SAY SAYONARA TO CELLULITE!

If you are one of the many people who have cellulite, you are certainly not alone! It is estimated that 80-90% of women will experience cellulite at some point in their life! But you’ll be pleased to hear that there are some things you can do to try to reduce it!

What is cellulite?
Cellulite refers to the fat directly under your skin that passes between collagen fibres to form the uneven surface most commonly seen on the legs and bums of women. Women are more pre-determined to have cellulite because of the alignment of their collagen fibres making fat more able to pass through them.

What causes it?
There are many potential contributing factors causing cellulite. For some of these factors there is unfortunately nothing you can do about them, but there is still something you can do about some of the others. Cellulite is hereditary, so if your mum has cellulite, it is more likely that you too will have it, due to collagen fibre alignment and strength being determined by genetics. Your hormonal balance can also play a part in the presence of cellulite, the stage of a menstrual cycle can alter it, as can contraceptive pills. In terms of changeable factors, generally these relate to an unhealthy lifestyle, including excessive alcohol consumption, smoking cigarettes, high stress levels, poor diet and lack of exercise. A lot of these factors will cause increased fat deposition, particularly on the thighs and bum, which will impact cellulite appearance.

What can you do about it?
The first and most impactful action you can take to counteract cellulite is to reduce your body fat percentage. Less body fat means there is less fat to pass through the collagen fibres mentioned earlier to cause the ridged fat appearance of cellulite. The most important elements to reducing your body fat percentage are to improve your diet to create a calorie deficit, and exercise. There’s no magic wand here unfortunately, it is going to require some hard work and dedication to make a difference to that stubborn cellulite!

In terms of your diet, to enable fat loss you need to ensure that you are creating a calorie deficit, i.e. consuming fewer calories than you use in day. For detailed help in doing this you can read our previous article explaining how to calculate your calorie deficit. The Slender Blend could be a useful tool in this process. As a high protein meal replacement shake it will help to control your calorie intake and keep you feeling fuller for longer whilst providing everything you need for up to two meals a day. You can read more about the Slender Blend here!

Exercise will support the process of fat loss by dramatically increasing the possibility of creating of a calorie deficit as well as having a myriad of other health and well-being benefits. Any exercise is better than no exercise when it comes to fat loss, so the best thing you can choose is something that you enjoy and will be motivated to do for weeks or months at a time. As you lose fat you will want to concentrate on toning the areas of the body where cellulite is located, meaning resistance and bodyweight training focusing on the legs and bum will be key. Some classic exercises for this purpose include lateral kick-outs, donkey kicks, glute bridges and fire hydrants.