Golf ball thighs, cottage cheese thighs, dents, fatty deposits. Call it what you will, but those little stubborn pockets of fat that begin to form on the back of your thighs usually in your late teens, just plain suck. Can you believe, it is 2013 and there is no magic solution to the cellulite monster? There may be no “magic” solution, but there IS a solution. Read on…
I will never forget when I discovered my first pocket of cellulite. I was 18 years old and weighed in at about 110 lbs. I put my teeny weeny bikini on to head to the beach and there it was…disrupting my smooth, flawless 18 year-old thigh. I was naturally thin. I ate whatever I wanted and did not exercise at all. Because of my unhealthy lifestyle, the cellulite monster slowly invaded my thighs for the next several years, and the pockets of fat multiplied and spread up and down my thighs from my tush down to the back of my knees.
As I began to adopt a healthier lifestyle, eating better and exercising, I still could not prevent that dang monster from taking over my thighs. I was in a healthy weight range, did tons of cardio, and ate healthier but I just couldn’t fight it.
I tried spreading coffee grinds on my thighs, bought the latest fat creams and even searched to see if there were any medical procedures that would get rid of cellulite. I tried everything. Nothing worked.
I am two weeks away from the big 4-0 and I have to say that I am probably healthier than I have ever been in my entire life. I looked in the mirror last month, examining my cellulite. Come on ladies…we all do it. I was so pleased and surprised to see my cellulite had decreased in a major way. That’s right…almost 40 and almost cellulite-free after a 20 year battle. So, what is my secret? I tweaked a few things in my diet and my workout routine. There are four changes that I have implemented over the past few years that I believe have helped decreased my cellulite drastically:
- WATER. I drink at least half of my body weight in water each day. I pee every 15 minutes, but the water helps to flush out toxins and break up the fatty deposits in my thighs that cause cellulite. I have always been a huge water drinker, but over the past few years, I have kicked it up a notch.
- WALKING LUNGES. I have been a workout fanatic for about 15 years now. However, I never put much time into shaping my lower body and tush. A few years ago, however, I started doing walking lunges as part of my workout routine, RELIGIOUSLY. I do 3 laps of walking lunges around the track (about 300 lunges) twice per week. Walking lunges fire up the muscles in your booty, quads and hamstrings. They are the BEST exercise you can do to shape your lower body quickly and effectively. When my Boot Camp Challenge clients complain about LOL day (Lots O Lunges), I remind them to keep their eye on the prize.
- SPINNING. I spin (indoor cycling) about 4x per week. I add lots of resistance and climb, firing up the muscles in my glutes and legs. If you want to see change, throw a few spinning classes in per week. Scared to spin? Try The Revolution Indoor Cycling Studio in Clifton Park or Latham. All levels welcome in a non-judgmental environment.
- CLEAN EATING. Do not eat processed foods. Eat natural, nutrient-dense foods with the correct balance of carbs, protein, fat and fiber and your body will love you for it.
The four above tips are the perfect cocktail to decrease cellulite. It may not disappear completely, but I assure you, if you put the time and energy into it, within a few months you will see a huge difference. Don’t waste your money on the creams, procedures and gimmicks. They do NOT work. Remember, getting fit is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Slow and steady always wins.
