fix this, try to get at least 6 hours of sleep per night, drink more water and keep stress levels under control.

If your diet and lifestyle habits are healthy but your skin doesn’t look as firm as it used to, it may be because of changes in hormone levels. Talk to your doctor and schedule an appointment to see if your hormones are out of balance. You may be recommended to eat specific foods or take certain supplements or medications. Massage – cellulite massage, lymphatic drainage massage – may also help in reducing the appearance of cellulite and restoring your skin’s youthful and healthy aspect.

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